Classic tiramisu and iced americano at a Gangnam café: Selected Nicks

I was looking for a café near Gangnam Station and stumbled on Selected Nicks. There are honestly so many cafés around Gangnam Station, but unlike the usual small spots, this one takes up several floors of a building, has a rooftop, and is apparently famous for its tiramisu — so I dropped by to try the dessert too.

Selected Nicks store info

• Name: Selected Nicks
• Hours: Weekdays 08:00-24:00 / Weekends 11:00-23:30
• 8th floor (study zone) hours: Weekdays 17:00-24:00 / Weekends 11:00-23:30
• Parking: Free in building lot / sedans up to Genesis G80 only

Selected Nicks is a five-floor large café and tiramisu specialty shop located five minutes from Gangnam Station. I didn't get a photo, but the rooftop is a refreshing spot where you can look out at open sky amid the chaotic, dense heart of Gangnam!

How is the seating divided by floor?

This Gangnam café really has that big-café feel. It's made up of five floors total, from basement level all the way to the rooftop. Let me lay out the seating for each space.

B1 - 30 seats / café 1F - 45 seats / café, main space 2F - 10 seats / café and gallery 8F - 30 seats / café (time-limited operation) RF - 12 seats / rooftop photo zone

True to being a tiramisu specialty shop, they sell a variety of tiramisu, and the packaging cases for the tiramisu are unique and pretty too.

They also sell small baked goods like financiers and cookies.

Take a look at the menu before you go. We ordered the classic tiramisu and an iced americano!

The vibe changes floor by floor

The interior overall feels clean and sophisticated. What's charming about this café is especially how the mood shifts as you move between floors. Whether you want to sit quietly, want a wide table, or want to drink coffee atop the Gangnam skyline, there's a space to match everyone's taste.

Since the café overall is so spacious, I felt it's less a spot to grab a quick coffee and leave, and more a place to spend leisurely time with a friend or partner. If you have plans in Gangnam Station and hate cramped, noisy cafés, this is worth a visit.

How's the classic tiramisu?

This Gangnam café is known for its wide variety of tiramisu, and we went with the most basic one. On the first bite, the cream was soft and moist! And with the ladyfinger cookies used, it had that real, proper tiramisu feel haha.

You could taste the coffee aroma unique to tiramisu together with cocoa's bitter note, which made it even tastier. The sponge in particular was moist enough that it wasn't dry at all, and eating it together with the cream had a smooth, easy-going feel. And the cream wasn't runny — it was on the slightly firm side!!

Tiramisu that's just plain sweet tends to get tiresome after a few spoonfuls, but here the coffee's bitterness kept that in check, so it was fine. Overall it really wasn't too sweet. It's the type where the soft mascarpone cream and espresso flavor pair well, making it a dessert that's perfect to eat alongside coffee~~~

Pairing with the iced americano

For cakes like this, we always go for iced americano! Since the tiramisu was sweet and creamy, the bitterness of the iced americano paired really well. Take a bite of tiramisu, a sip of americano, and your mouth feels cleanly reset!

The americano itself tasted good alongside dessert, though if you like a light, bright coffee you might find it a bit strong — but it leaned nutty rather than acidic, so the coffee itself was tasty on its own 👍 Actually, a sweet tiramisu pairs better with a coffee that's on the stronger side.

The classic tiramisu I had was soft and moist with a bitter espresso flavor coming through, which made it great with the iced americano. But now that I've tried the most basic one, I'm curious about the other kinds of tiramisu. Next time I'll have to try the chocolate banana tiramisu cake 🤭

Worth recommending as a big Gangnam café?

What I liked about Selected Nicks was that the mood and seating differ slightly floor to floor, so you can pick a spot to match whatever atmosphere you want. Cafés near Gangnam Station are often so packed with tightly-spaced tables and people that it's uncomfortable to sit for long, but Selected Nicks is spacious enough that it doesn't feel that stuffy. It's good for chatting with a friend, and the atmosphere was also fine for bringing a laptop to work or study. If you're looking for a big café near Gangnam Station, I'd recommend Selected Nicks.