Yeonnam-dong café with iced Goyo blended tea and solo seats: Sideway

Looking for a hot spot with a great mood, tasty desserts and a pretty interior?! I recommend Sideway, a café in Yeonnam-dong! I went in with no big expectations, and the stylish interior turned it into my very own hideout 🤭

Isn't the entrance pretty already?! I can't believe there was still a hidden café in Yeonnam-dong that nobody knows about!

Where is Sideway in Yeonnam-dong, and how do you find it?

Sideway is on the first floor, tucked inside the alley of Donggyo-ro 51an-gil in Yeonnam-dong, so you can't see it at all from the main road. Follow the small mini sign along the gray wall and the café appears with an open courtyard.

See that cute little sign? Follow the gray wall and suddenly an open courtyard appears, with a café that has a really nice vibe haha

It felt like I was discovering a secret café in the alley, and the moment I saw the courtyard I was in a good mood.

Sideway opening hours and closing day

• Hours: Tue–Fri 10:00–21:00
• Hours: Sat–Sun 12:00–21:00
• Closed: every Monday

What are Sideway's interior and seating like?

Sideway's interior is stylish, with props and lighting as accents, and the seating is varied: two-person tables, sofa seats, group tables and solo seats at the back. I went on a hot day and the air conditioning was great, so it was cool the moment I walked in.

It was so hot I was sweating after just a little walking, so getting cool air as soon as I came in was great!

There are props used for decoration everywhere and the lighting adds accents, so it feels really stylish. I want to decorate my own home like this someday 🥹

The tables come in different types too, from two-person tables to sofa seats and group tables.

Sideway's solo seats, good for reading alone

My favorite was the solo seat! It's set apart at the back like a space for quiet thinking, and it's perfect for coming alone and reading a book at leisure.

Is this kind of sense something you're born with?! Is it talent? Sob, I'm just so jealous. The big sofa was plush and comfy too, and I also sat in the single sofa at the back and it was so comfortable I almost fell asleep... haha

What's on the menu at Sideway?

Sideway sells not only coffee but also blended teas, desserts made in-house, and wine and whisky with snacks. The writer ordered the blended tea Goyo and an egg tart.

I thought it was a coffee-only café, but it sells tea too! They sell blended tea, so of course I, who go all the way to the tea culture fair and haul back armfuls, ordered tea! The Goyo!

This Yeonnam-dong café sells a variety of desserts too. If I had ordered an iced Americano I would have gotten the ice cream brownie, but since I ordered blended tea, I went for the not-too-sweet egg tart! Next time I'll definitely come back for the ice cream brownie,,,, 😏

Sideway's blended tea Goyo and egg tart

Even the bowl and coaster are perfect.. This is the textbook stylish-interior café! When I go to a tea house I usually drink hot tea, so if it had been just a little less hot I would have ordered a hot one, but this heat was truly unbearable...^^

Can Sideway double as a wine bar in the evening?

Apparently every dessert sold at Sideway is made in the shop..! They have wine as well as coffee and tea, so it can totally turn into a wine bar with a great mood ✌️ They sell snacks too, so in the evening I'd recommend enjoying wine and whisky with Sideway's own snacks.

Is the blended tea Goyo good iced?

Sideway's blended tea Goyo wasn't watery even iced, and the tea flavor came through clearly. The menu has two, Goyo and Sandeul, and it says they are teas blended by a Korean medicine doctor to help restore body and mind.

It's no exaggeration to say I ordered because of the calm, elegant-sounding names Goyo and Sandeul. After reading a description like that, how could you not order?

I picked Goyo out of the two because I've been super stressed lately and wanted to become calm..... haha When I ordered I worried it might be watery since it was iced, but that worry was pointless: the tea flavor came through clear and distinct.

How does Sideway's homemade egg tart taste?

The egg tart made at Sideway uses pastry rather than dough for the crust, so it doesn't leave you feeling bloated afterward and is a light dessert. The egg tart was rich and mild, and I thought it was a good choice to have with tea.

The filling was so soft that it melted in my mouth! It starts with a gentle sweetness and ends with the nutty flavor of the pastry, like eating custard pudding 😋 With a pretty interior and delicious signature drinks and desserts, Sideway is also recommended as a Yeonnam-dong date course.

Is Sideway in Yeonnam-dong worth going back to?

Sideway became my own hideout in Yeonnam-dong. From now on, whenever I make plans in Yeonnam-dong I'm taking all my friends here haha If you're looking for a café for a Yeonnam-dong date, I recommend Sideway, a great dessert spot.