Gangseo dessert café in Seoul: dark choco waffle set at The Sweetree

After dinner I was looking for somewhere I could relax over coffee and chat, and ended up at The Sweetree, a café near Balsan Station in Gangseo-gu. The Sweetree sits between Balsan and Ujangsan stations, so it's a convenient waffle-and-dessert spot no matter which station you're coming from.

I visited in the evening, and I loved that it stayed open so late. Around Balsan and Ujangsan stations there aren't actually that many cafés where you can comfortably sit and chat into the late hours, so it was a nice surprise to find one.

What The Sweetree looks and feels like inside

The Sweetree is a waffle and dessert café in Naebalsan-dong, Gangseo-gu. Even visiting late in the evening, the entrance had a bright, cheerful feel. With cute little decorative touches throughout, the whole space felt comfortable and cozy.

The Sweetree's dessert lineup ranges from waffles to bingsu (shaved ice) to drinks, and the in-store showcase displayed waffles, financiers and various baked goods.

Visiting in the evening, it was quiet and nice for chatting, and being a Balsan/Ujangsan Station dessert spot open until late, it worked well.

The Sweetree menu and prices

At The Sweetree I ordered an americano for 3,500 won, an iced americano for 3,500 won, a dark chocolate waffle for 4,500 won, and a fig cream cheese financier for 3,000 won.

• Americano ₩3,500
• Iced Americano ₩3,500
• Dark Chocolate Waffle ₩4,500
• Fig Cream Cheese Financier ₩3,000

The Sweetree's menu near Balsan Station covers everything from coffee and lattes to waffles, yogurt smoothies, ades, juices, tea, bubble tea and snow-flake bingsu.

Coffee-wise, the americano was 3,500 won, and there was a good variety of latte options too — café latte, grain latte, matcha latte. The waffle lineup especially was extensive, with dark chocolate, cream cheese, blueberry, and fresh strawberry cream options to choose from depending on your taste.

The bakery menu included salt bread, fig cream cheese financier, lotus financier, and madeleines, and in summer there was snow-flake bingsu too. I heard The Sweetree makes and sells its desserts fresh each day.

There was also a 1,000 won discount on the waffle + americano set, and a 500 won discount on the salt bread + americano set, which made ordering dessert with coffee together seem like a good deal.

Ordering is done through the kiosk inside the store.

How do the dark chocolate waffle and americano taste?

I went in thinking of The Sweetree as a late-night waffle place near Balsan Station in Gangseo-gu, but once I tried the coffee, I realized it was also a great coffee spot.

The coffee was quite good — the acidity wasn't overpowering, just right, and overall the flavor was pleasant. So I went in expecting a waffle place and ended up discovering a good coffee spot as well.

The dark chocolate waffle had a nice texture — crispy outside, chewy inside. With the rich sweetness of the dark chocolate added, it paired really well with the coffee.

I heard The Sweetree's handmade waffles are made with French fermented butter and Belgian pearl sugar. When I asked the owner, they said they started making waffles during the COVID period. You could sense the years of baking experience behind the desserts.

The fig cream cheese financier was also delicious — the fig was chewy and sweet, with a texture that got better the more you chewed. It's the kind of flavor you'd crave when you want a sweet dessert alongside coffee.

Whole cake orders and snowflake bingsu at The Sweetree

Handmade whole cakes by advance order for special days

A sign inside the store showed that they also take advance orders for whole cakes for special occasions! The Sweetree's cakes are handmade in-house with quality ingredients, so they seem like a good option for anniversaries or Christmas gifts.

Snowflake bingsu made daily with 100% milk

They also sell several kinds of snow-flake bingsu. Made with soft milk ice using 100% original milk, topped with options like red bean and injeolmi (rice cake), apple mango, or strawberry, it seemed like a great summer dessert.

Visiting tips and parking at The Sweetree

If you're looking for a good dessert after dinner near Balsan or Ujangsan station, or a café to relax and chat with a friend, The Sweetree is worth checking out. Being open until 1am makes it easy to drop by even late at night.

Parking is available in front of the store, and there's reportedly a separate parking space too, so if you're driving, it's a good idea to call ahead and check availability.

Where The Sweetree is in Gangseo-gu, Seoul

• Address: 38 Gangseo-ro 47ga-gil, 1F 102, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Naebalsan-dong 708-12, Gangseo-gu, Seoul), South Korea
• About 300m from Ujangsan Station (Line 5) Exit 4
• About 900m from Balsan Station (Line 5) Exit 7
• A café located between Balsan and Ujangsan stations.

I went to The Sweetree near Balsan Station in Gangseo-gu craving a waffle, but ended up finding great coffee too — a satisfying dessert spot near Ujangsan Station.