Gangnam Station date-night café: terrace & tiramisu, Upper and Under

If you're looking for a café with great atmosphere on the Gangnam Station café street, Upper and Under is the one I really want to recommend. On a weekend evening, my boyfriend and I had dinner in Gangnam and weren't sure where to go next, so we dropped in here. The atmosphere, the coffee and the desserts were all satisfying, and I came away properly refreshed :)

Where is Upper and Under, and what is the terrace like?

Upper and Under is tucked inside the Gangnam Station café street, somewhere between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, so it was really easy to get to. It's open daily 11:00–22:00, and there are terrace seats on the 2nd floor.

I think it's even better on a nice day like these days. We visited on a weekend evening and luckily a 2nd-floor terrace spot was free, so we sat right down. Drinking coffee in the cool breeze felt really lovely. The lighting is soft and the space itself is so atmospheric that I could see why people often recommend it as a Gangnam Station blind date spot. In fact, many of the tables around us looked like blind dates or couples on dates.

Is the inside of Upper and Under spacious?

Upper and Under uses the whole building, so it feels like a big café, and the space was quite roomy.

Each floor has a slightly different mood, so it was fun to look around, and the seats are spaced widely enough that nothing felt cramped. Lots of Gangnam cafés these days are so crowded they feel chaotic, but even with plenty of customers, Upper and Under was big enough to feel fairly comfortable. So I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Gangnam Station café street spot where you can chat at ease.

What's in the 2nd-floor dessert showcase at Upper and Under?

The 2nd floor of Upper and Under had a variety of desserts on display, including cakes, financiers (small almond butter cakes) and canelés (caramelized custard pastries). The moment we walked in, the showcase caught my eye right away. From colorful cakes to ~

There was a good range of cakes, financiers and canelés, and the overall dessert quality looked great. Even though it was late, quite a few desserts were still left, so we had lots of choices, which I liked. No wonder it's known as a dessert hotspot on the Gangnam Station café street.

Upper and Under menu

Click the photos to enlarge the drink menu ~

What we ordered at Upper and Under, with prices

• Einspänner (cream-topped coffee) ₩8,000
• Ube cream latte ₩8,500
• Tiramisu ₩8,500
• Hojicha pecan financier ₩4,700

How does the tiramisu at Upper and Under taste?

The tiramisu at Upper and Under (₩8,500) was a big hit: the cream is super smooth and the coffee flavor comes through strongly. Tiramisu first!! I order tiramisu at cafés pretty often, and this one had moist sponge that wasn't completely soaked through with coffee, so it was totally my style haha

It also wasn't too sweet, which made it perfect with coffee. I get now why it gets mentioned so often as a cake hotspot on the Gangnam Station café street. There were two of us and we finished it almost instantly!

What does the hojicha pecan financier taste like?

The hojicha pecan financier at Upper and Under (₩4,700) was better than I expected too. It's slightly crisp outside and moist inside, and I loved the nutty, subtle flavor that's typical of hojicha (roasted green tea). The pecans on top add great texture and a bit of sweetness, and eating it with the Einspänner was the best combo. If you like desserts, please order it alongside haha

Is the ube cream latte as good as it looks?

The one I was most looking forward to, because of its looks, was the Upper and Under ube cream latte (₩8,500). That signature purple ube color is so pretty and great for photos. The cream was so good that I was sad watching it go down haha

Is the Einspänner at Upper and Under a must-try?

The Upper and Under Einspänner (₩8,000) felt like a must-try. Like the ube cream latte, the cream was really smooth and nutty, and it wasn't heavy or greasy, so it balanced really well with the coffee.

Cream coffees can sometimes be just sweet, but here the coffee flavor came through strongly, which made it much more satisfying. The cream is springy yet goes down smoothly, so it's great with desserts. My boyfriend took one sip, said it was good and kept stealing it haha It really felt like a signature menu item.

Is Upper and Under good for a Gangnam Station blind date or date?

The best thing about Upper and Under was definitely the atmosphere. Maybe that's why I heard many people looking for a Gangnam Station blind date spot come here. I'd absolutely recommend the terrace on a nice day. In the evening the lighting adds to the mood and it felt really good. It was a great way to spend relaxed time talking with my boyfriend.

If you're looking for a café with great atmosphere on the Gangnam Station café street, or wondering where to hold a Gangnam Station blind date, I really recommend Upper and Under :) The coffee and desserts are good, and the space is big and comfortable, so it's a perfect stop on a date course. Next time I want to try the other cakes too.