Three-floor Gangnam café, mango cake & corn financier: Upper and Under

I had plans in Gangnam on the weekend, so I stopped by Upper and Under, a dessert café near Gangnam Station that I'd saved a while ago. It kept popping up whenever I searched for dessert spots around Gangnam Station, so I was curious, and once I got there I understood right away why it's so famous.

How crowded is Upper and Under on a weekend afternoon?

Upper and Under was already almost full around 3:30 p.m. on the weekend. There wasn't a waiting line, but I had to wait a bit to find an empty seat. A popular Gangnam Station café is a popular café, haha.

Upper and Under location, hours and parking

• Address: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (B1 / 1F / 2F)
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Groups welcome
• Takeout available
• Wi-Fi
• Separate men's and women's restrooms
• Parking is not available.

Upper and Under's three-floor building and layout

Upper and Under uses an entire building, so it's quite big. The basement is seating, you order on the 1st floor, and the 2nd floor has more seats and a terrace. The building catches your eye as soon as you arrive. The green trees and brick walls go so well together that I started taking photos before even going in. On the weekend, getting a seat wasn't easy either.

Maybe because it was a weekend afternoon, the 1st floor was already almost full. I went up to the 2nd floor too, and the inside was packed and the terrace was nearly full as well. Turnover isn't that fast, so I'd go expecting to wait a little. We looked around, and luckily a seat opened up in the B1 basement and we got to sit.

What baked goods are in the Upper and Under showcase?

The Upper and Under showcase has a huge variety of baked goods: financiers (small almond butter cakes), madeleines, pies, crème brûlée flan and cakes. I really love baked goods, and the moment I saw the showcase I was happy, haha.

• Financiers: plain, nuts, pistachio, Hwangchi cheese (yellow cheese), salt choco, Hoji pecan (roasted green tea pecan)
• Madeleines: lemon, Chodang corn (sweet corn), canelé, Earl Grey, salted caramel, matcha
• Pies: Chodang corn pie, mango pie, choco banana pie
• Crème brûlée flan
• Cakes and more

Isn't this basically dessert heaven...?

I haven't tried ube yet so I skipped it, but the purple look is really pretty. Next time I'd like to try the ube Basque cheesecake.

What we ordered at Upper and Under

I ordered an iced Americano, coconut matcha, a Chodang corn financier, a salt choco financier and a mango cake. Since the baked goods are what it's known for, I had one cake and a variety of baked goods.

Iced Americano: low acidity, nutty and smooth

The iced Americano at Upper and Under has almost no acidity and a nutty taste, which was totally my style. Coffee matters at a good dessert place, right? It wasn't strongly bitter either, so it was perfect with sweet desserts.

Coconut matcha: subtle matcha, coconut not overdone

The coconut matcha had a subtle matcha aroma, and the coconut wasn't too strong, so I enjoyed it. I like drinks with coconut, which is why I ordered it. It was sweet but clean, and good alongside desserts.

Chodang corn and salt choco financiers: firm outside, fluffy inside

The baked goods were moist. Slightly firm outside, fluffy inside. The corn and lemon flavors came through subtly, and they went really well with coffee.

Mango cake: layer after layer of mango cream

I was really happy with the mango cake too. The mango wasn't skimped on, and there were several layers of mango cream inside, so I tasted mango with every bite. The sponge was really soft and the cream wasn't heavy, so I finished it quicker than expected. I was actually looking forward to the baked goods more, but I ate more of the mango cake, hahaha.

Upper and Under's 2nd-floor terrace and photo spots

It's not only the desserts that are good at Upper and Under; the building itself was so pretty. Green trees, brick and an ivory-toned building blend together, so you get lovely photos wherever you shoot. The 2nd floor terrace in particular had lots of couples on dates. On a nice day, I bet the terrace seats are really popular.

The downside: almost always full on weekends

Upper and Under gets really crowded. On weekends, assume it's almost always full. It's a café for enjoying tasty desserts and the atmosphere rather than sitting quietly for a long time. At weekend peak hours the dessert you want may sell out, so I recommend going a bit early.

Verdict: is Upper and Under worth it as a Gangnam Station dessert café?

If you're looking for a dessert spot around Gangnam Station, Upper and Under is worth visiting at least once. The variety of baked goods was huge, and the financiers and canelé in particular were better than expected. The coffee went well with the desserts, and the building is so pretty that it's great for photos. Just keep in mind that it's really crowded, so competing for a seat is a bit tough. Next time I'll go back for the Chodang corn pie and the ube Basque cheesecake, haha.