Dreamy Mountain-View Cafe with Rooftop & Bakery in Korea
A Stunning Mega Cafe Near the Mountains — Meet MEON
Whenever people talk about mega cafes in Daejeon, a modern city about two hours south of Seoul, the conversation always comes back to space. Spacious seating, a relaxed atmosphere, easy parking. But MEON didn't just follow that formula — it felt like they reinvented it in their own way. Tucked right at the foot of Gyejoksan Mountain in the Daedeok-gu district, this cafe has a two-building layout, each with a second-floor terrace. When I heard about it, I had to see it for myself.
My jaw literally dropped the moment I arrived. The gray exterior walls with just the name MEON stamped large across them — it had that effortlessly cool vibe, you know? I could already tell the view from the second-floor terrace would be amazing, and when I noticed another building extending to the right, I realized the place was way bigger than I'd expected.
No Parking Worries at This Cafe
Honestly, MEON is a bit tricky to get to without a car. Public transit access isn't the most convenient. But maybe that's exactly why they went all out on the parking situation. Beyond what you see in the photo, there's plenty of extra parking space, so even on weekends when the crowds roll in, you probably won't stress about finding a spot. Nothing kills the cafe mood faster than circling for parking, right? They clearly put thought into that, and I appreciated it.
Walk In and the Bread Greets You First
Finally stepping inside. MEON is divided into two buildings, and the first thing I noticed was that it's not the register that greets you — it's the bakery display case catching your eye first. To the right, rows of bread lined up under warm lighting, and to the left, nature visible through massive windows. You end up browsing the pastries before you even think about ordering. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but it's a pretty clever layout. You know that feeling where you just end up grabbing one more thing? Yeah, that.
Plenty of Bread Even on a Weekday Afternoon
It was a weekday afternoon — pretty quiet, not many customers around — but the bakery display was absolutely packed with bread. Not a single empty tray in sight, which was nice to see. You could browse at your own pace without worrying about slim pickings. It's these little details that tell you whether a cafe is well-managed or not.
Exploring the Bakery — Colmar Bread
MEON's bakery section is run in collaboration with Colmar Bread, a pretty well-known bakery brand in Daejeon. Having them right inside the cafe automatically raised my expectations for the bread quality.
Ginger Rusk
A rusk made with Canadian-American bread flour, Korean ginger, and New Zealand butter. It came in a pouch package tied with a blue checkered ribbon — totally giftable.
Cinnamon Rusk
A rusk featuring Vietnamese cinnamon and New Zealand butter. Wrapped in CB logo packaging with a red checkered ribbon, it looked like you could smell the cinnamon from across the room.
Meringue Pops
Meringues made with just Korean egg whites and sugar. Shaped like adorable little characters with pretzel decorations — the kind of thing that puts a smile on your face just looking at it.
Colmar Korean Wheat Cookies
Signature cookies made with 100% Korean wheat. A basket full of assorted flavors, with the yellow CB-stamped cookies catching my eye the most.
Colmar Korean Wheat Cookies (Close-Up)
Up close, they're even more tempting. Yellow cookies with the CB logo stamped clearly on them, blueberry-studded ones — the variety was impressive.
Croissant Sandwich
Korean eggs, New Zealand butter, New Zealand bacon, and fresh lettuce — all loaded onto a croissant with a generous pile of cheese baked on top. Just looking at it was filling enough.
Garlic Baguette
A garlic baguette made with garlic from Seosan, a region famous for it in Korea. The surface was baked to a golden crisp with parsley generously scattered on top. You could practically smell the garlic just from looking at it.
Pollock Roe Bagel
A bagel generously topped with seaweed flakes and pollock roe (myeongnan, a popular Korean topping). Perfectly round and baked to a golden color, it looked absolutely luscious — and I was already anticipating that savory, briny flavor.
Walnut Twist
A walnut twist generously dusted with powdered sugar. Its hefty, rustic appearance actually made it look even more delicious. Crispy on the outside, probably soft and moist on the inside.
Big Chili Sausage Bread
Korean sausage topped with Mexican chili sauce, Mexican shredded cheese, and jalapeños. The glossy, glistening surface was seriously appetite-inducing.
Mocha Bun
A round little mocha bun topped with pecans. The deep chocolate-brown color made it look like the perfect pairing with a cup of coffee.
Sweet Potato Bread
Bread shaped to look exactly like a real sweet potato. I almost mistook it for an actual one at first glance. It looked like it was packed with sweet potato filling inside.
Egg Tart
An egg tart brimming with golden custard cream. I bet it would taste incredible fresh and warm.
Kiri Banana Bread
A signature Kiri banana bread packed densely with banana slices. It had a SIGNATURE tag on it, and I could only imagine how beautiful the cross-section would look.
Cheese Baguette
A baguette loaded with cheese and baked to a perfect golden color, finished with a sprinkle of parsley. The visual was absolutely mouthwatering. I didn't know the name at first, but it was the very first bread my eyes went to.
Cookies, Chocolates & Macaron Corner
Right next to the bread display, there was a separate section for chocolates and macarons. Colmar Bread's signature packaging was on full display here too, and everything was perfectly curated for gift-giving.
Handmade Chocolates
A clear box tied with a pink ribbon, filled with assorted handmade chocolates in all sorts of shapes — hearts, swirls, rounds — each a different color. Absolutely perfect as a gift.
Chocolate Gift Set
Chocolate sets in Hermès-orange-esque boxes. They came in 6-piece, 10-piece, and 15-piece options, so you could pick the right size depending on who you're shopping for.
Croquant (Dark / Milk)
Croquant made with Belgian chocolate, available in dark and milk varieties. Packed with nuts, it looked like it would have an amazing crunchy texture.
Handmade Macarons
Seven flavors on display: pistachio, lemon, caramel, vanilla, blueberry, chocolate, and raspberry. The COLMAR BREAD HANDMADE logo on the packaging gave them a premium feel — I wanted to buy every single one.
Dried Fruit (Likely Grapefruit)
Thinly sliced dried fruit in a clear package. I'm pretty sure it was grapefruit, though I wasn't 100% certain. Looked like the perfect accompaniment to wine or tea.
Macarons — Blueberry & Chocolate & Raspberry
Lavender-hued blueberry, brown chocolate, and pink raspberry macarons lined up side by side. The chocolate one in the middle had the COLMAR BREAD logo stamped clearly on it — gift-worthy quality for sure.
Macarons — Vanilla & Blueberry
White vanilla and soft purple blueberry macarons. Both looked plump and bouncy, like they were absolutely stuffed with cream inside.
Macarons — Caramel & Vanilla
Soft beige caramel and white vanilla macarons. The HAND MADE logo stamped on them added that extra touch of care and craftsmanship.
Macarons — Pistachio & Lemon
Vivid green pistachio macarons. The color was so bright and pretty that they stood out instantly on the display shelf.
Macarons — Lemon & Caramel
Pale yellow lemon and beige caramel macarons. A combination that made me want to grab both.
Seating — Spacious with Room to Breathe
You could already tell the place was massive before even walking in, but once you're inside, it really hits you. Despite the huge capacity, they didn't cram the seating in — which actually made the whole space feel more relaxed and airy. Tables are spaced far enough apart that you don't have to worry about the people next to you, and no matter where you sit, there's a certain degree of privacy. The cafe trend these days is shifting from just big and flashy to actually caring about the quality of space, and MEON seems to have read that shift perfectly.
Interior 01
The Space Speaks First
Ambient lighting tracing the ceiling, wide terrazzo floors, and black tables arranged at just the right intervals. The moment you walk in, the space sets the mood for you.
Interior 02
Where the Window Becomes a Frame
The seats lining the floor-to-ceiling windows are the most coveted spots in the cafe. Nature unfolds right outside the glass, and during the daytime when natural light pours in, it must be even more stunning.
Interior 03
Light Divides the Space
A long planter running through the center naturally divides the space. The ambient lighting along the bottom of the planter softly illuminates the floor, keeping the atmosphere alive even during the day.
Interior 04
Spacious, But Never Feels Empty
From this angle, you can really take in how enormous the space is. And yet, because they didn't go overboard with seating, it never feels empty. The white space — the breathing room — is what gives this place its elegance.
Interior 05
A Cafe with Boulders Outside the Window
The corner seats were especially unique. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, you could see natural rock formations right there — it felt like sitting in the middle of nature itself.
Interior 06
Minimalism at Its Finest
White oval tables paired with black chairs. No frills, just clean simplicity — and that actually made it look even more upscale.
Interior 07
Black Marble Meets Floor-to-Ceiling Glass
Glossy black marble tables stretched along the window line. Paired with round cushion stools, the combination felt sophisticated yet comfortable at the same time.
Rooftop Terrace & Outdoor Seating
Head up the stairs and you'll find the rooftop. A wide-open outdoor space with vermillion-red flooring and bright yellow metal chairs as accent pieces. The Me:On logo is engraved right into the floor, making it a great photo spot too. On a nice day, you can soak in the mountain views with wide-open skies — a completely different vibe from the sleek interior. It's the kind of rooftop cafe experience that makes you want to come back just for this space alone.
Rooftop 01
Shall We Head Up?
A directional sign on the stairway wall. "RF Rooftop" with an arrow pointing up. Something about that single little arrow had this irresistible pull to keep climbing.
Rooftop 02
Yellow Chairs on a Red Floor
The combination of the red floor and yellow metal chairs was surprisingly chic. If the weather had been better, I would've stayed up here for ages.
Rooftop 03
Me:On — The Floor Is the Photo Spot
The Me:On logo is stamped large right on the floor. Snap one photo here and you won't need to explain which cafe you visited.
Rooftop 04
Sit Here and the View Is All Yours
These seats are right next to the glass railing. Sit in one of the yellow chairs and the mountains and sky spread out right in front of you. It made me want to come back in spring.
What I Ordered — Milkshake, Ginger Tea & Pollock Roe Bagel
Once we found our seats, we ordered a milkshake, ginger tea, and a pollock roe bagel. The milkshake arrived with its froth still perfectly intact and a single mint leaf perched on top. The ginger tea had lemon slices, a cinnamon stick, and even rosemary inside — just looking at it made me feel warm. As for the pollock roe bagel, it was the one I'd been eyeing at the bakery earlier, and when it actually arrived at the table, it was even more tempting than I'd expected.
The Full Spread
Milkshake, ginger tea, and pollock roe bagel all laid out on a tray. Receiving it at a table with a view of the dry grass field outside made everything look even more appetizing.
Milkshake
The milkshake came out with its froth still beautifully alive. A single mint leaf on top gave it a clean, polished finish.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea with lemon slices, a cinnamon stick, and rosemary all inside. Served in a clear glass so you could see every ingredient. Just looking at it warmed me up from the inside.
Pollock Roe Bagel
The pollock roe bagel I'd been eyeing at the bakery counter. The surface was glossy and generously covered with seaweed flakes — my mouth was already watering for that savory, salty bite.
Ginger Tea (Close-Up)
Up close, it's even prettier. Two cinnamon sticks crossed over each other with lemon slices resting at the bottom. The kind of drink where you reach for your phone before you reach for a sip.
MEON — The Kind of Place That Makes You Want to Come Back
MEON was more than just a big cafe. The spacious interior, the well-managed Colmar Bread bakery, the rooftop — nothing felt half-hearted or thrown together. It's a shame that it's tough to get there without a car, but once you arrive, the space itself is so impressive that you forget the inconvenience pretty quickly. Finding a cafe like this near the mountains was a genuine treat. If you're looking for a stunning cafe with beautiful vibes near Daejeon, MEON is absolutely a top contender.
📍 Cafe Info
🧾 Menu
MEON Vin Chaud Signature
~$6.50
MEON Matcha Einspänner Signature
~$5.70
MEON Cream Latte Signature
~$5.70
Tiramisu Latte Signature
~$5.30
Vanilla Bean Latte (Handmade)
~$5.00
Butterscotch
~$5.30
Lemonade (Handmade)
~$5.20
Grapefruit Ade (Handmade)
~$5.20
WIAG (Red/White)
~$6.10
Pottéberry
~$7.60
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
What are MEON Cafe's hours?
They're open daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with last order at 8:30 PM.
Is there parking at MEON Cafe?
Yes, they have their own parking lot with plenty of space. Even on busy weekends, parking stress shouldn't be an issue. However, getting here via public transit is a bit inconvenient.
Who runs MEON Cafe's bakery?
The bakery is a collaboration with Colmar Bread. They sell a wide range of items including ginger rusks, cinnamon rusks, macarons, and handmade chocolates.
What are MEON Cafe's signature drinks?
The signature drinks are MEON Vin Chaud (~$6.50), Matcha Einspänner (~$5.70), Cream Latte (~$5.70), and Tiramisu Latte (~$5.30). Their vin chaud, made by simmering pure wine in-house, is the standout signature drink.
Is the rooftop always open?
They do have an RF rooftop with outdoor seating, but availability may be weather-dependent, so it's worth checking before you visit. On a good day, you can enjoy open skies and mountain views — it's a fantastic photo spot.
This post was originally published on https://hi-jsb.blog.