Sinnonhyeon dessert café: yangzhi ganlu cake & canelé, Upper and Under

I visited Upper and Under (어퍼앤언더), a big, stylish dessert café that really stands out in the alley between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station. It's a large bakery café that takes up an entire building, and with its tasteful interior and showy dessert lineup, it keeps getting popular on social media.

Upper and Under location, hours and parking

Upper and Under is at 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, and it's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. There's no private parking lot, so you'll need to use a nearby public or private car park.

A visiting tip: on weekend afternoons it gets crowded and the seats fill up fast. For a more relaxed visit, I'd recommend going right at opening time or on a weekday.

Inside and outside Upper and Under

The whole red brick building that catches your eye from far away is Upper and Under. It has a vintage yet polished mood, and lots of people were taking photos right at the entrance.

1st floor

Upper and Under is a large café using everything from basement level 1 up to the 2nd floor, with plenty of seating on each floor and the open, airy feel you'd expect from a big café.

2nd floor

The floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much light that nothing felt stuffy, and with the plants and landscaping dotted around, I could feel a relaxed atmosphere even in the middle of the city.

Terrace and power outlet seats

There's also outdoor terrace seating, which looks perfect for spending time over a coffee on a nice day. Outlets are all over the place, so quite a few people were working on laptops, and lots of guests had come for dates or to meet friends.

Upper and Under menu and dessert selection

The bakery selection at Upper and Under is so varied that it was hard to choose, haha.

• Pies and tarts: Showy tarts piled generously with seasonal fresh fruit catch your eye.
• Baked sweets and cakes: Lots of choices, from classic financiers and canelés to lemon cake and yangzhi ganlu cake, with a fresh, moist texture!

• Drinks: The signature ones are the Einspänner (coffee topped with thick, chewy cream), the matcha cream latte full of rich matcha aroma, and fruit ades that look refreshing from the first glance.

How does the double vanilla canelé (₩4,500) taste?

The double vanilla canelé at Upper and Under is ₩4,500. The outside is crisply caramelized and the inside stays moist and chewy, and it was really delicious.

They clearly use vanilla beans generously. The more I chewed, the more a deep, rich vanilla flavor filled my mouth, never artificial, and I was very satisfied.

What does the yangzhi ganlu cake (₩8,500) taste like?

The yangzhi ganlu cake (a mango-grapefruit dessert) at Upper and Under is ₩8,500, a cake combining mango, grapefruit and coconut milk. Yangzhi ganlu is the trend right now!! I was so curious that I had to order it!! Between the soft sponge and cream, the deep sweetness of mango and the bittersweet, fresh tang of grapefruit pop in every bite. A subtle coconut milk aroma runs underneath, making it exotic and appealing!

There's grapefruit and mango pulp between the sponge layers too!!

A regular fresh cream cake gets cloying as you eat, but here the grapefruit and mango really refresh you, so I could eat it lightly all the way to the last bite without getting tired of it. Highly recommended for anyone who likes fresh, tangy desserts!

How is the cream on the Einspänner (₩8,000)?

The Einspänner at Upper and Under is ₩8,000, and the cream is not runny at all, with a very thick, chewy texture. At first I skipped the straw and scooped up just the cream with a spoon, and the rich, sweet and nutty flavor was the best!!!

Even though I usually drink Americano, I wanted to order the Einspänner again at Upper and Under!

Upper and Under: overall verdict

• Recommended large café in Gangnam
• Great dessert spot in Sinnonhyeon
• Nice café for a date
• Einspänner and canelé strongly recommended
• Wide choice of bakery items and cakes
• Stylish space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace

Upper and Under isn't just a café that looks pretty in photos; the desserts and drinks were satisfying too. I especially recommend trying the double vanilla canelé and Einspänner together. If you're looking for a café with a good mood, a great dessert spot or a date place in Gangnam or Sinnonhyeon, this should be a satisfying choice.