Over an old railway at the top of gunam-ro in Haeundae, is an area that couldn’t be more different to the rest of Haeundae. Most will know of the magnificent beach and tall skyscrapers, but there is another side of Haeundae that should be explored, that is Haeridan-gil Street (해리단길), Busan’s foodie destination.
Haeridan-gil Street has a totally different vibe from the rest of Haeundae. No skyscrapers or glitzy hotels can be found here, instead is a collection of colourful narrow alleys with 2 to 3-storey buildings that were once houses, now renovated into trendy eateries. Haeridangil feels more like Hongdae in Seoul, rather than Haeundae. Haeridan-gil Street truly stands out with its unique charm.
History of Haeridan-gil Street
Formerly an old neighbourhood with primarily residential buildings, in the last decade, it has become a hipster hotspot with a young population that has transformed this neighbourhood.
Located behind the old Haeundae Station, where the Donghae-Nambu line once ran through from 1905 – 2013 until it was moved in 2016. Now the old railway line has been renovated into a walkway with grass rugs laid down. It is a popular exercise spot in Haeundae. To get to Haeridan-gil Street you will need to cross these old railway lines.
From the appearance, you would not expect such a trendy area to be across the road, however, a giveaway that this is a place to discover is the stream of young trendy locals heading in that direction too.
Haeridan-gil Street is a highlight of Haeundae that many people unfortunately skip. This Haeridan-gil guide covers the best things to do in the area including recommendations for cafes and restaurants. Let’s get into it.
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6 Things To Do In Haeridan-gil Street
1. Get Lost In Narrow Alleys
Colourful boutiques, cafes and murals make up Haeridan-gil Street Haeundae, much like this area’s entrance, the alleyways can often seem like they lead nowhere. However, once you wander down them you could find a fun photo booth, one of a kind vintage store or a quaint restaurant that you will not forget. Seriously, the alleys are a cornucopia of great finds.
Much of this area is pedestrianised making it super easy and relaxing to explore.
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2. Duplit Tour “Haeridan-gil Guide”
This is a short tour that incorporates all 4 of Duplit businesses, the owners put this little tour together so you can explore all their businesses. Here are the 4 stops on the “Haeridan-gil Guide”.
- Stop 1 Duplit Coffee Shop: A retro exterior with crazy cakes, brunch menu and coffee.
- Stop 2 Keveren House: Desserts to take home, so slightly different to Duplit Coffee Shop. Pastries include cinnamon butter roll, Dubai Pave Chocolate and butter ice-cream.
- Stop 3 Pony Film: Wild West-themed photobooth, don a cowboy hat and get your “yeehaw” ready.
- Stop 4 Duplit Market: Souvenir shop with a few Duplit branded items.
This blog post goes into the Haeridan-gil Guide in more detail.
3. Cafe Hopping
Busan has Jenopo Street, Seoul has Hongdae and Haeundae has Haeridan-gil Street. For a coffee lover like me, walking through the cafe-lined narrow alleyways was heaven. There are so many cafes to discover that if you are short on time you could cafe hop around 3 or 4. Cafe hopping is a popular trend in Korea.
I have put together a list of the best cafes in Haeridan-gil.
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Cafes to visit in Haeridan-gil Street
1. Hwang Sil Classic (황실클래식)
Smooth and aromatic coffee, I highly recommend the peanut cloud latte, it was delicious. The cafe is thoughtfully designed with outdoor seating that seamlessly blends into the exterior, along with a cosy upstairs area. Food-wise, there are a selection of pastries and a brunch menu.
2. Deep Flow (딥플로우 커피)
Deep Flow is a cosy cafe with home-roasted coffee. It’s the perfect place to relax with plug sockets and blankets. You can also buy their speciality coffee beans and drip bags.
3. Hav Coffee (하브커피)
Minimalist cafe, with a minimal menu with anything but minimalist-tasting coffee. The menu includes a flat white and muscovado sugar latte. The dessert menu features rich vanilla cream bread and banana bread.
4. Deokmi Concierge (금송덕미)
Concierge is a dessert cafe with high-quality tasty cakes that are baked fresh in-store. Come for the desserts but stay for the cool and calming interior.
4. Explore The Restaurants
In between all your coffee drinking and walking you will need to refuel, the good news is that Haeridan-gil Street is home to some of Haeundae’s best restaurants. There is an excellent mix of cuisine including Korean, Western, Japanese, Chinese and Italian. Along with fancy restaurants, hipster food counters and traditional street stalls.
A few food tours go around Haeridan-gil or you check out some of the best places to eat in Haeridan-gil below:
Restaurants to visit in Haeridan-gil Street
1.. GOGO Tacos (고고타코스)
Am I still dreaming of the tacos? yes! Gogo Tacos is an attention-grabbing casual restaurant. Its design is so cool, with a food stall style shop front, seating in an alleyway and inside the kitchen.
The tacos are fresh and packed with flavour. I recommend the birra and fish tacos. GoGo Tacos Haeridan-gil has to be the best tacos in Haeundae!
2. Cheeky Pie (치키파이 광안리점)
Cheeky Pie specialises in, you guessed it, pies! These pies are oozing with sauce and meat all encased in a buttery case. Flavours include the classic chicken and mushroom along with more Korean-inspired flavours like rose carbonara. Delicious!
3. Red Tteokbokki (빨간떡볶이)
On a quiet weekday on Haeridan-gil Street, when most places were practically empty one establishment had a queue out the door, so naturally our interest was piqued and we had to see what the fuss was about.
People come to Red Tteokbokki to try their, well, their red tteokbokki! Swimming in a vibrant red sauce is spicy, sweet, chewy and flavourful tteokbokki.
They also sell equally delicious oden and blood sausage (sundae). It is a takeout restaurant with no seats to eat inside. Which, in my opinion, is how all the best tteokbokki is eaten.
4. Taiga Tempura (타이가텐푸라)
Another popular Haeridan-gil Street eatery. Taiga serves a selection of crispy tempura (fried vegetables and shrimp) in an ultra cool counter-style restaurant which you would expect to find on the streets of Tokyo.
I advise booking a table as the queues can get long here during the evenings.
5. Kuziramen (쿠지라멘)
Operating on an “open until sold out” basis, Kuziramen is an intimate ramen shop that focuses on high-quality ingredients. Unlike most ramen restaurants the serving size of meat is very generous.
The menu changes daily, which can be checked on their official Instagram page. Expect to queue but it goes quickly thanks to the speedy nature of ramen.
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5. Take Home Busan Bada Sand
Looking for a souvenir? Busan Bada Sand is a delicious solution. Buttery, sweet and salty biscuits in a range of different flavours. You cannot buy individual biscuits, you must buy a box with a minimum of 9 biscuits. It is the perfect gift to share with friends at home (or eat it all when you get back to your hotel, who am I to judge!).
The shop itself is bright, colourful and a bit hipster, the smell of caramel in the air is all too tempting.
6. Rent A Traditional Hanbok
Renting a hanbok is a must-do activity in Korea. In many culturally significant sites, you will see locals and tourists dressed in a beautiful colourful gown, called a hanbok.
You can book this activity with Huan Hanbok who will also take professional photos of you in their studio.
Conclusion
If you tire of Haeundae’s beach or just want a more local experience, Haeridan-gil Street is the answer. A small area over the railway with many cafes, eateries and boutiques to keep you busy for a few hours. I recommend visiting both during the day and night. You only need an empty stomach!
Thank you for reading, let me know below if you have visited Haeridan-gil Street.
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