Cafe Toetmaru

Cafe Toetmaru is a hanok converted into a coffee shop in Chodang-dong. Step inside and the courtyard greets you first, wrapped by a wooden toenmaru — the traditional Korean veranda. Sitting out on that veranda rather than indoors is the real way to experience this place. Wind passes through the garden trees, and the steam from your cup mingles with the scent of grass. It is near Gyeongpo Beach but occupies an entirely different world from the shoreline noise. When people call Gangneung a coffee city, they do not only mean the big ocean-view cafes. A cup sipped on a hanok veranda while gazing at a garden — that is the true depth of Gangneung coffee culture. Chodang sundubu restaurants are a five-minute walk away, making this a natural dessert stop after a meal.