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Drink in Seoul


Drink in Seoul

See South Korea#Drink for general guidance to nightlife in Korea.
Seoul features a mind-bogglingly large array of nightspots catering to every taste and budget. Itaewon
Many Itaewon shops, restaurants and bars cater to foreigners, in particular, English-speakers.
Many Itaewon shops, restaurants and bars cater to foreigners, in particular, English-speakers.
Many bars in Itaewon celebrate Thursdays as Ladies' Night which often means that ladies drink free before 12am. Finally, there are a few gay bars, located two alleys east of the main street. There you can find a club and a few bars near one another. Due to its proximity to the nearby United States Army Garrison Yongsan, a large number of American military are found here in the evenings and weekends. It is not unusual to see uniformed military wearing CP (Courtesy Patrol) or MP (Military Police) armbands.
  • Geckos, (opposite Quiznos). A relaxed bar scene and good food. Very popular with GIs and expats (and prostitutes seeking johns for the evening or weekend).
  • Seoul Pub, has a pool table, darts and Guinness on tap. Needs a renovation.
  • Hollywood, is a sports bar with a pool table, darts, a golf arcade game and several TVs airing all kinds of sports.
  • Rocky Mountain Tavern, . A Canadian bar for expats living in Korea. Located east of the main intersection. They have weekly chicken wing specials. Go early.
  • The Loft.
  • Polly's Kettle.
  • Old Town.
  • The Wolfhound Irish Pub & Restaurant, . (in the alley behind Geckos across from Quiznos/Family Mart). Serves a great selection of draft beers and hearty, homemade meals. Tuesday nights are buy one, get one free fish and chips.
  • The 3 Alley Pub. Popular with the older expat crowd. It's located in an alley off the street near the Itaewon subway station. Great food and a wide selection of draft beers, though the owner can rub people the wrong way.
  • Sam Ryan's. Located above 3 Alley Pub, this is the best sports bar in Seoul focusing on North American sports - NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA and NHL. The bar shows numerous sports throughout the year on replay, sometimes live. Darts in the corner. A terrace in the back enables one to get away from all the noise.
  • Helios. Small hip hop club with a bit of a reputation.
  • Metro. A lot of older expats and many Koreans hit up this joint. Only one Korean beer on tap, but free pool. The front (or right side when you go up the stairs) seems to be for the expat crowd, while the back (the left door when you go up the stairs) seems to be more hof style for the Korean crowd. They have the typical range of snacks available and free peanuts for beer drinkers.
  • Bless U, is another older expat haunt. You better be good with your pool game or you'll be waiting in a long line to go again. Darts is also available. They have great popcorn and decent draft beers. It changed ownership last year and has been running a tight ship ever since.
  • Craftworks. It's not located in the main area of Itaewon, but more towards the Gyeongnidan area. Find the NOXA bar and walk past it two or three stores down. No pool or darts, but the best on tap beer you'll find in Korea. Seriously.
  • For some good House/Trance music, try some places like:
  • Bricx.
  • Bar Nana.
  • Spy Club.
  • King Club. Gaudy and a tad sleazy. Located in a seedy part of the neighborhood.
  • XO.
  • Club Volume House/trance club, quite large and a excellent crowd on weekends. It is the best and most upscale club in the neighborhood.
  • Pulse. Gay dance club.
  • Clothing and jewelry vendors in Sinchon.
    Clothing and jewelry vendors in Sinchon.
    Sinchon (신촌), home to universities including Yonsei University (연세대학교), is a great place to soak up a more Korean environment. (Sinchon is not to be confused with Sincheon, the only difference being the sound of the last o!) Sinchon is set up like many Korean 'play' areas, whereby bars, clubs, restaurants, singing rooms, and sometimes even motels, are structured in a grid-like fashion. The only way to familiarize yourself with the area is to stroll the alleys and discover all the different places. Korean bars tend to be rather antisocial compared with their Western counterparts, with people sitting at tables with friends and not tending to mix. There are a number of Western style bars in the area:
  • Woodstock. Around since 1991, the bar has prompted a slew of copycats but is the best place to hear classic rock and pop. The sound system is awesome and the owner/DJ knows his stuff. Expect large crowds Friday and Saturday nights and seeing people dance next to their tables. Great place to mix with Koreans of all ages.
  • Zen II.
  • Nori Ha Nun Saram Dul. A basement bar infamous for both its great rock music and its decrepit interior with writing on the walls. Difficult to find and almost impossible to get a seat after 9 PM, but a definite must. Be careful to secure valuables.
  • Hongdae (홍대), short for Hongik University, is the premier club area in Seoul by far. Located around Hongik University, clubs and bars are strewn everywhere around the place. The clubs aren't near the station but aren't hard to find. The most popular clubs are:
  • M2 Trance/techno.
  • Cocoon Hip-hop
  • Miroir, 405-5, Seokyo-dong, Mapo-gu (From exit 4 at Hapjeong station walk in the direction that the traffic flows, when you reach the fake airplane towards the minimart on your right, follow this road (watch out for taxis creeping from behind), turn right at main crossing, follow until you see Family Mart). Psychedelic hippie hangout with psytrance Fri and Sat, 60s and 70s rock during the week. No cover charge.
  • nb (noise basement) Hiphop.
  • Q-Vo Hiphop.
  • Some other popular clubs include
  • Club Saab Small Hip hop Club
  • Joker Red Techno club
  • Club Tool House Music club
  • Club FF Rock music club that is popular with foreigners
  • Harlem Hip hop club
  • S Club hip hop club that gives free entry to all foreigners.
  • On a Friday or Saturday expect all of these to be packed tight. Last Friday of every month is Club Day where ₩15,000 will get you into those clubs who are part of the "Club Day". Expect a packed crowd. A number of bars are popular with foreigners here too:
  • Tin Pan A club/bar with cheap drinks and a dance floor. Popular with foreigners and Korean women.
  • Bricxx A hookah lounge with an intimate atmosphere and a large mixed drink and wine list.
  • The place is huge and you could party for a whole week in all the bars and clubs. The best way to see it is to stroll around and find something you like. An interesting note: the entire club district of Hongdae is officially off-limits to U.S. military personnel, Federal employees and their dependents. However, it is not unusual to see crew-cuts here on the weekends since it is rarely enforced. In warmer months, don't pass up the closet-sized B-Dan on Hongdae's main strip, which offers up take-out draft beer by the plastic cup. Apgujeong (압구정) is the upmarket area of Seoul. Walk around the streets and you'll see teenagers valet parking their new Benz or Audi, strutting their new designer threads and looking generally, well, rich. That said, a lot of people who party in Apgujeong aren't necessarily rich and actually live far away. There are some clubs and bars here, but it is a rather subdued venue for partying. Nightlife here consists mainly of designer bars and restaurants. Places where it isn't possible to valet haven't turned out to be great hits traditionally. That said, there are a few small clubs in the area. Expect English to be more commonly spoken in this area too, due often to overseas education or excessive private tutoring. However with it comes a certain desensitization to foreigners, so don't expect people to stare or approach you as much as they would in other parts of Seoul. Consider Apgujeong as a great place to hang out, not rock out. If you wanted to impress a date for example, this would be a great place to go to. The backstreets of Apgujeong tend to sprout and lose new clubs seemingly at random throughout the year, so exploring off the main drag from time to time can sometimes yield a new "hot club of the month."
  • Superclub Circle usually playing house music, sometimes hip hop(only availible for private parties as of July, 2009)
  • Club Air House/Techno club.
  • Elec Small, trendy club that is quite difficult to find.
  • Gangnam (강남) is probably the second most popular club area. Also set up in a grid structure, clubs, bars, restaurants and various other entertainment venues decorate this upmarket location. While not as upmarket as Apgujeong, it definitely is busy and lively. If Apgujeong is the place for rich kids to hang out and look cool, Kangnam is the place for those rich kids to party and look sexy. The station is central and a ton of buses run through the heart of the entertainment area, so finding your way there is extremely easy.
  • NB. Full of clubbers pretty much every night of the week.
  • Harlem Next to NB...guess what music they play?
  • 4X. Popular with foreigners.
  • Eden Electro house/techno club
  • Club Answer House music club with regular events and famous Djs
  • Club Naked Plays House music and also serves as an after hours club.
  • Miero After hours club with great decor.
  • Club Mass Large house music club that occasionally brings in famous DJs
  • Tokyo Jazz, 153-44 Samsung Dong, Kangnam-gu (directly across the street from Coex Oakwood Premier Center), +82 11 365-1770. A cozy jazz club located on the second floor with live piano and vocal music every night and a jazz combo on Thursady and Friday nights 9-12 or later if the club is full. Famous for staying open until the last customer leaves.
  • Note: Some bar districts, such as Hongdae, are off-limits to American military personnel, US Federal employees, contractors and their dependents.

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