Sinnonhyeon bakery café for an afternoon decaf latte: Upper and Under

What is Upper and Under, the big café near Sinnonhyeon Station, like?

Upper and Under (UPPER AND UNDER) is a big café near Sinnonhyeon Station that uses the basement, 1st and 2nd floors entirely as a café. It has terrace seats too, so it's nice for a relaxed coffee with a cool breeze. If you're looking for a large café in Sinnonhyeon, look no further, this is the one!! I found a place that's really the real deal, from size to mood. The floors are spacious, so it's great for a relaxed chat too.

The moment I saw the exterior, with its red brick arch and green trees, I knew: this is the place!!! Since Upper and Under runs the basement, 1st and 2nd floors, you never have to worry about finding a seat even when it's crowded, which is the best.

What are the atmosphere and seating like on each floor?

The 1st floor is where you order, and it has roomy seating too! There are outlets here and there, so working on a laptop is easy, which I really liked.

Head up to the 2nd floor and you get wooden floors, a more vintage feel and a seriously moody vibe!

There's a terrace too, so sitting out there looking at the view is sooo nice. Each floor has a different seating setup, so whether you come alone, as a pair or with friends, you can sit comfortably at this big Sinnonhyeon café.

What's on the Upper and Under menu, and is decaf available?

The drink menu covers coffee, non-coffee, cream lattes, sparkling ades and tea, and the café latte can be ordered decaf. Just reading the menu was exciting, there are so many options. I ordered an iced decaf café latte and an Einspänner (coffee topped with thick cream)! I'd already had coffee that day and worried another cup would keep me up, so being able to get decaf is soooo nice.

Upper and Under bakery and cake selection

Upper and Under is a bakery café near Sinnonhyeon Station with baked sweets like financiers, madeleines and canelés (small caramelized custard cakes), plus cakes. There's so much variety that choosing was really hard. Everything looks so good I wanted to eat my way through them one by one, like clearing a game. Financiers, madeleines, canelés, these are desserts you want to bite right into, so it was totally my taste.

The cakes vary too, and the cheesecakes come in Basque cheesecake, ube and sweet cheese (hwangchi-jeu) types. They look so tempting and would be a perfect match with coffee.

They look irresistible just by sight! These are the three bakery items I picked at Upper and Under.

• Corn madeleine (made with chodang corn, a sweet Korean corn) (₩4,500)
• Matcha canelé (₩4,500)
• Pistachio financier (₩4,500)

Just the look of it coming out on a tray already made me happy! I think Upper and Under would be great for a date or a blind date too.

How do the Einspänner and decaf latte taste?

The Einspänner is one of their signature cream lattes, with the sweetness of the cream followed by the bitterness of the espresso. The layered look is really pretty. Espresso, milk, a full layer of cream on top, and cocoa powder dusted over it, a textbook Einspänner, you could say! One sip and the cream's soft sweetness comes first, then the espresso's bitterness kicks in, and having both together is crazy addictive.

The iced decaf latte was perfect for enjoying in the afternoon without caffeine worries, and it doesn't taste like decaf at all, it's rich and nutty, so I was totally satisfied.

Pistachio financier vs corn madeleine vs matcha canelé: how do they compare?

The pistachio financier is a baked sweet piled with white chocolate and pistachio, and its sweetness isn't overdone, so it went well with coffee. It looked delicious right away, so my hand went straight for it. One bite and the nuttiness of pistachio bursts out, while the sweetness stays just right, a dreamy combo with coffee.

The corn madeleine has moist corn cream that slides out from inside, and it was unexpectedly crazy good..!! The nutty, sweet corn aroma fills your mouth and meets that moist madeleine texture, such a great combination.

The matcha canelé is hefty and crisp on the outside, and the moment you cut it, deep green matcha cream pours out, so the bitterness of matcha blends with the chewy canelé texture. Definitely recommended if you like matcha!

Is Upper and Under worth going back to?

Upper and Under near Sinnonhyeon Station is a big space from the basement to the 2nd floor, with top-level coffee and desserts. It suits a date, meeting friends or relaxing alone, so I definitely want to come again.

• Hours: daily 11:00-22:00
• Groups welcome, takeout, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms