# Big Gangnam coffee shop, basement to 2nd floor: Upper and Under

- By Haejun (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-coffee-route/)
- Written Sep 6, 2026
- Local places › Cafés › Gangnam, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary visit from the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-coffee-route/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-coffee-route/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/index.md)

## In short

Upper and Under is a large dessert café on the café street between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station in Seoul, taking up its basement, first and second floors. Each floor of Upper and Under has a different mood and its own terrace, and the pistachio canelé, lemon cake, salty caramel cream coffee and mango lemonade were all on the order — the canelé fully delivered on the crisp-outside, moist-inside promise. It is always busy, but Upper and Under is worth putting up with the crowd for.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, B1, 1F, 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (café street between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station)
- **Space**: Large café across the basement, 1st and 2nd floors, each floor with its own interior and terrace
- **Menu tried**: Pistachio canelé, lemon cake, salty caramel cream coffee, mango lemonade

*as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026*

![Exterior of Upper and Under on the Gangnam Station café street](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-01-nc0pv-1200.webp)

Finding a café in the middle of Gangnam that's spacious and comfortable without losing its sense of atmosphere is trickier than you'd think. And if a place is big, it's often too crowded and chaotic, while the cozy, cute cafés are so packed you end up turning away with nowhere to sit.

![View of the café street between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-02-veen7-900.webp)

![Area around the entrance of Upper and Under café](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-03-18wvf-900.webp)

Upper and Under, on the café street between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station, checks both boxes.

![Full exterior view of the large Upper and Under café](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-04-h8sqb-900.webp)

![Warm and inviting interior space of Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-05-1tota-900.webp)

## Inside Upper and Under: what each floor from B1 to 2F is like

Upper and Under is literally UPPER AND UNDER — pointing to both above and below — and true to the name, it's a large café using the whole building's basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor. Its first impression is a warm feel paired with an eye-catching space.

![Interior of Upper and Under spanning basement to 2nd floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-06-1skvy-m-900.webp)

On weekends it's packed shoulder to shoulder, but it's still a place worth the trip.

![Crowded seating area at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-07-xlw86-900.webp)

Each floor has a slightly different mood and interior, and there are pretty terraces too.

![Terrace with a different mood on each floor of Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-08-gyhph-900.webp)

When I came today, every terrace, upstairs and down, was packed with customers, so I couldn't really spread out and enjoy the space fully. But even with all the crowds, it kept a cozy, warm mood, filled with sweet smells and a pleasant fragrance, and a relaxed atmosphere overall. No wonder it's always this popular.

## The dessert lineup at Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a dessert café where you can't help but agonize over the choice — cakes fill the display case, and baked goods line up on the other side.

![Display case full of cakes at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-09-zy7vh-900.webp)

![Baked goods display corner at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-10-56nlw-900.webp)

I couldn't eat everything, but it all looked delicious, so without being too greedy, I decided to pick one cake and one baked good.

![Selected cake and baked good on a tray](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-11-nc1pi-900.webp)

![Desserts and drink on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-12-14mvz-900.webp)

### Pistachio canelé

I think canelé is basically litmus paper for a bakery's skill. The outside has to be dark and caramelized to a crisp, while the inside has to stay moist and soft like custard — and that balance isn't easy. At plenty of places, both outside and inside end up crisp and hard.

![Close-up of the pistachio canelé at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-13-ix6zq-900.webp)

![Vertical cut view of the pistachio canelé](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-14-1gtoh-900.webp)

That's why I think a place that makes canelé well is genuinely good at desserts, and Upper and Under's pistachio canelé met that condition perfectly.

![Cross-section of the pistachio canelé, crisp outside and moist inside](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-15-1n4ik-900.webp)

![Canelé topped with pistachio and chocolate](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-16-1azqg-900.webp)

Crisp outside, moist inside, and coated on top with pistachio and chocolate, adding both sweetness and a nutty flavor.

### Lemon cake

Usually when people say lemon cake, it's just lemon icing or a slice on top for looks alone, but this one surprised me the moment I took a bite.

![Slice of lemon cake at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-17-tf2ux-900.webp)

![Cross-section of lemon cake topped with lemon](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-18-98onx-900.webp)

It wasn't just lemon placed on top — every bite of the cake burst with lemon's bright tang, so I could enjoy it deliciously right down to the last piece.

### Salty caramel cream coffee

They loaded the coffee with caramel syrup and a chewy, soft, but hearty cream, then topped it with crumble and Lotus cookies.

![Salty caramel cream coffee topped with crumble and Lotus cookies](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-19-15n1r-900.webp)

![Glass of cream coffee with chewy cream on top](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-20-1opoc-900.webp)

The cream was so good I kept scooping it up with a spoon, and after a while I drank the coffee too — turns out the coffee here is excellent as well. The rich, nutty flavor works well with the chewy cream.

### Mango lemonade

A clear glass filled with a fizzy, refreshing drink, with mango flesh piled up at the bottom — great to look at, and once you stir it a bit, the sweetness really comes through.

![Mango lemonade with mango flesh at the bottom](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-21-hj459-900.webp)

![Mango lemonade served in a clear glass](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-22-5cpt3-900.webp)

In between, the lemon's tang keeps refreshing your palate, making it sweet and bright to drink through.

## Is Upper and Under worth it as a Gangnam café?

Some places have great desserts, some have great coffee, some have a pretty space — but Upper and Under has delicious specialty coffee, high-quality desserts, and a pretty interior all at once.

![Interior and dessert table at Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-23-xh2wd-900.webp)

![Interior atmosphere of the large Gangnam café Upper and Under](https://img.superchart.com/images/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele-24-1fzjo-900.webp)

It's always crowded with customers, but it's a place worth visiting even with that in mind. If you want perfectly baked pastries and delicious cake and coffee in an atmospheric setting, I'd recommend heading to Upper and Under.

## Where it is

- Upper and Under (어퍼앤언더)
- 28 Gangnam-daero102-gil, B1, 1F, 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 강남구 강남대로102길 28 지하1층, 1층, 2층
- 37.5027449, 127.0276848
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%96%B4%ED%8D%BC%EC%95%A4%EC%96%B8%EB%8D%94/@37.5027449,127.0276848,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-coffee-route/upper-and-under-gangnam-three-floors-pistachio-canele/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt