Gangnam café, cream brûlée blanc and einspänner: Upper and Under

Where is Upper and Under, and what does it look like?

Upper and Under sits in the café alley between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station. Both stations are fairly close, so it's easy to get to — it's the first place that comes to mind when I think of grabbing a café near here.

The interior looked like it had been converted from an old house, which gave it a cozy, comfortable vibe that really stood out. There's also a small terrace, so it's a nice Gangnam Station café to visit on a nice-weather day.

Seating on the first and second floors, plus the terrace

Walking into this Gangnam Station café, I was surprised by how much bigger it was than I expected. It uses both the 1st and 2nd floors, so there's quite a variety of seating, and each floor has a slightly different atmosphere. The outdoor terrace especially is great to use on a nice day — among Sinnonhyeon Station cafés, this is a good spot to spend some unhurried time.

Upper and Under's menu: cream drinks and desserts

This Gangnam Station café has a really wide range of desserts, not just coffee. From basic coffee like americano and lattes to cream drinks like einspänner, pistachio cream latte, and matcha cream oat latte, there were plenty of options to choose from depending on your taste.

The desserts were really varied too. There was Earl Grey grapefruit, lemon raspberry, tiramisu, vanilla cheesecake, and Basque cheesecake — a whole lineup of cakes. What stood out was how good the cakes looked visually — they photographed really beautifully.

Beyond the cakes, there were also financiers, canelés, pies, flans, and more, all looking so good it was hard to decide. Since I visited late on a weekend afternoon, the selection was a bit thinner, but bottom line — all the baked goods were so delicious that I wanted to come back and try more of the bakery items next time.

My order came out: americano, einspänner, cream brûlée blanc, and vanilla Basque cheesecake. Eating the sweet desserts alongside the slightly bitter coffee kept things from feeling too sweet — perfect for tea time.

Vanilla Basque cheesecake at Upper and Under

The vanilla Basque cheesecake at this Gangnam Station café had a rich, satisfying cheese flavor.

I don't think I've seen a cheesecake this dense before — moist yet soft, like it was packed with a lot of cheese. What made Upper and Under's vanilla Basque cheesecake special was the vanilla bean flecks throughout, adding a subtle vanilla aroma that made the dense, soft texture even better.

Cream brûlée blanc: how sweet is it?

The cream brûlée blanc had a crackly, sweet brûlée layer on top and a soft, generously filled cream underneath — a really appealing combination. Both the vanilla Basque cheesecake and the cream brûlée blanc were delicious sweet desserts that paired well with coffee.

Einspänner

I already suspected from the vanilla Basque cheesecake that this café is great at cheese and cream — after trying the einspänner too, I was convinced!!

This Sinnonhyeon Station café is a cream lover's dream. Now I'm curious about all the other cream-based drinks I saw on the menu.

Americano

The americano had no sourness at all — a perfect match for the desserts ❤️

Final verdict on Upper and Under

This Gangnam Station café sits right between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a large bakery café in the area. It's spacious with a wide variety of desserts, which I really liked. If you want to spend some unhurried time in Gangnam, I recommend this large Sinnonhyeon Station café, Upper and Under.

Upper and Under: address and hours

• Location: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, basement, 1st and 2nd floors
• Hours: 11:00 – 22:00