This little café was introduced to us by our good friend H. It is situated in a side street in Gwangju’s dong-gu, where you wouldn’t expect to find a cute building housing a café that serves fresh coffee, tea, mojitos, and homemade cakes.  The interior is playful and features toys, cute lamps and seats.  It also has a small classroom that teaches people how to make cake and rooftop seating. When you enter the café, you will be greeted by their friendly staff, adorable furry friend and a giant Lego doll.

We ordered americanos after learning that it is freshly brewed.  It’s always good to ask, since americanos often come out of a packet.  I was pleasantly surprised when they asked us how strong we like our coffee. I chose strong because an americano (3,500krw) is usually water-downed.  Unfortunately it was still weak coffee to me. We also ordered three cakes, which took some time to decide. They had about eight choices and they all looked amazing! We chose a cheesecake, chocolate, and mocha cake (4,000-5,000krw). The cakes were delicious but if I had to choose a favorite one I would say chocolate. It was just right in flavor and texture.  The mocha was good in flavor but texture was too soft, while the cheesecake was a little bit too hard.   Overall, I prefer their cakes over bakery chains.

The café has a cozy and unique atmosphere. The comfortable seating makes it a great spot to enjoy a book by yourself or chat with friends.  Orders are presented on cute cups and plates. All these small details show how much time and love the owners must have put into this place.  Thumbs up for the cake and atmosphere!

Play Coffee, 200-195 Dongmyeong-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju /플레이 커피, 광주 동구 동명동 200-195