Rainy-day LP café in Yeonnam-dong for an ice cream brownie: Sideway

What is Sideway, the Yeonnam-dong café, like?

Sideway (사이드웨이) is a fairly new café tucked into a Yeonnam-dong alley. It's one of those precious cafés I want to keep all to myself! If you love that LP-music vibe, you'll probably adore it. It's even quiet, so it's a truly healing space ☁️

Sideway

Getting to Sideway: from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3 to the Kong Café alley

Sideway is near the far end of Yeonnam-dong, so you have to walk a bit further from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station...! Turn into the Kong Café (콩카페) alley and you'll see a grey side path. Go in that way and Sideway appears. There's a sign, so it's easy if you look it up on Naver Map.

Aww, look at this grandma toy waving away so cutely... too cute, right? Sideway... it's in a spot that suits its name.

Red-brick exterior, a terrace, and even wine

The exterior of Sideway is so pretty, isn't it? The terrace seating is nicely decorated too. The red brick suits it so well, and the interior is lovely. A cozy, snug space.

Even the liquor bottles have so much charm ........⭐️ I wondered why there were bottles, and it turns out Sideway sells red and white wine too. There are snacks to go with it. The mood is great in the daytime, but I bet it's even better at night, don't you think?

A space put together by one owner: music CDs and a calendar I want

Sideway is a small café run by the owner alone. Maybe that's why you can feel the care in every single menu item. The whole space is full of the owner's taste, and browsing around is a lot of fun.

Piles of music CDs and a cute calendar.. I especially covet that calendar hanging on the wall. It just makes you want to keep looking at it, you know?

Where is the best seat at Sideway?

I also spotted a comfy seat in a corner of Sideway. If you ask me, this is the best seat.. listening to music with a glass of wine and some jamón,,, that would be heaven.

This sofa seat facing the window was great too. How to put it, it's a great spot for couples. The mood is the best, you know.

And yes, the restroom at Sideway is inside the café. It was clean and smelled nice.

The space is so pretty that my phone was on fire from taking photos. In a pretty place you just keep snapping away.

I sat in the corner seat. It was a drizzly rainy day, and maybe because of that, the quiet café felt so good. I picked a great day to visit.

Sideway's menu and what I ordered

Please check the photos for the menu and desserts. Sideway's signature drinks look delicious too. Overall, I felt like trying everything on the menu. This day I ordered the ice cream brownie and an iced Americano.

• Ice cream brownie
• Iced Americano

Iced Americano: moderate acidity and nutty

Sideway's iced Americano was the best one I've had lately. The beans are exactly my style. Moderately acidic but very nutty, the kind of taste you want to keep gulping down.

In summer I truly can't live without iced Americanos.. I think it's also the best match for dessert. The older I get, the more I love iced Americanos 😌

Ice cream brownie: a life-changing brownie that tastes like good chocolate

Sideway's ice cream brownie is a warm brownie topped with a scoop of ice cream. Cocoa powder is sprinkled over the vanilla ice cream. Above all.. the brownie is really delicious. It tastes like it was made with good chocolate.

I wolfed it down before the ice cream melted. No. Honestly, I inhaled it because it was so good. As a total chocolate addict, I guarantee this brownie is made with expensive chocolate.

A rainy afternoon at Sideway

Sitting inside Sideway with tasty dessert and coffee, watching the rain drizzle outside the window, felt so healing ✨ A good space, a good time. Sideway is a café I want to keep to myself. But please do visit, and be sure to try the brownie. It's the brownie of my life 🤎