Waffle takeout café near Balsan Station, Seoul: The Sweetree

There are days when your stomach is full from a meal but you still crave a snack — I think a lot of people know that feeling. You don't want more food, but your body wants something sweet! I might just have a bigger sweet tooth than most, but I found a great spot recently and wanted to share it.

It's The Sweetree, a Balsan Station café that's great at waffles — let me tell you about my experience!

The Sweetree hours and how to get there from Ujangsan Station

The Sweetree is open daily from 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM the next day, except Saturdays when it opens at 11:30 AM. It's located at 38 Gangseo-ro 47ga-gil, 1F, Unit 102, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea — if you're taking public transit, it's a short walk from Exit 4 of Ujangsan Station.

From outside, you'll see a pink building with a waffle-shaped decoration and a sign reading "Sweet lee." I visited in the evening and the bright lighting made it easy to find. There was parking space for about 2–3 cars right next door, so I was able to park. The banner outside showed the signature menu items, snow ice, and real smoothies in photos that looked delicious just to look at!

Being able to preview the menu before going in saved some decision time. They said everything made that day is sold out by the end of the day.

There's also Dubai chewy cookies, salt bread, and handmade cakes.

Drinks that look refreshing just to look at.

Inside The Sweetree and how to order at the kiosk

Once inside The Sweetree, you decide whether to eat in or take out and order through the kiosk. If you're not comfortable with kiosks, there's a paper menu you can refer to instead.

Each menu has its own tab, with detailed items shown alongside photos. There are so many options it can be hard to choose, but you can just pick what catches your eye and come back for the rest.

Straws and tissues are set out at the counter.

The display case had salt bread, madeleines, financiers, and some of the waffles. I could also see the baking area, which was clean and tidy.

There were also drinks and items that need to be kept refrigerated.

The Sweetree, that Balsan Station café that's great at waffles, is apparently an officially certified store using Le Gall products. It's said to be a French dairy specialty brand with 100 years of history and tradition.

After looking around the bakery items, I checked out the interior — there are round tables and window seats. If I'd had more time, it would've been nice to sit at a table and eat while looking outside. I was pressed for time so I went with takeout.

The Sweetree waffle menu and prices

The Sweetree's waffles range widely, from Plain at ₩3,500 to Dubai Chocolate at ₩12,500. The americano is ₩3,500, and adding ₩500 gets you the can-sealed coffee option, which I really loved!

• Plain ₩3,500
• Almond Crunch ₩4,500
• Apple Mango Cream ₩6,000
• Banana Choco Cream ₩6,000
• Injeolmi Bean Powder ₩6,000
• Chocolate Brownie Cream ₩6,000
• Chinobe Brown Cheese ₩6,000
• Lotus Caramel Cream ₩6,000
• Blueberry Cream Cheese ₩6,000
• Tiramisu Mascarpone Cheese ₩6,000
• Dubai Chocolate ₩12,500
• Shine Muscat Cream ₩7,500
• Blueberry ₩5,000 / Maple ₩5,000
• Dark Choco ₩4,500 / Strawberry Choco ₩4,500
• Butter Salt Bread ₩5,300, Financier ₩3,000, Red Bean Snow Ice ₩12,900, Americano ₩3,500

There are also various set menus you can pair with an americano.

Three waffles I took home from The Sweetree

I ordered lotus caramel cream, chocolate brownie cream, strawberry chocolate, and an americano with can-sealed coffee to go.

You can see the Lotus biscuit on top of a generous layer of caramel and cream. Eating it at home, it was sweet, not soggy at all, and genuinely delicious — the kind of thing that makes you say wow out loud.

This one piled high with chocolate brownie and cream needs no explanation. It tasted exactly like I imagined, so I finished it in no time.

My kid was happy eating the strawberry chocolate one they picked themselves. It was less sweet than the other two, which made it better suited for a child.

Maybe because we went a bit late, the very kind owner gave my kid a free butter rice cake. Watching them munch away happily and give a thumbs up for how good it was made my day!

Is The Sweetree a good café to visit with a child?

The Sweetree, that Balsan Station café that's great at waffles, is a sweet spot that's hard to dislike. Menus like the strawberry chocolate waffle, which is less sweet, meant even my kid ate well. As someone who loves bread and sweet snacks, I think this could become a regular spot for me.

I felt like I needed to come back to work through the rest of the menu, and since there are so many options, I'll have to visit often. It's great for grabbing a light takeout box for a picnic, an outing, or heading home — and eating in at the store would be nice too!