Yeonnam-dong café in Seoul for a butterscotch Side Latte: Sideway

Where is Sideway café in Yeonnam-dong?

Sideway is a brand-new café deep in an alley off Donggyo-ro 51an-gil in Yeonnam-dong. Yeonnam-dong is packed with cafés and people, but Sideway is hidden far enough into the alley that it stays relatively quiet.

A visit to Sideway, a new café in Yeonnam-dong! It was April, the cherry blossoms were out and the weather was lovely, so after lunch in Hapjeong we took a walk all the way to Yeonnam-dong. In winter that would have been miserably cold, but with the spring flowers and a daytime temperature warm enough to be hot, we strolled along in a great mood. At the entrance to the alley leading to Sideway there was a sign with the café's name and "No Way Floor", and the place did look like somewhere you could dance. It seems lots of people had been filming TikTok reels at the café's main entrance.

What is the terrace at Sideway like?

In front of Sideway there is a terrace that gets plenty of sun. Walk into the alley and you meet the café together with its terrace; because it's tucked so deep inside, it's a calm, quiet spot that suits a peaceful date.

The weather has been very clear and dry lately, so sitting on the terrace seems like a great idea. In a country like Korea, with such big swings between summer and winter, you have to enjoy a terrace while you can. The sun shines in so nicely that it felt like a stray cat would wander over and nap with its paws tucked under, like a loaf of bread.

Is Sideway's interior good for a quiet chat?

The inside of Sideway feels like the living room of a classy home, so it's easy to relax and talk. There is a wide sofa living area, solo seating and a large table. Now we're inside Sideway. The atmosphere is great.

Sideway had the feel of a classy home's living room. In the open, spacious living area you can sink into a warm, soft sofa, practically lying down, to read a book, or rest quietly in the solo space. The whole place feels settled and calm, which made it easy to chat. It welcomes extroverts and introverts alike. At the large table in one corner, a work meeting was in full swing.

What's on the Sideway café menu?

Sideway serves espresso-variation coffees, tea and alcohol such as wine and whisky, plus snacks like potato chips and cheese, and desserts. For coffee you can choose oat milk or decaf.

The menu at Sideway has espresso-variation coffees along with tea and alcohol, plus snacks like potato chips and cheese and sweet desserts. The potato chips & jamón and the cheese & olives looked like they'd go really well as snacks with the wine and whisky sold here. The owner must love Italy, because all the wines they sell are Italian. There are also oat milk and decaf options when ordering coffee.

The sweet-looking fudgy brownie, ice cream brownie and Basque cheesecake are said to be baked in-store, so if you love dessert, definitely order from the dessert menu at Sideway.

What does Sideway's butterscotch Side Latte taste like?

The Side Latte is Sideway's signature menu item and can only be ordered iced ("only ice"). It's a coffee layered with a nut base, sweet-salty butterscotch cream and espresso.

My companion and I ordered the signature Side Latte and an espresso at Sideway. The Side Latte comes only iced, which seems perfect as the weather keeps warming up.

The Side Latte was a coffee with a sweet, nutty base, topped with a sweet-and-salty butterscotch cream layered with espresso. I couldn't tell which nuts were mainly used in the base, but the sweet, salty butterscotch cream went really well with the nutty flavor, and taking it in one sip with the espresso was a great way to wake yourself up. Finely crushed nuts on top gave it a wonderful crunch too. If you want something special and refreshing, I recommend the Side Latte.

How is the espresso at Sideway?

Sideway's espresso is mainly nutty and savory, a style Koreans tend to like. It tasted like it would work well as an Americano too.

A strong espresso, loaded with caffeine.

Surprisingly, espresso is extracted quickly under high pressure, so it apparently has less caffeine than brewed or cold brew coffee. Still, it's coffee, so it packs a solid caffeine hit! This espresso was mainly nutty and savory, the flavor Koreans love, and it felt like it would work well as an Americano too.