Large Gangnam Station café: chestnut choco cake, Upper and Under

Today I'm sharing a review of Upper and Under (UPPER AND UNDER), a café with a great atmosphere between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station! When you look for a café after a meal near Gangnam Station, it's often more crowded than you'd expect, and it's hard to sit back and relax. Upper and Under, where I went this time, is a large café spread over several floors, so it has plenty of space, and you can enjoy a wide range of desserts and coffee together.

There's an especially wide variety of desserts like cakes and canelés, so if you love desserts, it's worth keeping an eye on.

Upper and Under location and basic info

• Address: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (basement 1, 1st and 2nd floors)
• Location: about 5 minutes on foot from Sinnonhyeon Station, Exit 6
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Parking: no dedicated parking; a nearby paid lot is recommended
• Wi-Fi and takeout available

A large café near Gangnam Station: what's the atmosphere like?

Upper and Under is a large café near Gangnam Station that uses several floors, from basement 1 up to the 2nd floor. There's a wide choice of seats, and there's also an outdoor terrace. I was impressed that a multi-floor café like this exists right in the middle of Gangnam. Unlike a typical small independent café, each floor can be used differently, which is a plus.

The interior is modern yet warm, with stylish touches here and there, so it's a nice place for taking photos. There's also an outdoor terrace, so I think it would be even better on a day with good weather.

It's good for chatting with a friend or going on a date, and depending on the seat, it's also decent for working on a laptop. If you're looking for a spacious café near Gangnam Station, give it a look.

What I ordered at Upper and Under, and the prices

I ordered two drinks and two desserts at Upper and Under, and the total came to ₩28,000. With two drinks and desserts together, it was a nice setup for spending an unhurried time at the café.

• Earl Grey canelé: ₩4,500
• Chestnut choco cake: ₩8,500
• Iced Americano: ₩6,500
• Switch to decaf: ₩500
• Salty Caramel: ₩8,000
• Total order: ₩28,000

Earl Grey canelé (₩4,500)

The Earl Grey canelé at Upper and Under is ₩4,500, a canelé with the fragrant flavor of Earl Grey added. A canelé is a baked pastry from France's Bordeaux region, known for a firm outside and a moist, chewy inside.

Personally I think canelés go well with coffee, and a flavored one like this has a different charm from a plain canelé. The size isn't overwhelming, so it's easy to order alongside a cake, and it's a good pick when you want a light dessert after a meal. I'd recommend it if you like the scent of Earl Grey or enjoy baked sweets.

Iced Americano (₩6,500, decaf +₩500)

For coffee to go with the desserts, I ordered the iced Americano at Upper and Under. The Americano is ₩6,500, and switching to decaf adds ₩500.

A clean Americano seems to go well with sweet cakes and canelés. I also liked that people who want to cut back on caffeine can choose the decaf option. It seems fine for visiting a café near Gangnam Station late in the afternoon, or on days when caffeine feels like too much.

Signature Salty Caramel (₩8,000)

Salty Caramel is ₩8,000 and is a cream coffee, one of Upper and Under's signature menu items. As the name says, it combines sweet caramel with salty salt. It's a good choice when you want a coffee a bit more special than a regular Americano or latte.

It's a drink with the sweetness of smooth cream and caramel, so if you usually like cream lattes, it's worth a look. Besides Salty Caramel, Upper and Under has several other signature coffees such as Einspänner and Amande, so I'd like to try the others next time.

Chestnut choco cake (₩8,500): what if you don't like sweet things?

The chestnut choco cake at Upper and Under is ₩8,500, a cake that combines the nutty flavor of chestnut with the sweetness of chocolate. But it's quite sweet, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who dislikes very sweet things.

The chestnut and chocolate combination caught my eye from the start. Chocolate cake is familiar, but a dessert with chestnut in it feels a little more special. I think it's a good option if you want to order coffee and cake together too! But if you don't like things too sweet, I'd skip it, haha

Who is Upper and Under right for?

If you're looking for a large café with a great atmosphere between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, I recommend Upper and Under. I think it suits people like these in particular.

• Anyone looking for a spacious, large café near Gangnam Station
• Anyone hunting for a great dessert spot near Sinnonhyeon Station
• People who like cafés with a wide range of cakes and baked sweets
• Anyone looking for a café with a nice atmosphere for a Gangnam date
• Anyone who wants special signature drinks beyond regular coffee

This time I ordered the Earl Grey canelé, chestnut choco cake, iced Americano and Salty Caramel, and it was nice to enjoy different kinds of desserts and coffee together. If you're looking for a café after a meal near Gangnam Station, or need a place to spend unhurried time with a friend near Sinnonhyeon Station, check out Upper and Under too. 🤍