ARUNA
아루나
ARUNA is a sea-facing cafe a short walk from Sokcho Beach, run by an owner who understands travel because she has lived it herself: Canada for school, a year of backpacking in her twenties, temple-stay interpreting, and years teaching English before coffee became her own space. The first floor looks straight toward the East Sea, but the real move is upstairs — on a clear day, the rooftop frames both Ulsanbawi Rock and the water. Six straight years in Korea's Blue Ribbon Survey and a cabinet of handmade desserts make this feel less like a random beach cafe and more like a careful stop worth building into the day.
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Interviewed by HeySeorak on 📖 Owner story included
Best For
Slow mornings, breaks, and relaxed afternoons
Area
Beach
Price
₩₩ Mid-range
Reviewed by HeySeorak Editorial · Updated
Info
85 Cheonghohaean-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
강원특별자치도 속초시 청호해안길 85
Open year-round. VisitKorea lists Tuesday closing earlier at 17:00; confirm same-day hours before a late visit.
The Story
ARUNA opened in April 2020, exactly when COVID was closing the world down. The timing looked terrible on paper, but it carried a strange kind of luck: the narrow lane in front of the building, once small enough that only handcarts passed through, had just been rebuilt into a road in 2019. The owner was also returning with a traveler's eye — middle school, high school, and university in Canada, a year of backpacking in her twenties, temple-stay interpreting for foreign guests, and work as a middle-school English teacher. Office life never fit her well, so she began studying coffee and turned her parents' seaside building into a place that could welcome travelers rather than just pass them through.
“'I never compromise on taste or ingredients. If a shot is pulled wrong, I throw it out and extract it again.'”
— Owner, ARUNA
What They Stand For
The standard here is stricter than the easy beach-cafe version of coffee. ARUNA uses only specialty-grade beans, and the owner is preparing to roast single-origin coffee herself rather than outsourcing that identity forever. When an extraction goes wrong, it does not get hidden under milk or syrup; it gets discarded. The desserts follow the same logic: everything in the cabinet is handmade, not bought in as a backdrop for the view.
Behind the Signature
ARUNA began with a deliberately small menu: Americano, Cafe Latte, herb tea, and homemade scones. At first, the coffee leaned toward the owner's own taste — bright acidity, clean extraction, fewer compromises. Over time she widened the menu for travelers who wanted more choice: nuttier coffee, vanilla bean lattes, peach iced tea, chocolate latte, fruit juices, handmade fruit teas, caneles, cookies, and cakes. That change did not lower the standard; it made the cafe easier for more kinds of guests to enjoy.
Local Tip
The cafe sits on Cheonghohaean-gil, about five minutes on foot from Sokcho Beach and close to Sokcho Eye, Abai Village, and the coastal walking route. Do not stop at the first-floor window only. On a clear day, take your drink upstairs to the rooftop, where the view can hold both Ulsanbawi and the East Sea at once.
Seasonal Note
The fruit-juice board changes with the season, and the handmade dessert cabinet is more reliable than the exact lineup. If the weather is windy, rainy, or too hot, the first-floor sea window is the safer choice; if the sky is clear, the rooftop is the reason to come.
For Travelers
Foreign guests are already part of ARUNA's rhythm, especially on weekdays. The owner understands the feeling of travel herself, and English is not a problem: she studied in Canada, worked as a temple-stay interpreter for foreign visitors, and later taught English. One Australian retired-teacher couple returns regularly and even brought her a handmade travel booklet as a gift. The name helps too — ARUNA means dawn or early morning, shares roots with Bangkok's Wat Arun, and is also used as a woman's name in India, so travelers sometimes walk in surprised to find a cafe carrying their own name.
Start with these dishes
The best first order for understanding what makes this place worth visiting.
Americano
아메리카노
Specialty-grade espresso pulled clean and served long. Choose this if you want to taste ARUNA's coffee standard without milk or syrup.
Fresh Fruit Juice
생과일주스
A no-sugar seasonal fruit juice blended from fresh fruit.
Original Canele
오리지널 까눌레
A handmade canele with a dark caramelized shell and custard-like center.
How to order here
A simple flow for first-time visitors who want to order confidently.
Step 1
Order one signature first
If it is your first visit, start with Americano. It is the easiest way to understand what this place is known for.
Step 2
Add a second dish for balance
Fresh Fruit Juice usually rounds out the meal well, especially if your table wants both a safe choice and something more local.
Step 3
Use the menu as a script
Open the English menu and point to the exact item names if ordering feels awkward.
More from the menu
View full English menu →Falling in Love
폴링인러브
A tropical fruit-and-herb blend for guests who want something fragrant without coffee.
Strawberry Lemon
딸기레몬
House-made fruit syrup with strawberry and lemon. Order iced as an ade for a sparkling version.
Helpful guides
Practical reads to help you make the most of your visit.
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