Sinnonhyeon café pregnancy celebration, peach pie: Upper and Under

I had a get-together in Gangnam for the first time in a while, and one of the group was expecting. Since it was a pregnancy celebration, I looked for a pretty café, and this is my dessert review of Upper and Under, a café near Sinnonhyeon Station.

Upper and Under is known for its stylish space and huge range of desserts, so we went. Wow... even on a weekday afternoon it was completely full, that's how popular it is! Let me share what we ate and what the inside is like.

Where is Upper and Under, and what are its hours?

Upper and Under is open daily 11:00–22:00 and is a 7-minute walk from Exit 6 of Sinnonhyeon Station. It's easy to reach on foot from the subway, so it's a good spot to meet up. Some places make you climb a long way uphill, but Upper and Under is fairly close.

The red brick at the entrance gives off a house-like feel and blends with the green leaves. Maybe that's why so many people stop to take photos.

Inside Upper and Under, a converted-house café

Upper and Under is a café converted from a house, and both the 1st and 2nd floors get plenty of natural light. The moment we walked in, the table of desserts caught our eye.

Above all, I loved the mood of the sunlit 1st floor.

The 1st floor is on the left and the 2nd floor on the right. The interior is designed so natural light reaches everywhere, which makes it feel calm and cozy.

On the 2nd floor, the wood floor and brick work together in a way that isn't flashy but feels steady and settled. The tables are spaced well, and even with quite a few seats it fills up fast. That's how famous it is as a dessert café in the Sinnonhyeon Station area!

It was hot, so my group and I sat inside, but in cooler seasons I bet the outdoor seats are popular too. With trees all around, it feels like a little forest in the middle of the city. Love it!

How many desserts does Upper and Under have?

Upper and Under has a truly huge range of desserts: canelé (small caramelized French pastries), financiers, madeleines, cupcakes and cakes. With so much variety, it seems to have spread by word of mouth among travelers from abroad too, because lots of foreign visitors come.

Some cafés stock baked goods just to fill out the menu, but Upper and Under seems serious about desserts, and the variety is really wide!

"What on earth should we eat?" we said, marveling that everything looked delicious, and browsed for ages. :)

There were plenty of choices in canelé, financiers, madeleines and cupcakes, from type to flavor.

Peach pie and canelé, picked in peach season

It was peach season, so I felt we had to try it, and we picked the peach pie and a canelé first. If I'd known there would be this much, I would have eaten a lighter lunch at our first stop.

Among Sinnonhyeon Station cafés, I'd also seen plenty of reviews saying the cakes at Upper and Under are good.

The cakes had thick cream icing, exactly my taste.

Drinks at Upper and Under: mango lemonade and pistachio cream latte

Upper and Under uses a La Marzocco coffee machine. I always check the machine when I go to a café, and La Marzocco is personally one of my favorites, known for a smooth taste when it pulls a shot.

Just as our styles differ, each of us ordered a different drink.

The mango lemonade is a seasonal menu item at Upper and Under, and it's hard to find elsewhere. Mango and lemon together! My expecting younger friend chose it, and she said it's not sweet and leaves her stomach feeling clean.

The pistachio cream latte was ordered by a close younger friend! I tried a little, and oh! The nuttiness of the pistachio and the subtle espresso go so well together. I'd recommend it if you want something instead of an Americano! :)

Why I want the Upper and Under peach pie again

The peach pie at Upper and Under has peaches inside the cream, so the texture is great to chew, and it isn't overly sweet, which suited me. I enjoyed it so much that I plan to go back before the season ends.

From the café's mood to how the desserts look, it was great for photos. Even just for the menu that changes with each season, I want to come again.

Why I recommend Upper and Under as a Sinnonhyeon Station café

Upper and Under isn't just a café that looks pretty in photos; the desserts are satisfying too. Empty seats fill up quickly, with lots of couples and groups of friends.

If you're looking for a café with a nice atmosphere near Sinnonhyeon Station, it's worth a stop. If you love tasty desserts in particular, I recommend it for the wide variety! The drinks are also at a high level, which made our long-awaited get-together even more enjoyable.