Sinnonhyeon café basement, fig cake & Earl Grey: Upper and Under

Which floor should you sit on at Upper and Under?

Upper and Under is a big café near Sinnonhyeon Station split across the basement, 1st and 2nd floors, and each floor has its own mood. The 2nd floor was crowded that day and the 1st floor is on the small side, so I settled into the quiet basement.

This is the Upper and Under café I visited in Gangnam for dessert. With several floors, picking a seat is half the fun :) The 2nd floor was packed so I just looked around, the 1st floor is rather cramped, so I headed down to the quiet basement.

The basement had a calm atmosphere that I liked, but being underground, it was a little humid. If you're sensitive to that, it's worth keeping in mind.

What we ordered at Upper and Under, and the prices

At Upper and Under that day we ordered fig cake (₩8,500), crème brûlée flan (₩6,900), salted caramel (₩8,000) and iced Earl Grey tea (₩6,500). With such a variety, it was easy for the two of us to share a little of everything.

The fig cake caught my eye from the name alone. Cake and figs together, don't you just get curious? It looked pretty and tasted good, so I was happy with it. The crème brûlée flan had a charming brûlée-style top. If you like the dense, rich feel of flan, it's worth a look.

With the salted caramel too, we had several sweet desserts, and the iced Earl Grey tea went nicely alongside. Ordering a variety really made it easy to share bites.

A spoonful of charm: great atmosphere and delicious desserts

Why I picked Upper and Under for catching up with an old friend

Since I was meeting a friend after a long time, I wanted to go somewhere nice. Upper and Under looks lovely from the outside, and the desserts glimmering through the window caught our eyes, so we both said "let's go here!" at the same time. I think we chose really well!

Signature salted caramel, ₩8,000: okay if you don't like coffee?

I ordered the salted caramel because it's Upper and Under's signature coffee. Sweet caramel flavor with a salty touch, so it wasn't just sweet. The bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness of the caramel went well together. If you're curious about the signature menu, it's worth trying once!

Even I, who don't really like coffee, enjoyed it 😊

Fig cake, ₩8,500: is it worth the price?

I hesitated a bit at ₩8,500 for the fig cake at Upper and Under, but I was glad I ordered it. The subtle sweetness of the figs went well with the soft cake, so it was easy to eat. It wasn't a cake that's only sweet; it had the clean, mild taste of fruit, which I liked even more. It looks pretty too, so I'd recommend it if you visit Upper and Under.

If you like figs, you'll love it, no divided opinions here🤍

The texture of the crème brûlée flan, ₩6,900

The fun of the crème brûlée flan was cracking the thin hardened sugar coating on top. Under the crisp surface was a soft, moist flan, so the texture was great. It had a sweet, rich custard flavor and went well with coffee too. Ordered together with the fig cake, it was a great dessert to share.

Upper and Under near Sinnonhyeon Station: overall verdict

Upper and Under is a large, atmospheric café with space divided over several floors, and I liked the mood right away. The fig cake, crème brûlée flan and signature coffee were all delicious, and the wide range of desserts made choosing fun.

If you don't like coffee, I'd recommend the Earl Grey tea as a drink to go with desserts😊

It's close to Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Station, so access is good and it's easy to drop by before or after plans. If you're looking for a café with atmosphere, taste and easy access all together, I recommend Upper and Under!

🤍It felt like you could enjoy the desserts just by looking at them🤍 I felt like I was in Europe, not Gangnam! 🏰