Sinnonhyeon café for one: mango cake & matcha canelé, Upper and Under

While wandering around Sinnonhyeon in Gangnam on my own, I stopped at a café with a gorgeous, mood-filled interior. The desserts were seriously delicious too, so I have to recommend it: it's Upper and Under!

The whole building runs as one café. The mix of leafy green trees, brown brick and ivory tones was so pretty that I wandered around under the blue sky going wow! It's a place I'd come back to for a date : )

Where is Upper and Under near Sinnonhyeon Station, and what are the hours and parking?

Upper and Under is at 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and the café uses the basement, 1st and 2nd floors. It's open daily 11:00–22:00, there's no parking, and I hear high oil price relief support funds can be used here.

• Location: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (B1, 1st and 2nd floors)
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• High oil price relief support funds accepted
• No parking

Is Upper and Under crowded at weekday lunch?

Even at weekday lunch, Upper and Under was a hugely popular café packed with people from the basement to the 2nd floor. Interestingly, the basement is a seating-only space, and to order you have to go up the outdoor stairs to the 1st floor.

The moment I climbed the stairs and opened the 1st-floor door, the place was bustling with all kinds of customers. It's been a long time since I saw a café this hot on a weekday lunch. Just in case, I went up to the 2nd floor too, and everything from the terrace to the indoor seats was full.

The 2nd-floor terrace especially, with its awning and green trees behind, is a spot where even careless shots come out looking moody. I recommend going up to see it. While I was searching around for a seat, I got lucky and a spot opened up on the 1st floor, so I sat right down.

What desserts does Upper and Under serve?

The Upper and Under showcase was packed with pies and flans, financiers, madeleines and canelés, cakes, and Basque cheesecake. A true heaven of sweets to make a bread lover's heart race! There were so many that choosing took forever.

• Pies & flans: crème brûlée flan / mango pie / choco banana pie / sweet corn (chodang oksusu) pie
• Financiers: nuts / hwangchiz (golden cheese) / plain / pistachio / salted choco / hojicha pecan
• Madeleines & canelés: lemon and sweet corn madeleines; Earl Grey, salty caramel and matcha canelés
• Cakes: tiramisu / lemon / raspberry / yangzhi ganlu (mango pomelo sago) / mango cake
• Basque cheesecake: vanilla / ube / hwangchiz (golden cheese)

What drinks to order at Upper and Under

The drinks ranged from coffee to cream coffee, tea and sparkling ade, and the cream coffees seem to be the famous ones. I ordered an einspänner and an iced Americano. The mango bar sherbet latte also looked perfectly cooling for summer, didn't it?

What is the 1st-floor seating like at Upper and Under?

The 1st floor has terrace seats too, and I liked how the big windows showed off the green trees. It felt clean and tidy overall, so I was happy the whole time I stayed.

How do Upper and Under's einspänner and iced Americano taste?

The einspänner (coffee topped with cream) had really soft, sweet cream. Cocoa powder was dusted on top, so the rich aroma hit me right away on the first sip. As the cream filled my mouth, the coffee underneath mixed in too, and the sweetness was just right. They'd given me a separate spoon, and I even ate the cream on its own, it suited my taste that well!

The iced Americano is perfect with desserts. No burnt or bitter taste at all, just clean and nutty, and I finished it in no time along with the desserts.

Is Upper and Under's matcha canelé matcha all the way through?

The matcha canelé (a small French custard cake with a caramelized crust) was filled with rich matcha not just outside but from the batter to the cream inside. Now for the big dessert! Honestly I thought only the surface had a little matcha cream, but when I cut it in half, ta-da! What a twist.

The deep, bittersweet aroma of matcha came through just as it should, a really rich flavor, and I enjoyed it so, so much. It was better than I expected, and I was surprised. Now I'm curious how good the other canelé flavors are.

How does Upper and Under's mango cake taste?

The Upper and Under mango cake was the main dessert, with a sponge so soft a fork cuts right through and layers of mango cream. The tangy-sweet look alone was radiating freshness! The sponge was so soft I didn't need any force with the knife.

Inside, layers of mango cream were stacked with bits of mango flesh dotted through, so it kept tasting good. The mango on top was sliced thin too, and it melted the moment it went into my mouth. Like the local mango taste in Southeast Asia, you know?! The desserts at Upper and Under were a huge success.

Upper and Under restrooms, half-floor seats and the B1 floor

Upper and Under has separate men's and women's restrooms inside the 1st floor, so they were easy to use. There are more seats half a floor up from the 1st floor. This spot is a sunshine paradise. The light is great, so I recommend it if you want to soak up some sun.

Even on my way out after demolishing the desserts, the café itself is so pretty that I kept taking photos. It makes me want to live in a country house like this. How about tasty desserts and coffee in a mood-filled café~?

The basement of Upper and Under has a modern interior like this. If you hate crowds, the roomy basement seating is a good choice. Even the white bench seats are a photo spot! I strongly recommend Upper and Under as a Gangnam Station café : )