Gangnam cafe for black sesame lattes and gift cookies: Bakerist Brown

I had plans in Gangnam one weekday afternoon recently, and after eating, I was craving a delicious dessert—so I stopped by this place. Among all the franchises, I discovered what has recently become one of the hottest bakeries near Gangnam Station on social media, with an atmosphere and quality all its own. It was Bakerist Brown, armed with premium desserts and an atmospheric interior.

More than a simple café, this is a true bakery near Gangnam Station that is emerging as a destination for gift desserts thanks to its excellent-quality Gangnam Sand. With good coffee and a varied bakery lineup, I would strongly recommend it for a date too! Let me share it with you.

A convenient spot on Gangnam Station’s café street

Location: Bakerist Brown, 21 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours: Daily 11:00–22:30 It is about a five-minute walk from Exit 4 or 5 of Sinnonhyeon Station, on an uphill street in the heart of Gangnam Station’s café district. After a meal in central Gangnam, it is an easy next stop, making it a perfect location when planning an itinerary with nearby places to visit.

When you reach the entrance, the warm lighting visible through the full-height windows and the vintage wood-toned door make it feel like a little European bakery. A poster for the signature Gangnam Sand is posted outside, building up the anticipation before you even step in.

This is not just a bakery—it is a beautifully branded space. In front of the display of in-house goods, including simple lettered T-shirts and eco-bags on the first floor, the lighting and backdrop are so pretty that it is a hidden photo spot for an Instagram-style full-body shot.

The fun of choosing from the open bakery counter

The biggest draw here is the huge open bakery counter occupying the center of the first floor. The staggered display, made with brick and wooden boxes, felt so stylish. Madeleines, croissants, pastries, and more are divided into sections, so browsing and choosing is a real treat.

The layered pastries on the upper shelves immediately catch your eye. In particular, the croissants are textbook crisp outside and moist inside, and beyond the classic croissant, the variations topped with almonds, figs, and more are excellent.

They also have all the desserts leading current trends. The cornetti decorated with cute eyeball chocolates and cream-topped pastries were hugely popular for photos.

If you cannot decide which bread to choose, start with the pastries or croissants around the Elle & Vire butter signs scattered across the counter. It is the signature lineup where the flavor of the premium butter comes through best, so you really cannot go wrong.

The pastry loaf and the pastry sausage, with a whole sausage inside, looked filling enough to stand in for a meal.

The Gangnam Sand Set with eight flavors

What caught my eye most was definitely the Gangnam Sand Set (8 pieces, ₩19,000), neatly displayed inside the showcase.

It comes in eight distinct flavors—Raspberry Blossom, Sweet Pumpkin Jack, Golden Hour, Black Grain, Lychee Ganache, London Fog, Cream Forest, and Peanut Butter Wave—and the packaging is truly luxurious. I could not think of anything better for a small gift or thank-you present.

For dessert, we ordered one box of the Gangnam Sand Set, an iced Americano that was a perfect match for sweet desserts, and the newly released black sesame latte.

They sell T-shirt goods like these too, and they were so cute!

The goods are displayed in the center like this, and it felt so atmospheric.

Seating tips for B1 and the second floor

The B1 space also has stairs connected to the outside, so it looked airy and did not feel cramped like a basement space :)

The first floor is focused on the bakery counter, so there are not many seats. Before joining the order line, make sure one person in your group heads to B1 or the second floor to secure a comfortable window-side or inner table first!

The second floor has sofa seats and large tables, so it looked like there would be plenty of room even for a larger group.

Butter cookie sandwiches with a black sesame latte

The heart of this bakery near Gangnam Station, the Gangnam Sand, has an exceptionally refined butter cookie exterior. When you take a bite, it softly shatters with a crisp crumble, while the eight generously filled flavors each make their own presence known.

The Americano was what kept everything balanced between the sweet sandwiches and the rich latte. Made with nutty, dark beans without an overly sharp acidity, it refreshed my palate beautifully after the butter-forward Gangnam Sand.

A thick, rich black sesame latte

I ordered the new black sesame latte with high expectations, and its texture was different from the start. The black sesame cream filling the top of the cup was not runny at all; it was very dense and chewy. I first tasted a little of the cream on its own, and the nutty black sesame flavor filled my mouth. Mixed with the bittersweet espresso underneath, it became the height of sweet, nutty deliciousness.

Cream Forest (matcha) had an intense green-tea fragrance that balanced perfectly with the butter. Since all eight are different flavors, you never get tired of them, and choosing which one to eat is so much fun.

Bakerist Brown was a one-of-a-kind bakery near Gangnam Station and a perfect alternative for anyone tired of the usual big franchises. The eight-flavor Gangnam Sand delighted both the eyes and the palate, with absolutely nothing lacking as a dessert for yourself or a gift for someone special. It has it all: a chewy black sesame latte and a warm, brick-inspired interior!