Upstanding Coffee

Upstanding Coffee tucks into a Haebangchon backstreet behind two small produce markets, a stainless steel facade cut with the shop's name standing out against the hillside neighborhood's older concrete buildings. A lauan plywood spiral staircase threads through all three floors inside, connecting a ground floor standing bar to upper seating and a rooftop with a view back over the surrounding rooftops.

The espresso program runs black and white drinks built around the house Namsan blend, pulled on a Synesso machine with a Victoria Arduino grinder, while pour over is brewed through a Mahlkonig EK43 grinder and AeroPress rather than a kettle and filter cone. Dairy, almond, oat and soy milk are all on offer, and the menu otherwise stays short, standing drinks over a long food list, true to a name borrowed from New Zealand and Australian standing espresso bars.