On the border between Hongdae and Seogyo you will find a large grey multi-story building with a courtyard. This is the café and bakehouse Sandy Beach.
The space is a large with three levels including a rooftop and outdoor seating. To enter the café you must walk through the courtyard.
The courtyard is relatively large with two areas of seating; one is a patio area with a booth styles benches and tables, and the other, individual umbrella-ed tables. The cafe's building itself is divided into three levels.
On the first level was the main counter and a few seats. There was a large kitchen/bakery and there were many pastries, breads, sandwiches and other baked goods on display. On the second floor there was a variety of seating, as well as a small area selling the café’s merchandise. The last level was the rooftop, which was a large area with a lot of seating options.
On the rooftop there was a covered area with normal table and chairs. However there were also chairs that were a mix between metal park benches and deck chairs, and that’s where my friend and I sat.
Although it was a cold and windy day, it was nice to enjoy the view of the street below and people watch. This variety of seating on each of the floors made it versatile for both those who want to socalise, eat or evern work.
In terms of design, the space is quite dark for a place called Sandy Beach.It was quite dark and moody for a place named after a typically sunny and bright place. However this is not to say the interior was bad, quite the opposite. It was well decorated and gave off a warm feeling.
The walls were white with a textured look, and large grey tiled the floor. A lot of the cabinetry was in a dark stained wood that added a nice naturalness. The space also used a lot of shiny aluminum. This was seen in the display/ ordering counter and the backing on some of the seating on the first and second floors. However warm lighting throughout the space reflected off the aluminum, giving off a cozy feeling instead of a cold one. There were also bold prints throughout the space in primary colours that added a nice colour element to the space.
Moving onto the drinks. I got the Sandy Beach Milk Tea, and my friend got a hot americano. We also got a caramel nut croissant with our drinks and a loaf of sun-dried tomato ciabatta for takeout.
My friend said the americano wasn’t bad, however it came lukewarm he said it would have been better if it was hot. The Sandy Beach Milk Tea was a milk tea with a subtle orange flavour. It had a nice tea flavour and texture. But with the addition of orange, it added a unique flavour that I haven’t had in a milk tea before.
The caramel nut croissant, which was more like a chocolate coated croissant with orange and sticky praline was tasty and wasn’t too sweet.It also complemented our drinks well. But the true hero was the ciabatta. The bread was so soft and fresh and it was so well flavoured. I would just go back to the café get the bread. It’s definitely one of the best loaves of bread I’ve had in Korea.
This café is one that has everything. In dead beat terms, not only does this café have a rooftop and is well designed, it also has delicious bakery goods. It’s a versatile space with seating for any need and it’s right in the middle of the Hongdae area, what more could you want.
Sandy Beach Instagram
Comments