Sinnonhyeon café, caramel cheese pie & lemon balm tea: Upper and Under

When I have plans around Gangnam or Sinnonhyeon Station, I always end up looking for a café for coffee after a meal, or somewhere to relax over dessert. Today's spot is Upper and Under, a big café between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station. It stretches from the basement up to the 2nd floor, with coffee, signature drinks, and lots of cakes and desserts, so it's a good one to check out when you're café-hunting in Gangnam.

• Address: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement, 1st and 2nd floors)
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00

What desserts does Upper and Under have?

Upper and Under is a big Gangnam café with a wide range of cakes and baked sweets, so choosing is half the fun. There are cakes, financiers, canelés, tarts, tiramisu and cheesecake, so you can pick whatever suits you. Everything looked so pretty and delicious that I had a hard time deciding!

From fruit-topped cakes to chocolate and matcha desserts and crunchy baked goods, the choices are so varied that I kept going back and forth. You could go for a light baked sweet with your coffee, or order a cake and settle in for a leisurely dessert time.

The coffee menu includes an Americano, flat white, latte and Einspänner (coffee topped with cream). You can pick anything from cream-topped coffee like the Einspänner to a sweet signature latte, depending on your taste.

What did I order at Upper and Under, and how much was it?

I ordered four items this time.

• Caramel cheese pie ₩7,200
• Raspberry cake ₩8,500
• Salted caramel latte ₩8,000
• Lemon balm herbal tea ₩6,500

What does the caramel cheese pie (₩7,200) taste like?

The most memorable item at Upper and Under was the caramel cheese pie. There's cream cheese inside the pie crust, topped with caramel and macadamia nuts. It looks a bit different from an ordinary cheesecake, so I was curious how it would taste.

On the first bite, the nutty pie crust, smooth cream cheese and sweet caramel went really well together. The soft, slightly rich cream cheese plus the sweetness of the caramel made a better combination than I expected.

The macadamia adds a nutty flavor and that distinctive nut crunch. It's not just sweet; you taste the cream cheese and the caramel together. It felt familiar yet a little different from other desserts I've had, which made it more memorable.

The raspberry cake (₩8,500): sponge and toppings

The raspberry cake at Upper and Under has three fresh raspberries on top (bokbunja, Korean black raspberries), with raspberry compote underneath. The red fruit looks lovely, and it's a great dessert for photos.

The sponge isn't the light, fluffy kind; it's a bit denser, like a pound cake. There's cream sandwiched in the middle, so you get the heavier sponge and soft cream together.

I also liked that the raspberry compote and fruit add a fresh tang to the sweet cake. If you like cream cakes but prefer something with some density rather than overly light, this one is worth a look.

How sweet is the signature salted caramel latte (₩8,000)?

Salted caramel is Upper and Under's signature latte. It's topped with cream, and its hallmark is the sweet-and-salty mix of sweet caramel and a salty edge.

A Lotus cookie sits on top of the drink. The cookie on the cream looks pretty and makes it great for drink photos. It stands out more than an ordinary latte, so I think it will catch the eye of anyone who likes taking photos at cafés.

The sweet-salty taste of the salted caramel made it nice to have with dessert. Having it with the caramel cheese pie let me enjoy a pairing of two caramel items.

Does lemon balm herbal tea (₩6,500) go well with dessert?

I wanted a clean-tasting drink too, so I chose the lemon balm herbal tea. Its fresh, clean flavor was a nice contrast to the sweet latte. Taking a sip of tea between bites of dessert left my mouth feeling refreshed, so it's a good one to order alongside.

A clean tea went especially well with sweet, soft desserts like the pie with cream cheese and caramel, or the cake with cream in the middle.

What are the seating and space like at Upper and Under?

Upper and Under is a café spread over several floors, from the basement to the 2nd floor. It has a rarely spacious layout for the Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Station area, so it's a decent place to rest with a coffee or meet friends.

There are seats on each floor, so it works for visiting alone with a coffee, or for a group sharing desserts. If you want a big café between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station, or a place to chat after a meal, it's worth considering.

Sinnonhyeon Station dessert café Upper and Under: overall verdict

Upper and Under, the Sinnonhyeon Station café I visited this time, was a good place to enjoy coffee and dessert together. If you're looking for a café near Sinnonhyeon Station or Gangnam Station for coffee and cake, it's worth a look. If you want to try a slightly different dessert, I'd recommend the caramel cheese pie.