After-dinner Gangnam Station café: lemon cream cake, Upper and Under

Where is Upper and Under, and what are the hours?

Upper and Under is a café at 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, using the space from basement 1 up to the 2nd floor. It's open 11:00 - 22:00, and there's no parking.

My husband and I had dinner near Gangnam Station and felt like it'd be a waste to just go straight home, so we stopped for tea.

After eating in Gangnam, you naturally start looking for a nice-vibe café near Gangnam Station, and since the weather was cool that day, we wanted to sit outside rather than indoors and take our time.

The building in the alley: first impressions

Walk into the alley and Upper and Under's softly lit building comes into view.

It blends nicely with the surroundings, and the building itself is so pretty that we ended up taking a few photos before even going in. Even though it's right in the middle of Gangnam, tucking into the alley gave it a calmer feel — a great first impression.

Basement to second floor: picking a seat at Upper and Under

When I visited, the space was split across multiple floors, so it turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I'd expected.

So for anyone looking for a Gangnam Station café that doesn't feel cramped and works well for groups, this seemed like a good fit. Inside I actually saw plenty of friends hanging out together, and quite a few couples on dates too.

Location-wise, it's easy to get to from either Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's also a good pick if you're searching for a Sinnonhyeon Station café.

Cafés around Gangnam tend to be crowded even in the evening, but with the space split across several floors, there was some fun in choosing where to sit.

What's left in the bakery case in the evening?

Since I visited in the evening, the bakery case had unfortunately already been picked over quite a bit.

Looking at the display, there seemed to be a fairly wide variety, from financiers to tarts to cakes, but the popular items looked like they sell out early.

Next time I'd like to come a bit earlier and browse the bakery case while it's still fully stocked.

Lemon cream cake, caramel cheese pie and two drinks

Luckily, the cakes and desserts I like were still there, so I picked out a lemon cream cake and a caramel cheese pie.

For drinks, I ordered a pistachio cream latte and my husband got a hot americano.

The pistachio cream latte had a soft cream on top with a rich, nutty pistachio flavor, so it was nice to enjoy almost like a dessert on its own.

If you usually prefer coffee that's smoother and sweeter than a plain americano, this is worth trying.

My husband went for a clean hot americano since we'd already eaten, and sure enough, americano was still the classic pairing with cake.

The lemon cream cake looks pretty even in photos, but in person it's even cleaner-looking, topped with lemon slices and herbs.

The cream layer is piled on pretty thick, but the freshness of the lemon cut through it, so it wasn't as heavy as I expected.

Eating something sweet while also tasting that bright, tangy note was something I really liked about it.

We also ordered the caramel cheese pie — it looks small, but it has a rich caramel flavor and a nutty taste that was nice to nibble on bit by bit between sips of coffee. For anyone who wants more than just coffee at a Gangnam Station café, there are quite a few dessert options here.

An evening at the outdoor tables

That day, we liked the outdoor seats more than the indoor ones, so we sat outside. We enjoyed the cool evening air with tea, and watched people passing through the alley.

Even without any special conversation, just sitting together over a cup of coffee felt pretty nice.

Because of the outdoor seating especially, I think this place will come to mind again when looking for a Sinnonhyeon Station café during nicer weather. On a day when you've eaten in busy Gangnam and don't feel like heading straight home, it's the kind of place with a good vibe for sitting back with a coffee.

The best corners for photos

There were plenty of photogenic spots too. From the entrance where white brick meets soft lighting, to the interior with its big windows, to the seats overlooking the alley — each area had a slightly different feel.

These days coffee quality matters at a café, but the atmosphere of the space matters a lot too, and on that front this was a good pick for a date at a Gangnam Station café.

I imagine it'd be pretty in the daytime with sunlight streaming in too, but I really loved the evening atmosphere I got to experience. The lit-up exterior was lovely, and sitting outside in the cool breeze felt like a relaxed way to end the day.

Who Upper and Under suits

If you're looking for a Gangnam Station café to head to after an evening get-together, or a Sinnonhyeon Station café with a wide dessert selection and outdoor seating, Upper and Under is worth a stop. It's especially suited to couples like us wanting a quiet chat over tea after dinner.

Next time I'd like to come a little earlier while the bakery case is still full, and try the financiers or other cakes. Since I loved the evening atmosphere here, this is a Sinnonhyeon Station café I'm planning to revisit with my husband on a cool autumn day.