Gangnam coffee shop, weekday afternoon terrace seat: Upper and Under

What kind of café is Upper and Under?

• It's a multi-level café that's great for coffee and dessert after a meal near Gangnam Station.
• There's a fun variety of desserts to choose from — canelé, madeleine, financier and more.
• The 2nd-floor terrace has a great vibe with a big tree, perfect for sitting outside on a nice day.

Who will find Upper and Under useful

• Anyone looking for an atmospheric café near Gangnam Station
• Anyone wanting a relaxed café to chat with a friend after a meal
• Anyone who wants to enjoy coffee alongside a variety of desserts
• Anyone looking for a Gangnam Station café with a terrace

This is a café I visited with a friend on a date after a meal.

I'd tried to come here before for a friend gathering but couldn't get a seat. This time I visited on a weekday afternoon and there were seats available, so I finally got to go!

The coffee and desserts were delicious, and each space has a different mood, so if you're looking for a café near Gangnam Station, this might be worth checking out :)

The big tree outside Upper and Under

Upper and Under stands alongside a big tree. The café uses the basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor all as seating space, and you order at the counter on the 1st floor, up the stairs.

I'd heard it's so popular on weekends that there's not a single free seat, so I was curious. Since I visited after lunch on a weekday, there were a few seats open on the 2nd floor and basement. It seemed like a good spot to visit for a meal near Gangnam Station followed by a chat with a friend.

Does the basement floor feel cramped?

It seems nice to order first and then head down to the basement to enjoy your coffee. Technically it's a basement floor, but since there's a road right next to it, it doesn't feel underground at all haha.

Going up the stairs leads to the order counter. Having the space divided by floor was part of the fun — you can pick a seat with whatever mood you're in for.

What desserts does Upper and Under have?

Inside there's a wide variety of desserts ready to go — some in the showcase, some displayed off to the side, giving bread lovers a happy dilemma over what to try first.

We picked our drinks first — my friend went with an iced latte, and I chose the salted caramel latte. The coffee menu ranges from the basics to sweet lattes, so there's plenty to pair with dessert.

Canelé, madeleine and financier at the counter

To the side there's another space with canelé, madeleine, financier and more baked goods. There were so many desserts I had trouble deciding what to eat!

We chose two canelés and one madeleine :) I figured we wouldn't be able to eat much since we'd just had a meal, but once I actually saw the desserts, picking just one felt impossible.

How spacious is the 1st floor?

The 1st floor has wide spacing between tables, and there aren't many tables around the bread display area, so overall it felt like a spacious hall.

There's also a restroom next to the stairs, which was convenient. With the space split across multiple floors, each seating area within the same café felt like it had a slightly different mood.

What is the 2nd-floor terrace like?

We went up the stairs to the 2nd floor. There's a terrace up there too, so we decided to step out.

There were quite a few people inside on the 2nd floor as well. We thought about sitting indoors, but since it wasn't too hot, we sat on the terrace.

With the weather turning nice these days, it seemed like a great time to sit on the terrace and drink coffee. It felt breezier and more open than indoors, which made it a good spot for a relaxed chat with a friend.

Picking up drinks at the 1st-floor counter

Once the drinks are ready, they hand them to you at the counter like this. Our order came up and we picked it up.

We each carried our drink and dessert over to the terrace, and once we set the drinks and canelé down on the table, it made for a pretty photo.

Coffee beside the green trees on the terrace

With the green trees, cool breeze, and just the right amount of sun, the mood was great. It felt completely different from drinking coffee indoors, and I was glad we came out to the terrace.

Especially with the big tree right next to us, the café space felt a bit more comfortable and natural. Since I'm a fan of canelé, I was curious how the taste would be.

The terrace definitely has a great vibe. Thanks to the big tree right beside it, the café feels even more atmospheric.

In a busy area like Gangnam Station, I liked having a space like this where you can catch some fresh air for a bit after a meal.

How the salted caramel latte and iced latte taste

The salted caramel latte was sweet and salty at once, the kind of taste that keeps pulling you back, and the latte my friend ordered had a nutty flavor.

The drinks looked pretty, which I liked right away. The little cookie that came with it was also caramel-flavored, great for a sweet sugar boost. Having dessert after a meal made it feel like a proper café visit.

Why the canelé was the most memorable

And what I liked the most was the canelé.

Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, and packed with cream inside too — it was really good. Even though I was pretty full when I visited, it was tasty enough that I kept taking bite after bite. If you're a canelé fan, it's worth trying when picking a dessert here. Of everything I ate that day, the canelé stood out the most.

At first, since it was a weekday afternoon, there were plenty of open seats, but as we chatted over our drinks and pastries, the place filled up and eventually was almost full. Still, we sat on the terrace, sipping coffee and eating dessert at our own pace, deep in conversation haha. It was a fun time to finally get to eat something good and talk comfortably with a friend after a while.

Upper and Under: the good and the not so good

What was good

• The space split across the basement, 1st, and 2nd floors makes picking a seat part of the fun.
• A wide variety of desserts to pair with coffee — canelé, madeleine, financier and more.
• The 2nd-floor terrace with the big tree had a great atmosphere.

What could be better

• Since it's a popular café, seats can run out during peak hours.
• There's no dedicated parking lot, so you'll need to arrange parking separately if driving.

On a nice-weather day, try coffee and dessert on the 2nd-floor terrace. The big tree gave it such a good atmosphere that it was a great place to relax and chat with a friend.

Upper and Under was where I ended up after wondering where to go following a meal near Gangnam Station. I'd missed out before due to no seats, but this time, visiting on a weekday afternoon, I got to enjoy it at leisure. I especially loved the variety of desserts and the great terrace atmosphere, and it was a nice spot to chat with a friend over good coffee and canelé. If you're looking for a café near Gangnam Station, give it a try :)