Gangnam Station group meetup café and Earl Grey latte: Selected Nicks

Whenever I have plans near Gangnam Station, I always face the same dilemma: "Which café won't have me packed in shoulder to shoulder while I try to talk?" Given how many cramped, busy cafés there are in the Gangnam commercial district, it's surprisingly hard to find a place with wide table spacing and an open layout.

So this time, wanting to catch up with a friend and eat good dessert, I properly sought out a spot — Selected Nicks (셀렉티드닉스), a large café near Gangnam Station. It's a massive multi-use café that occupies an entire building, from the basement all the way up to an 8th-floor rooftop, so I walked in with high expectations.

Selected Nicks floor by floor, from the gallery to the rooftop

The biggest draw of Selected Nicks is that each floor has its own theme and mood, so you can enjoy some culture along with your coffee.

Basement 1 and the 1st floor: gallery and order desk

Basement 1 & 1st floor (gallery & order desk): While ordering drinks on the 1st floor and looking around, I noticed tasteful art pieces displayed everywhere. Apparently the artwork rotates, featuring everything from emerging artists to a range of other pieces. Waiting for the drinks to come out felt like a small pleasure of browsing a mini art gallery.

Floors 2 to 7: sofa seats and bar tables for work and study

2nd–7th floors (varied seating & work/study spaces): The furniture style and table layout differ slightly from floor to floor. There's everything from comfy sofa seats great for chatting away with a group of friends, to bar tables perfect for opening a laptop to work or reading alone. Because the ceilings are so high and the space so wide, it never felt cramped even during busy hours.

The 8th-floor rooftop and its view over the Gangnam skyline

8th floor (rooftop): The highlight of Selected Nicks that you shouldn't skip on a nice day. Ride the elevator up and you get a wide-open view of Gangnam's downtown building skyline. Catching some fresh air and snapping photos up there, I got great shots without even trying — it's a real view spot.

How do the iced matcha latte, Earl Grey latte and lemon madeleine taste?

After touring the whole space, we grabbed our drinks and dessert and settled into a seat. What we ordered that day was an iced matcha latte, an iced Earl Grey latte, and a lemon madeleine for dessert.

Iced matcha latte: The bitterness characteristic of matcha and the smooth, nutty taste of milk hit a perfect balance. Matcha lattes that are artificially sweet tend to get old fast, but this one had a deep, rich matcha aroma that lingered quietly, making it enjoyable down to the very last sip.

Iced Earl Grey latte: The moment you take a sip, a fragrant black tea aroma fills your mouth — that's the charm of this one. The subtle, elegant flavor characteristic of Earl Grey blends with sweet milk, so anyone who regularly enjoys tea lattes will likely love it.

Lemon madeleine: The dessert I picked exceeded expectations. The outside is thinly coated with a tangy-sweet lemon glaze that's crisp, while the inside stays moist and soft. Bite into it and a bright lemon flavor bursts out, pairing beautifully with either the bitter matcha latte or the fragrant Earl Grey latte.

How to walk to Selected Nicks from Gangnam Station

Selected Nicks is just a short walk down an alley from Gangnam Station Exit 4, about 3–5 minutes on foot. Being so close to the station makes it a really convenient choice for a meetup spot.

• Address: 37 Teheran-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor entrance)
• Notable feature: a large café and gallery occupying an entire building from the basement to the rooftop

The exterior has a modern, clean look right from the start, and I was surprised to find such an open, spacious place hidden in the middle of Gangnam as soon as I stepped through the entrance.

Is Selected Nicks a good meetup spot in Gangnam?

If you're looking for a comfortable, good-vibe large café near Gangnam Station, Selected Nicks seems like a choice you won't regret.

Recommended for:

• Anyone near Gangnam Station looking for a spacious, comfortable café
• Anyone who wants to enjoy a gallery exhibit and an open rooftop view at once
• Anyone looking for a date spot or meetup place with good drinks and dessert

Visiting tip: On weekend peak times, seats on the popular floors can fill up first, so I'd recommend grabbing a seat on your preferred floor as soon as you arrive, then heading down to order on the 1st floor.

If you want a relaxed break, a bit of culture, and sweet dessert all in the middle of Gangnam, be sure to check out Selected Nicks near Gangnam Station this weekend!