Crème brûlée butter sand to freeze at a Seoul café: Butter & Shelter

Looking for a café around Garosu-gil, I stopped by Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa, where you can enjoy coffee alongside a wide variety of desserts.

When I go to a café I always check out the desserts as much as the drinks, and the moment I walked in, the showcase packed with desserts caught my eye right away.

From dujjonkoo (thick chewy cookies) and scones to cookies, cakes, and several types of butter sand, there was plenty to look over and it was fun picking one by one. If you're looking for a place to enjoy sweet desserts with coffee around Garosu-gil, this seemed like a solid choice.

Where is Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa, and what are the hours?

Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa is at 26 Gangnam-daero158-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ground floor unit 102, and it's open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. Last order is at 21:30.

It's also an easy walk from Sinsa Station, so it's a good pick when you're looking for restaurants and cafés near Sinsa Station. You can enjoy dessert and coffee in the store or take your favorite dessert to go, making it a convenient stop while wandering around Garosu-gil.

What the Butter & Shelter storefront looks like

The exterior of Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa felt clean yet warm. It's the kind of place you'd naturally wander into if you're passing through Garosu-gil and craving dessert, and even from outside it had a cozy café feel.

Terrace seats at this Garosu-gil café

There's terrace seating out front at Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa. On a nice day, sitting outside with coffee and dessert would be lovely.

It has a different kind of relaxed feel from the indoor seating, and it suits taking a break during a Garosu-gil date or chatting with a friend.

Is indoor seating at this Sinsa Station café roomy?

Once I stepped inside, I saw that Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa also has plenty of indoor seating. It was almost full when I visited, and being there in person, I could see why so many people come.

It's not an awkward place to sit alone with dessert and coffee, and it also works well for spending relaxed time with a friend or partner.

A look at the Butter & Shelter menu

The menu board lists coffee and drink options. Rather than just a drinks café, it's set up so you check out the showcase desserts too and pick what suits your taste.

I looked at the menu first, then browsed the desserts lined up right beside it.

Dujjonkoo, scones, cookies and cakes in the showcase

The showcase at Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa had dujjonkoo, scones, cookies, cakes, and more. From baked goods to cakes, there was such a variety that if you love desserts, you'd have a hard time deciding what to pick.

It's good for grabbing just one thing lightly, or picking several types to share.

How many butter sand flavors does Butter & Shelter have?

What caught my eye the most at Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa was the variety of butter sand. With several flavors available, I could compare and choose, and each was nicely packaged for takeout.

If you like desserts that highlight the flavor of butter, this is a menu worth paying attention to at Butter & Shelter.

Taking home the crème brûlée and chocolate butter sand

Out of the many butter sands at Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa, I picked the crème brûlée butter sand and the chocolate butter sand. I packed both to enjoy at home in my own time, and having two different flavors made it fun to compare them one by one.

On top of the rich flavor of the butter sand itself, being able to try two different flavors made it a great dessert time.

Basque cheesecake and tiramisu at Butter & Shelter

Besides butter sand, there's Basque cheesecake and tiramisu too. It's not just baked goods — cakes are on offer as well, so it would work well even if you visit with someone who has different dessert preferences, since everyone can pick their own thing.

If you're looking for a dessert to pair with coffee, I'd recommend browsing the showcase slowly first.

Gift wrapping for butter sand

The butter sand at Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa can also be gift-wrapped. Since it's a dessert that travels well, it would work fine as a light gift too.

I wasn't buying for a gift though, so I just had my own butter sand packed in a bag.

How to store butter sand: freeze, then thaw

The butter sand I took home can be frozen for storage and thawed before eating. I froze mine at home and took out however much I wanted to eat, then let it thaw.

I liked that I didn't have to eat it all at once — I could take out just as much as I wanted — and it was nice to prepare coffee at home and enjoy a slow dessert time. Enjoying the butter sand this way, different from eating it fresh in-store, was a plus too.

Final verdict on Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa

Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa was a great Garosu-gil café for enjoying coffee and dessert together. With dujjonkoo, scones, cookies, cakes, and various butter sands, it was fun just browsing the showcase, and the indoor seating was spacious enough to relax.

There's terrace seating too, so on a nice day it's good for enjoying dessert and coffee outdoors, and it would suit a date or a meetup with friends near Sinsa Station.

This time I took home a crème brûlée butter sand and a chocolate butter sand, and if you love butter sand or want to enjoy dessert at your own pace at home, I'd recommend getting some to go. If you're after a Garosu-gil café with fun dessert variety, or a café near Sinsa Station for coffee and dessert together, stop by Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa.