(Gluten Free) Crumble Cake at Riff Coffee in Suwon, Korea

After being immersed in my daily work life in Seoul for a while, a trip to Suwon was just what I needed. Suwon Station is only a 40-minute train ride or a little over an hour by bus from Seoul Station, making it a perfect destination for a weekend getaway.

Even though Suwon is quite close to Seoul, I felt like I was getting far away from the city and my daily life. We visited Suwon GwangGyo Museum, explored the Hwaseong Fortress and strolled through the pretty alleyways nearby.

The following day it rained a lot and we decided to stop by the gluten-free cafe ‘Riff Coffee.’

Note: This cafe emphasizes that they are gluten free.

“Riff Coffee” is about 30 minutes away from Suwon Station, and you can choose to either transfer to another bus or walk for about 15 minutes. The cafe is located on a side street in a concrete building, and its windows are decorated with colourful shapes.

There are plenty of tables and even though we visited on a Saturday, there weren’t many other customers. The atmosphere was calm, especially on that rainy day and the simple but modern decor was pretty without making the cafe feel cluttered.

Riff Coffee is famous for its ‘Rice Crumble’ cakes (쌀 크럼블), which come in flavors like corn, raspberry cheese, matcha choco, and hazelnut choco. (By the way, those cake slices on display as decorations are real. They’ve been preserved and are rock hard. I’ve always wondered where cafes and restaurants get such lifelike models, until the owner told us, haha.)

The drink menu had a lot of options, as is typical in Korean cafes. I took the owner’s suggestion and ordered one of the signature Coffees, a Riff Cream Latte.

The two slices of Rice Crumble Cake, one with corn (Mr. Sogumbbang’s favorite flavor) and the other with Matcha Crumble, were pretty large and had a rich, deep flavor. Having a few bites of the lighter, sweet corn crumble cake in between the rich matcha chocolate-flavored cake and sips of cream latte created the perfect combination.

Crumbel Cake can be easily dry, even more so when it’s gluten-free but the Crumble Cake at Riff Coffee was so good that we ended up taking some more home.

Final thoughts

Riff Coffee is a bit away from the bustling fortress and simpler than the cafes nearby the main area. However if you have the chance, I’d recommend paying it a visit.
The cafe’s specialty, its crumble cakes in various flavors are really delicious and pair perfectly with the Signature Riff Latte. And while the cafe is a cozy place to hang out, these crumbel cakes are also great for takeaway, making them a convenient treat while exploring the fortress and its surroundings.

Total: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 out of 5)
Taste: ★★★★☆
Variety: ★★★☆☆ (2.5)
Price: ★★★★☆
Interior: ★★★☆☆
Access: ★★☆☆☆

Riff Coffee 리프커피
Monday～ Sunday 10:00 – 22:00
Adress: 28 Gwongwang-ro 56beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do (The picture on google maps seems to be an old one of another restaurant)
Naver Map