Showroom-style date café in Yeonnam-dong for decaf latte: Sideway

Sideway, a café in Yeonnam-dong

Sideway is a brand-new café that just opened in Yeonnam-dong. A café down this street...? The moment you find your way in, it feels like being guided into another showroom, and the space and mood are so stylish that it would make a great date spot too.

It looks ordinary at first, but the delicate touches in every corner kept me comfortable the whole time I was there.

Sideway location and opening hours

Sideway is at 30 Donggyo-ro 51an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor. It is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed every Monday.

Getting to Sideway: yes, it's down that side alley

To get to Sideway, walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station toward Yeonnam-dong Café Street. There are plenty of bus stops nearby too, so public transport is easy. Facing Kong Café, turn into the alley on the right and you will find the gray side alley.

I followed Kakao Map and still went around once, thinking, is this really the place...? Yes, that alley is the right one. Go deeper in and a cozy space appears.

What are Sideway's terrace seats like?

Sideway also has terrace seats outdoors. The natural light was wonderful, and maybe because it just opened, it was very, very clean.

The terrace has two wide bar chairs and three tables. It is the season when coffee outdoors is just the best, so lots of people were eating and drinking out there.

Sideway's furniture-showroom interior

Sideway is a photo-spot café, and lots of people were taking pictures. The inside feels like a furniture showroom, really cozy and snug! You can tell every piece of furniture was chosen and placed with care.

Calm music on a Yamaha audio system at Sideway

The music at Sideway is calm, and the volume is so good that it felt a bit like being in a listening room. A 2015 Yamaha audio system and CDs of many genres caught my eye.

It is a place with a classic yet comfortable mood.

The rugs and paintings all around seemed to carry some kind of meaning too.

Even the small objects and plants at Sideway are all things that suit the space.

They seem to pay close attention even to the tiniest corners. The interior was really pretty.

Sideway menu: coffee, tea, wine and whisky

Sideway serves basic coffee drinks and tea, and also sells wine and whisky.

The brownies and Basque cheesecake baked in-house are simple and go well with both coffee and wine.

When I visited, they were baking Basque cheesecake non-stop and the whole shop smelled nutty and toasty.. I couldn't not order it haha. Since it was late, I ordered it with a latte switched to decaf.

How does Sideway's decaf latte taste?

They brought it right to my seat: a neatly plated cake with no fuss, and a shimmering latte.

Even though it was decaf, the Sideway latte tasted clean and rich, with a clear chocolatey flavor. It was nutty and smooth, and went really well with the cheesecake.

Even the thin tea coaster is so sentimental..

Sideway's Basque cheesecake with strawberry whipped cream

Sideway's Basque cheesecake comes with whipped cream on the side, and there's a slight strawberry flavor in it..? Like strawberry yogurt, almost.

Anyway, it was fresh, sweet and pleasantly nutty, so delicious. It looked like they whip the cream on the spot and pour it alongside.

The softness and richness of the cream went so well with the cake. They pair it with one strawberry too haha.

It was dense and fudgy, full of that signature cheesy tang and nuttiness.

When to visit Sideway to avoid the crowds

It was a weekday afternoon and still quite a lot of customers came in, so weekends must be packed. I suspect it will soon be a hot spot on Yeonnam-dong café date routes...

A stylish space, a comfortable mood, pleasant music and coffee. Sideway was a great place to visit whenever you want to rest for a while in a café.

Lots of people come here, but if you time your visit well, I think you can enjoy the space of Sideway much more deeply.