Sinnonhyeon café after brunch: Basque cheesecake, Upper and Under

After a good brunch, there's one course you just can't skip — coffee and dessert time!

Everyone knows dessert has its own separate stomach, haha. After enjoying brunch with a friend near Gangnam Station, we headed straight to Upper and Under, a café just nearby.

Even though we'd eaten a hearty brunch, once we walked in, the desserts looked so good we couldn't just walk past them.

What is the atmosphere like at Upper and Under?

Upper and Under is a café on Gangnam-daero 102-gil that spans from basement level to the 2nd floor, and the moment I stepped inside, my first thought was how genuinely pretty the atmosphere was.

The stylish interior blends beautifully with a calm mood, making it great for catching up with a friend or for a couple's date. Thanks to the soft lighting and clean look, it's also a photogenic café near Gangnam Station.

The four things we ordered at Upper and Under

That day at Upper and Under we ordered a warm latte, an Einspänner, Basque cheesecake, and canelé. The weather was a bit chillier than usual, so warm drinks sounded even better, and we ended up taking our time over dessert.

There were so many tempting desserts that we actually spent a good while just deciding what to get, lol.

Warm latte

First, the warm latte was just right for the chilly weather. The smooth milk and the coffee's nutty flavor worked well together, so it felt light after brunch, and sipping it warm while chatting made the time fly by.

Einspänner

The Einspänner had soft cream on top that paired well with the coffee's slight bitterness. Tasting the sweet cream first and then drinking it with the coffee gave a lovely combination of flavors. It also went well with the desserts.

Basque cheesecake

And then the Basque cheesecake I'd been looking forward to! The outside had a slightly deep caramelized color, while the inside had that signature dense, soft texture. You could really taste the rich cheese flavor, and it paired so well with coffee that I kept reaching for another bite. I personally love Basque cheesecake, so I really enjoyed it, haha.

Alternating bites of the cheesecake with the warm latte in particular felt like the coffee cleanly cut through the richness of the cheese! It's great on a day when you're craving something sweet, but if you prefer desserts with a strong cheese flavor over something overly sweet, this one will really suit you.

Canelé

Last but not least, the canelé. The crisp texture on the outside blended well with the moist, chewy inside, making it a great match for coffee. We ate it bite by bite, and before we knew it, it had disappeared in no time.

Why Upper and Under works as a post-brunch dessert stop

Honestly, even though we'd already had brunch, Upper and Under has such a wide range of bakery items and cakes that I wanted to try even more. It made me think it'd be worth visiting next time with the sole purpose of trying the café's desserts.

If you're looking for a nice-vibe café near Gangnam Station, Upper and Under seems like a solid choice. Since it has a fairly wide variety of bakery items and cakes, dessert lovers will probably enjoy the fun of picking what to try.

It was also a great place to visit as a course, like we did — brunch first, then coffee and dessert after. Enjoying great coffee and dessert in such a pretty space made even a weekday lunch break feel like a proper refresh :)

Upper and Under, a café near Sinnonhyeon Station with a pretty atmosphere great for chatting with a friend or going on a date. Next time I visit, I'd love to try some of the other cakes and bakery items I couldn't pick this time, haha.