While still on my Jeju trip, I headed to the north west side of the island around Hanlim. In a open country area is a long industrial building covered in ivy.
This building is home to the large café, Anthracite. This is not the first time that that name has been mentioned on this blog. This branch is the only one on Jeju Island, with five other branches on mainland Korea. The Jeju branch took the characteristic Anthracite industrial feel but like each of the other branches has it’s own uniqueness.
The café is set among large grounds which must have once been home to a factory. There were still many traces of the space's original life left on site. There were half knocked down structures with only parts of the walls standing, large concrete pools of water, old machinery and metal frames here and there, most overgrown with weeds or tendrils of ivy.
This feel was also carried into the café itself. The walls of the café were stone masoned walls that added a lot of texture of the space. There were also metal and wooden beams throughout the café. The wooden beams were aged and were cut by hand, evident from their imperfect cutting lines. There were also old pulleys, wheels and old machinery in different areas of the café which reminded me of farm sheds back in Australia and thus added a lot of character to the space.
There was also a lot of greenery throughout the space, which helped counter the industrial materials and feel. While the building itself was very large, only half of it was accessible. One half was the seating and ordering area while the other half was a large garden, a plant lovers dream.
The main garden was a fern garden that was bright a green, specially in the sunlight that shone from the roof. There was also a smaller garden next to the ordering counter that had an bigger array of forest ferns and ivy. This foliage also added fairytale like mystery to the space. Being inside the cafe there was a unique calm and quietness to it.
The space was very much like a green house, not only for the greenery but for how humid it was. There was only one downfall to this. The floor had a polished concrete like finiss and since it was so humid, the floor was a little slippery. So just be mindful of that.
All of the seating inside the cafe were low bluish grey metal table and chairs. Due to their height, the chairs were a little uncomfortable. This also made it not appropriate for working. Therefore, this space was best enjoyed for socializing. There was also seating outside on low wooden pallets under a covered frame with a corrugated iron roof.
As for the menu, I ordered the ginger milk, my friend got an iced americano and we shared a soft serve ice cream. The ginger milk was like a chai latte with a spicy but not overpowering taste. It was quite sweet but not too much. My friend said the coffee was very good and brewed very well. The inhouse made ice cream was also delicious. It has a light vanilla flavour with a nice creamy milkiness.
In dead beat terms, following the theme of all the Anthracite branches the Jeju Anthracite takes cues for industrialism and puts its own unique spin on it. Among the old mechanical parts and finishes, the addition of lush foliage gave the café a chic yet enchanting feel. If you don’t mind a bit of humidity this is a beautiful spot to enjoy some good quality drinks with nice company.
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