Hidden Yeonnam-dong café for melon ade and oven-warm egg tart: Sideway

What kind of café is Sideway in Yeonnam-dong?

Sideway is a coffee, dessert and whiskey café tucked into a corner of Yeonnam-dong. If you're hunting for your own hidden café in Yeonnam-dong near Hongdae, congratulations, you've finally found it. So I'm recommending it! Sideway is the kind of warm, cozy café that only people in the know visit.

Getting to Sideway, opening hours and parking

Sideway's address is 30 Donggyo-ro 51an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor. It's 895m on foot from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station (Line 2, AREX and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line). Face Kong Café and go into the alley on the right, and you'll see a gray side path right ahead. Walk down it and Sideway is on the 1st floor.

• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: Not possible. Please use a nearby public parking lot!

First impressions of Sideway and what I ordered

The moment I arrived at Sideway, I just gasped. Wow... wow! There was a hidden café like this? It's totally my style!!!!!! Sideway also sells hand-drip coffee, non-coffee drinks and whiskey, and there's even wine, so you can enjoy that too. How do I put it, it felt like a trendy, hip space with real mood.

That day I ordered a melon ade (chamoe ade, made with Korean melon) for ₩7,000 and an egg tart for ₩4,000. The egg tart was... so good that I ended up ordering one more to take out. They put it in a cute little box for takeout.

What's the atmosphere inside Sideway like?

Inside, Sideway has a gentle breeze drifting through, and the mood is cool, cozy and stylish all at once. Just look at the interior. It's seriously crazy, I mean it. It's simply a café that puts you in a good mood. You can bring a book and have a relaxing time here.

Sideway menu and prices

Let's take a look at what Sideway sells. I only listed the coffee, tea and desserts.

Coffee

• Americano ₩5,300
• Espresso ₩5,300
• Café latte ₩5,800
• Vanilla bean latte ₩6,300
• Side Latte ₩6,800
• Cappuccino ₩5,800

Tea

• Goyo ₩5,500 (a calming, relaxing tea)
• Sandeul ₩5,500 (a refreshing, circulation tea)
• Goyo milk tea ₩6,500 (homemade milk tea brewed with Goyo)
• Sandeul pear iced tea ₩6,000 (pear iced tea topped with brewed Sandeul)

Desserts

• Basque cheesecake ₩8,500
• Egg tart ₩4,000

With its interior that feels like things are hidden all around, I could just look around Sideway and time flew by. There were all kinds of guests: people reading, someone who looked like they were quietly meditating, people chatting. A place to rest comfortably felt really precious.

How does Sideway's melon ade taste?

Sideway's melon ade is ₩7,000, and it's refreshing without being too sweet. The melon ade finally arrived! It wasn't too sweet, which was just right, and I could enjoy a tangy freshness at the same time, so it was delicious. It had a deep yet bright melon flavor, and it was so good! Please try it.

Why did I even take Sideway's egg tart to go?

Sideway's egg tart is ₩4,000, and they reheat it in the oven before serving, so it was really delicious. For one thing, the tart has no eggy smell, so it was easy to eat, and above all it was clean and soft in flavor, which I personally loved.

Next time I'd like to try Sideway's signature Side Latte too. It's a precious space with both atmosphere and flavor, so try recharging on your own at Sideway!

Sideway's outdoor terrace: when is it nice to sit there?

Sideway has outdoor terrace seats too. When it's very hot the terrace might be tough, but if you go when it's cool, I think it would be a perfect little retreat!