Late-night café in Sinnonhyeon: sugarcane decaf & Geisha, Selecto

Today I'm visiting a 24-hour bakery café near Sinnonhyeon Station: Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch! It's only about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's easy to get to, and the coffee was so good that I had to introduce it to you!

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch: location and hours

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch is on the first floor of a building at 31 Gangnam-daero 79-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, and it's open 24 hours. The doors stay open even in the small hours, so it's a handy Sinnonhyeon café when you need a late-night cup of coffee.

What does the exterior look like?

The shop has a bright white exterior with a vivid orange logo, so it catches your eye from far away. When the lights come on in the evening dusk, that orange glow spreads out warmly.

In front of the shop there's a standing sign of a cute character waving a coffee cup, so even first-timers instantly think, "Ah, this must be Selecto." Beyond the big glass windows you can see lettering that says specialty, coffee, bakery and dessert, and the window side has big images of freshly baked bread and croissants. It's the kind of exterior where, if you're walking by hungry, you'll open the door as if in a trance.

The SELECTO light wall and solo seats with outlets

Head further inside Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch and you'll find the wall that feels like the shop's signature. Against a wall softly washed in red light, the letters S-E-L-E-C-T-O are set in round light panels one by one, and it works surprisingly well as a photo spot.

Below it runs a row of partitioned solo seats, a layout that's perfect for opening a laptop or spending quiet time alone. When I went, quite a few people were studying or working on laptops. Every seat has an outlet too, so I thought there's no better place for cafe-studiers (카공족, people who study at cafés).

By the windows there are plush sofa seats and small round tables as well, so it's fun to pick a spot depending on who you come with.

How does the Selecto Geisha blend taste?

Selecto's iced Geisha blend americano starts with floral aromas and moves into a plum-like acidity and blackberry-like sweetness. Selecto lets you pick your americano beans by taste from five options: Mocha, Blue Mountain, Hwasa, Geisha and decaf. Geisha is a variety with a reputation as "God's coffee," so I chose it without hesitation.

The moment I picked it up iced, a clear, transparent brown shimmered in the glass, and when I brought my nose close, a faint floral scent came to greet me first. It was clearly a different style from the rich, heavy coffee I usually drink. At the first sip, a sweet-tart plum-like acidity pokes the tip of your tongue, followed by the soft sweetness of ripe fruit like blackberry. It goes down especially clean, and I loved how a gentle floral note lingered in my mouth afterward.

Evening decaf americano at this 24-hour café in Sinnonhyeon

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch's decaf americano uses beans processed with the sugarcane process, they say. I'm the type who can't sleep if I drink coffee late in the afternoon, so at a 24-hour café like this I check for decaf first, and it was especially welcome in the evening. The name alone sounds sweet, doesn't it?

When I actually drank it, it didn't betray that expectation. Decaf is often watery or has lost its aroma, but this one starts with a subtle sweet smell reminiscent of brown sugar and molasses wrapping around your nose. After a sip, a nutty, almond-like note settles in, and the smooth body sits heavily on your tongue and then melts away, heh heh.

Is the Selecto chicken sandwich filling?

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch's chicken sandwich, packed with juicy chicken breast and crisp vegetables, was the hearty star of the day. I'd only come for coffee, but I couldn't walk past it in the display case. The cross-section, cut right in half, looked so generous that my anticipation shot up before I even opened the lid.

The moment I took a big bite, the soft bread pressed down, the moist chicken breast gave way, and then the vegetables crunched up cheerfully. The chicken wasn't dry; the grain was still there, so it was mild yet juicy, and the lightly drizzled sauce met the acidity of the tomato and kept everything fresh without feeling greasy. I loved it so much!!

Verdict: who is Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch for?

Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch was a well-balanced place where you get a satisfying cup of coffee and a filling meal too. Thanks to the five americano choices, people with firm coffee tastes and people who don't know their taste yet can both have fun, and being open day and night is a real plus in this neighborhood. For people studying or working late, or anyone who wants a cup of coffee in a small-hours mood, I wonder if there's another 24-hour café near Sinnonhyeon Station quite like this~