Red bean bingsu at a late-night Balsan Station café: The Sweetree

On hot days like these, after dinner I always find myself craving a cool dessert.

Rather than heading straight home after a good meal, I love stopping by a café for bingsu or waffles and chatting for a while — it's such a relaxing way to end the evening.

This time I was looking for a café near Balsan Station open late and ended up at The Sweetree. I ordered a cool patbingsu together with a plain waffle — the dessert was great and since it stays open late, it also worked well as a date spot.

What kind of café is The Sweetree near Balsan Station?

The Sweetree is a cozy little café located between Ujangsan and Balsan stations. The address is 38 Gangseo-ro 47ga-gil, 1st floor unit 102, Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

The space has a clean, comfortable vibe, making it easy to just grab a coffee or dessert and relax for a bit.

There's parking available for those visiting by car, which was convenient. But what I liked most was that it's open until late.

A Seoul café open until 1am

After dinner you often want a café but find many places already closed — The Sweetree, however, is open until 1am, so you can drop in even late at night.

So it seems like a great fit for anyone having a dinner date near Balsan Station who wants to casually swing by a café afterward.

Ordering red bean bingsu and a plain waffle

The Sweetree has a wide dessert lineup beyond coffee and lattes — ades, smoothies, tea, waffles, and bingsu.

Since it was such a hot day, I ordered a cool patbingsu, and wanting to try the waffle too, added a plain waffle. The patbingsu's milk ice was finely shaved, and the smooth texture really stood out.

One spoonful and you get that gentle nutty milk flavor melting right in your mouth. I love red bean, so I added extra, and with a generous amount I could enjoy the red bean and milk ice together right to the last bite.

The sweetness of the red bean paired so well with the nutty milk ice that I kept going back for more. The portion was generous and the price wasn't a burden either — very satisfying.

How is the plain waffle at The Sweetree?

The Sweetree's plain waffle was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

No fancy toppings, just a plain, clean flavor — which I actually appreciated, and it paired nicely with the sweet patbingsu.

Alternating between the cool bingsu and the warm waffle made both taste even better thanks to the contrast in textures. I'd heard The Sweetree was known for its waffles, and after trying it myself, I get why people keep coming back.

Can you order The Sweetree by delivery?

The Sweetree isn't just for eating in-store — it's also a delivery-friendly spot, so you can enjoy the desserts comfortably at home too.

On hot days when you don't feel like going out, ordering a cool bingsu and waffle by delivery and enjoying it at home sounds great too.

Final verdict on The Sweetree

If you're looking for a café to stop by after a meal near Balsan Station, I'd recommend The Sweetree.

The patbingsu, loaded with soft, nutty milk ice and topped with extra red bean, was really delicious, and the plain waffle, clean-tasting and crispy, paired well with it.

Being open until 1am makes it especially useful when you're looking for a late-night date spot, and being able to order dessert for delivery is convenient too.

If you're searching for a good spot near Balsan Station and want to enjoy cool bingsu with waffles together, spend some relaxed dessert time at The Sweetree.