Gangnam Station café: yellow cheese Basque cheesecake, Upper and Under

I was looking for a café near Gangnam Station and kept seeing reviews raving about the cakes at Upper and Under, so I went to check it out. After trying it myself, everything from the yellow cheese Basque cheesecake to the pistachio cream latte was really good, so let me tell you about it. It's close to Sinnonhyeon Station too, and since it's a huge café that uses an entire building, there are tons of seats, plus a terrace where you can relax with coffee and dessert.

Upper and Under: location, hours and parking

Upper and Under is located at 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement, 1st and 2nd floors). Hours are 11:00–22:00.

• Location: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement, 1st and 2nd floors)
• Hours: 11:00–22:00
• 🚗 Parking: No parking available, so public transit is recommended!
• Within 5 minutes on foot from Sinnonhyeon Station!

A Gangnam café that fills a whole building

Upper and Under grabs your attention from the outside! The overall look blends plants and green tones, giving it real Instagram appeal, but it felt warm and cozy rather than cold or overly staged.

The biggest standout is that it uses an entire building! The basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor are all café space, so it's quite large in scale. When you're looking for a café near Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon Station, there are plenty of pretty spots, but a lot of them don't have enough seats. Here, though, there's plenty of seating, so even when it's crowded you can find a spot fairly comfortably. Great!!

Inside Upper and Under: seating and the 2nd-floor terrace

The interior has a bright overall atmosphere. The tables aren't cramped, and each floor has different seating styles, so it seemed good whether you're visiting alone or chatting with a friend.

My favorite spot at Upper and Under was the 2nd-floor terrace. I'm not a big fan of sitting directly under AC vents, so having an outdoor option was great! On a nice day, I think this kind of seat is even better than sitting indoors. If you're looking for a Gangnam café where you can enjoy the atmosphere and drink your coffee outdoors, this is perfect!

Upper and Under menu and prices

The main reason I visited Upper and Under was the lattes and cakes. Prices are on the higher side, as you'd expect from a Gangnam café. Americanos ran around ₩6,500 to ₩7,000, and most lattes were ₩7,000 or above, going up to around ₩8,000 depending on the menu.

Upper and Under has a wide variety of bakery items too, like financiers, not just cakes. Here's what I ordered that day:

• ✔️ Pistachio cream latte ₩8,000
• ✔️ Americano ₩6,500
• ✔️ Cold brew americano ₩6,800
• ✔️ Yellow cheese Basque cheesecake ₩9,500
• ✔️ Crème brûlée flan ₩6,900

That's what I went with.

Yellow cheese Basque cheesecake, 9,500 won

I started with the yellow cheese Basque cheesecake, which I was most looking forward to. If you love yellow cheese, this is a must! Basque cheesecake is usually all about a rich cheese flavor and dense texture, but here you could clearly taste the distinctive salty, savory flavor of yellow cheese. The cheese flavor was stronger than I expected, and I loved it. If you're a fan of yellow cheese desserts, I get why people come here specifically for this cake. It's not just a pretty dessert — the taste itself really delivers, so I was very satisfied!

Crème brûlée flan, 6,900 won

The crème brûlée was tasty too. The top has a thin, crisp caramelized layer, and inside there's vanilla bean cream that's soft and sweet, pairing well with coffee. If you prefer soft, sweet desserts over heavy ones, I highly recommend this one!

Pistachio cream latte, 8,000 won

My personal favorite item was the pistachio cream latte. This one's seriously crazy good. It's made with pistachio powder, and it's not just flavored — you could really taste the savory pistachio flavor along with a crunchy texture.

The cream on top was especially smooth. If I had to describe it, it's like taking the soft cream from an Einspänner and turning it into pistachio flavor! The bitter coffee and the nutty, smooth pistachio cream went really well together. If you like pistachio, this one's a must-try too!

Is Upper and Under worth it as a Gangnam Station café?

• ✔️ A large café with plenty of seating across the basement, 1st, and 2nd floors
• ✔️ A green, warm atmosphere
• ✔️ A terrace where you can feel the outdoor air
• ✔️ A wide variety of desserts, including cakes and financiers
• ✔️ Recommended: yellow cheese Basque cheesecake
• ✔️ Recommended: pistachio cream latte

Prices aren't cheap since it's a Gangnam café, but if you're looking for a large café near Sinnonhyeon or Gangnam Station where you can properly enjoy dessert, I think it's a solid choice. The yellow cheese Basque cheesecake and pistachio cream latte were my favorites. If you're looking for a spacious café with great atmosphere near Sinnonhyeon or Gangnam Station, I'd recommend Upper and Under!