Gangnam evening café: two tiramisu on the rooftop at Selected Nicks

I stopped by Selected Nicks on a day when I wanted to spend the evening near Gangnam Station a little more leisurely. This time I ordered tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu, and an americano, and spent the time on the rooftop.

I went for the desserts, but what stayed with me longest was the way the Gangnam skyline lit up outside the window as the evening deepened. This isn't the kind of café where you order and leave from one floor — it's the kind of place that suits a day when you want to check out different seats on different floors and linger.

From the entrance to the counter: how ordering works at Selected Nicks

Selected Nicks has you order on the first floor and then go up to whichever floor you want, so the moment I arrived, the entrance area itself caught my eye. It's not a single-floor café visible right from the alley — you step inside and use several spaces — so I found myself checking the flow as I passed through the entrance.

We finished ordering on the first floor and went straight up to the rooftop. Space and seating arrangements can change over time, so if the rooftop is your goal, it's worth checking the current info before you go.

Choosing two slices from the tiramisu display case

Before ordering, I took my time looking over the tiramisu display at Selected Nicks. There were several flavors including pistachio, but that day I went with the two most basic picks: classic tiramisu and pistachio tiramisu.

The reason for ordering both wasn't some grand comparison — I just wanted two different moods of dessert on the same table. Even with a big menu, rather than picking several things at once, it was enough to split up what each of us wanted with the group.

At the time of my visit, the menu board listed tiramisu alongside the coffee menu, but prices and lineup can change, so it's worth double-checking against the in-store menu. There were also packaged baked goods besides the tiramisu, but this time I focused on the two dessert slices and the americano.

So while waiting for the order, I found myself looking forward to going up to the rooftop more than wondering what else to eat.

How the floors at Selected Nicks are divided

You order on the first floor, and the café space is divided into B1, 2F, 3F, 8F, and rooftop, according to the signage. Each floor has a different use: B1 is introduced as a quiet spot to sit, 2F as a gallery-style space, 3F as relatively spacious seating, and 8F as work-friendly seating used depending on the time of day.

But the focus of this visit wasn't going through each space one by one. What stood out more clearly was taking our order up to the rooftop and eating it with the evening view.

Tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu and an americano together

Once the two slices of tiramisu and the americano were set down, the table became much simpler. The tiramisu topped with cocoa powder and the pistachio-topped tiramisu looked different from the start, and the americano was good to sip between bites of dessert.

Rather than deciding which one was better, what stays with me more is that it was a good combo for sharing bites and keeping the conversation going.

Gangnam city lights from the Selected Nicks rooftop after sunset

Eating dessert on the rooftop of Selected Nicks naturally has your eyes moving back and forth between the plate and the view outside. At first I was photographing the desserts; a little later, I'd put my cup down and was just looking at the lights.

Gangnam in the evening, with every building lit up, felt like a completely different density from daytime. So if you're going to visit, I'd say it's better to leave some time for after sunset rather than eating your dessert quickly and heading back down.

As more time passed, the city lights grew even sharper beyond the glass railing. Rather than traveling far for a dazzling night view, this was a good pick for a day when I just wanted to sit at one café near Gangnam Station and close out the evening.

The rooftop can be affected by weather and seating availability, so on windy or rainy days it's worth keeping an indoor seat in mind too.

Parking at Selected Nicks and getting there from Gangnam Station

If you need parking, the self-parking conditions vary depending on car size, and there's separate info on nearby paid lots, so it's safer to check current availability with the café before arriving. I went by public transit that day and didn't use parking, focusing instead on heading from Gangnam Station to the café for the evening.

If you're someone who cares as much about the sitting atmosphere as the dessert itself when choosing a café, the rooftop option here is a clear advantage.

Is Selected Nicks worth an evening visit?

At the end, I looked at the night view once more with the leftover tiramisu and coffee in front of me. It was a simple order — tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu, and an americano — but the time spent on the rooftop made it a visit that stuck with me.

This was a café worth remembering if you're looking for somewhere to eat dessert and linger a bit near Gangnam Station, or want to chat over an evening city view. You could visit during the day too, but if you're hoping for the rooftop view, picking a time after sunset seems like the better fit.

Before visiting, it's worth checking the weather and whether the rooftop is open, and timing your visit so you can stay a while without rushing.