Gangnam study café with quiet basement seats: Upper and Under

Don't a lot of us end up meeting people at Gangnam Station? Since it's so easy to get to, it's basically become the go-to meetup spot these days, haha. After finishing a meal appointment, you usually end up looking for somewhere to grab a simple coffee. Upper and Under, a Gangnam Station cafe, is a large-format cafe with plenty of seats and a wide variety of desserts, so it felt like the perfect spot for a comfortable get-together.

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

Upper and Under sits like a local landmark near Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station.

• 🤍Location: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• 🤍Hours: Daily 11:00 - 22:00

Since there's no parking information posted, it seems there's no parking lot available! I visited on foot, haha.

Basement to 2nd floor: which floor at Upper and Under is quietest?

The entire building belongs to Upper and Under, so the space is really spacious! On top of that, each floor has a slightly different vibe. Being able to pick a seat that matches the mood you want is another plus.

A lot of people seem to do cafe studying at this Gangnam Station cafe, Upper and Under. I think it's probably because the area is also a hub for language academies.

Since the space is separated from the basement up through the higher floors, it feels less noisy overall even when there are lots of customers. The basement tends to be the quieter floor. Keep that in mind when picking a seat!

What desserts and baked goods does Upper and Under have?

Upper and Under, this Gangnam Station cafe, seemed to make a lot of desserts using seasonal fruit. There was a fig pie piled high with figs.

All kinds of baked cookies and pastries were cutely arranged. You can see lemon madeleines, Earl Grey fig madeleines, and yellow cheese financiers, right? The canelé here was pretty good too.

There was quite a variety of cakes too — Earl Grey grapefruit cake, raspberry, lemon, fig cake, and more. They felt like pound cakes topped with all sorts of cream, fruit, and compote.

This Gangnam Station cafe even had tarts you don't see elsewhere. The cakes are great, but honestly having a good lineup of simple baked goods you can just grab and eat makes me want to come back one more time.

Drink prices at Upper and Under: americano ₩6,500

Being a cafe in the Gangnam Station / Sinnonhyeon Station area, the drink prices run a bit higher than elsewhere, with the americano at ₩6,500. The Einspänner line has also diversified with pistachio and matcha versions, and there were quite a lot of non-coffee options too, like ades and teas. There are also options like the hazelnut americano for when latte-type drinks feel like too much but you still want something sweet!

How do the grapefruit Earl Grey cake and Einspänner taste?

I ordered the grapefruit Earl Grey cake, an iced americano, and an Einspänner.

This was a pound cake topped with Earl Grey cream and grapefruit. Earl Grey cream and grapefruit is always a combination you can trust, and it really was delicious!

They'd already peeled all the grapefruit for me, so it was even easier to cut with a fork and eat, hahaha.

And here's the recommended-menu Einspänner — looks pretty appetizing, doesn't it?

The shot and the cream are layered separately, so this is a drink you're meant to drink without a straw! The cream was delicious.

The iced americano had just the right taste, with no sourness. Easy to drink without any burden.

Is Upper and Under worth it for meetups and studying?

This was Upper and Under, a cafe located between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station! One of its strengths is that the cafe is spacious overall, so it doesn't feel too crowded even with a lot of people. It's also well equipped with outlets so you can charge your devices when you're in a hurry! I'd recommend it as a Gangnam Station cafe.