Casa Busano
Strolling Gwanganli Beach after a long night? Have a little more room for dessert, or just want to casually smoke cigars while listening to lo-fi music and looking at the ocean? Look no further because Casa Busano has all of that, and more.
Located right on the sands of Gwanganli Beach, Casa Busano is a hip and artsy cafe in Busan. Not only does it boast a waterfront seating area with an open wall, but it also offers something that most cafes in Korea do not: cigars.
While the focus may be on the coffee and more “traditional” offerings, the cigars are a refreshing item that is not seen in many cafes. As a result, the cafes evokes an air of modern sophistication that graces the traditions of more olden days.
Inside, Casa Busano is like if a cafe had a child with an art gallery. Real paintings and works of art from local artists are displayed on the walls and have little placards explaining them just like an art museum would. Meanwhile in the background, lo-fi music is playing throughout the cafe. From esoteric mixes to reiterations of popular classics, the music choice is carefully crafted and curated to provide as much stimulation to the ears as to the eyes (does that sound weird? Oh well).
But if you get hungry while relaxing or working late into the night, Casa Busano offers an amazing food and drink menu as well. At the time of our visit, one of their highlights was the maple pancakes with almonds, caramel drizzles, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a sprig of rosemary on top. The pancakes taste rich, but not overwhelming, and have a subtle sweetness that pairs with the nuttiness of the almonds to give it a well-rounded flavor profile, perfect for dessert after a dinner at somewhere like Nasari. The ice cream is a great finisher and the flavor category overall of the pancakes is something like a maple bar donut or apple fritter.
The lemon shot (bottom right) is a non-alcoholic shot of lemon juice in a large shot glass with sugared rims. It is both sweet and tart which makes it a great drink to sip on without the alcohol or caffeine, for those wanting to stay up late and chat, but not too late.
The passionfruit cocktail (top right) is another highly recommended favorite from locals. It has a sweet and complex mix of different fruits and also contains real passionfruit pulp and seeds to give it some texture. Out of the two drinks, this was definitely our favorite and we saw many customers also ordering it. It is also non-alcoholic.
Lastly, the most unique part about Casa Busano is its view. As mentioned above, the fourth wall of the cafe opens up entirely to the beach side to let the sea breeze into the cafe, allowing the relatively small room to expand towards the ocean. It is a very unique design aspect that allows guests to lay back and enjoy a casual conversation while the waves crash over each other only a few meters away (yep, an American using the metric system, how shocking huh).
So whether you come for a quick bite and to chat, or just to enjoy the waves on a hot summer night in a suave cafe, Casa Busano has it all and is a real gem of Busan.
