Marker at the entrance to Gangneung Coffee Street · Photo: Altostratus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
KoreaGangwon · GangneungGangneung's Anmok Coffee Street: How Beachside Vending-Machine Coffee Became a Coffee City
People come to Anmok Beach in Gangneung to drink coffee while looking at the sea. Here is how Gangneung's coffee culture grew from 1980s vending machines to hand-drip bars, roasteries and an annual coffee festival, and how to enjoy it.
It Started With Vending Machines by the Sea
Gangneung's coffee story starts humbly. According to reports citing the Korea Tourism Organization, Anmok Beach began to be known for coffee in the early 1980s, when vending machines stood in a row along the beach road. Holding a cup of sweet instant mix coffee from a coin machine while looking at the sea became a scene unique to this spot, and through the 1990s it was a favorite date place for young people. One columnist even wrote that close to 80 machines once lined the road. Anmok is the beach right beside Gangneung Port, with the road running right along the sand, making it an easy place to park and gaze at the sea. That simple experience of a cup of coffee facing the waves carried on, and only its form changed into today's café street.
From Vending Machines to Hand Drip
The decisive shift that earned Gangneung the name "coffee city" came after the 1990s. As master coffee makers settled here and specialty shops and roasteries opened one after another, a culture built around vending machines turned into one built around cafés. Reports say that in 2000 one of Korea's first-generation baristas moved to Gangneung, spreading hand-drip coffee and training apprentices, and in 2002 a business that began as a roasting plant opened a café space, adding a culture of experiencing beans and roasting firsthand. As the baristas trained here opened shops of their own, distinctive cafés spread beyond the beach into town and up into the hills. That is why in Gangneung you hear people talk less about which café is famous and more about which beans are used and how they are brewed.
The Coffee Festival and Anmok Today
Gangneung City launched the Gangneung Coffee Festival in 2009 and built coffee into one of the region's signature attractions. It is usually held in October, and reports say it draws more than 300,000 visitors a year. The program centers on tasting and learning, with barista demonstrations, bean tastings and roasting sessions, so coffee lovers may want to plan around it. Dates and venues change every year, so check the official announcement before you go. The Anmok beach road is now lined with cafés with floor-to-ceiling windows, terraces and rooftops. At the entrance to the street stand a "Gangneung Coffee Street" marker and a monument commemorating its selection as a "Star of Korean Tourism," and as photos of coffee with a sea view spread on social media, Anmok became "the sea you visit to drink coffee."
Tips for Enjoying Gangneung Coffee
The thing to try in Gangneung is hand-drip coffee. Many cafés roast their own beans, so menus often list several single origins. If you can't decide, just tell the barista whether you like bright, acidic coffee or something nutty and full-bodied, and they will recommend one. Beans you like are easy to take home in small bags and make popular souvenirs. Window and terrace seats at the Anmok beachfront cafés fill first, so for a sea view aim for early morning or a weekday afternoon. Watching the sun rise over the East Sea with a cup of coffee is one of the highlights of a Gangneung trip. And if you want a taste of the 1980s, sitting on the sand with a cup of sweet instant mix coffee is not a bad choice either.
Getting There and Nearby Stops
Anmok Coffee Street lies on the coast east of central Gangneung, right beside Gangneung Port. You can get there from Gangneung Station by city bus or taxi. With the KTX from Seoul, it makes an easy day trip, which is why weekends get crowded. If coffee alone feels too short, pair it with other Gangneung food. Chodang Sundubu Village, famous for soft tofu, is not far from the coffee street, so lunch on sundubu followed by dessert on the coffee street makes an easy pairing. Ferries to Ulleungdo also leave from Gangneung Port in front of the street, so enjoy the harbor views too. Parking is hard during the festival and on weekend afternoons, so public transport is easier.