Updated October 11, 2024
This post is all about unique bars in Seoul.
Home to avid drinkers with excellent taste, Seoul’s bar scene is out of this world.
In order to stand out and make it in South Korea, it’s important for bars to either win by having delicious and unique cocktails, or to have an unforgettable vibe.
Today, we’re going to go over the bars that have all of those things. Popular spots that leverage Korean culture and our incredible traditional liquors. The speakeasies and unique bars that have convey a strong vision. And, there’s so much more.
Dive into Seoul’s nightlife with me – here are 15 unique bars in Seoul that you’ll for sure remember!
Unique Bars in Seoul
Mysterious Speakeasies in Seoul You’ll Love
1. Zoosindang (주신당): Shaman & Zodiac Sign-Inspired Speakeasy
If it weren’t for the lines, you might just walk past Zoosindang’s entrance, which looks like a mysterious, dilapidated shrine in a nod to Sindang-dong’s cemetery past.
Searching for the door? Look for the cat statue (Zoosindang’s mascot!) sitting on top of a faded wooden ledge and push it open to a wildly colorful forest-like bar.
Zoosindang is themed around the 12 zodiac signs.
Born in the year of the rat? Well, there’s a cheese cake-inspired Rat Cocktail waiting for you (16,000 KRW, 12 USD)!
If you’re craving more of a Korean experience, the Tiger Cocktail is a stronger, sour cocktail made from persimmon traditional liquor, traditional-style soju, ginger and lemon (18,000 KRW, 13.50 USD).
If you’re craving a treat, the Cat Statue Cake is delicious and soo cute! It’s kinda hard chopping the hat head in half, but it has to be done. The cake is made from traditional Korean dessert ingredients, including sesame and red sweet bean (13,000 KRW, 10 USD). Do slather on the apricot jam, which comes in a tiny pot next to the cat.
Do expect a wait during peak hours. To kill time, you can write your heartfelt wishes onto bujuk, pieces of paper that are believed to bring in good luck and protect you from the bad (according to Buddhist and shamanistic tradition!)
Address: 411 Toegye-ro, Seoul, South Korea
2. Pussyfoot Saloon (푸시풋살룬): 1930s Shanghai Speakeasy
Step aboard for a 1930s train voyage in Shanghai at the speakeasy, Pussyfoot Saloon.
The first floor evokes a train platform, while the second floor gives you the experience of being in a train car, like the highly Instagrammable views from the digitized windows.
This loft-style bar has high ceilings and nice outdoor seating for the warmer months.
Address: 7-8 Daesagwan-ro 31-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
3. Myeongdong Sookhee (명동 숙희): It’s giving Period Drama
Like Bridgerton, Koreans also watch their own historical period dramas, with kings, queens, some heated romance and in-family fighting – all that good stuff.
The fun begins when you get seriously confused as to how to get to the speakeasy. I won’t give away the secret entrance, but take the elevator to the 4th floor (and good luck!).
Walk through the double doors, and you’ll find yourself stuck in the middle of a Korean one.
Noticeably, the center of the bar has a depiction of the Irworobongdo (일월오봉도), a painting that the Joseon Dynasty kings used to sit in front of.
Look up, and you’ll see lots of decorative Korean window paneling.
The different cocktails at Meyongdong Sookhee are delicious and made with traditional Korean liquors and ingredients, like the Yeongam Fig, which has a bourbon and elderflower liquor base and is balanced with lemon and thyme.
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Jung District, Myeongdong 10-gil, 7-9 4/F
4. Charles H. (찰스 H.): Classiest Speakeasy at the Four Seasons
Cocktail lovers, rejoice at Charles H., the Four Seasons speakeasy that’s been named the best bar in Seoul twice.
Discover the secret passageway in the basement of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.
The warm, golden brown fittings, and the tasteful amalgamation of ornate patterns assertively imply a certain air of opulence.
Head Bartender, Norwegian Odd Strandbakken, is a minimalist and fan of “clean cocktails with a worldly vision.”
In a nod to that vision and the fact that the speakeasy is located inside the Four Seasons, Charles H. has cocktails inspired by different countries.
There’s cocktails inspired by London, Havana, New York City and Hong Kong – all cities that the namesake author wrote about in his culinary travelogue, published in 1939.
Adventurous cocktail aficionados, try the Kowloon Old Fashioned (where I once lived… while working in Hong Kong!), complete with mushroom butter, sesame, Chinese five spice and aromatic bitters (32,000 KRW, 24 USD).
Note that there is a formal dresscode. You can make a reservation here.
Address: 97 Saemunan-ro, Floor LL, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
5. Cinderella Bar (성수신데렐라): Speakeasy with Drinks in Her Shoes
In a nod to Seongsu-dong’s living history as a center for leather artisanry, the signature cocktails at Cinderella Bar are served in the cutest pair of heels.
These aren’t just glass heels – why not try the Louboutin or the Blahnik (22,000 KRW, 16.50 USD)?
Stop when you spot what could’ve been a cobbler workshop, complete with tools, a tall grandfather clock and various odds and ends.
I won’t tell you how to enter Cinderella Bar, but just try pushing things around 🤪
The bar itself gives French coffee shop vibes, complete with bistro chairs and a cobblestone reminiscent floor.
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Seongdong-gu, Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, 289-247 1/F
6. Jean Frigo (장 프리고): Fruit Stall Speakeasy with a Retro Phone Booth
Fruit stall, or speakeasy?
Walk past the colorful fruit and open the refrigerator doors to find out 🤭
Actually… this speakeasy-style bar used to actually sell fruit. Because there’s a lot of elderly folks who live in this part of Dongdaemun, the creative team behind Jean Frigo thought it would be smoother to have a more palatable barfront by posing as a fruit shop.
For a little while, Jean Frigo actually sold fruit to the elderly folks who call this neighborhood home.
Each table at this two-storey bar with exposed concrete is named after a fruit.
Don’t forget which fruit you’re at, because you’re gonna have to mention it when you enter the retro phone booth and call to place your order!
Give the Two Pear cocktail a try – it incorporates both eastern and western pear (18,000 KRW, 13.50 USD).
Address: 9-8 Toegye-ro 62-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
7. The Storage Room (더스토리지룸): New York 1920’s Speakeasy
Travel back to New York in the 1920’s at this Prohibition-inspired speakeasy, an intimate bar with jazz flowing in the background.
You’ll find old-school cocktails that people drank in hiding back in the day, like the Mary Pickford, a rum-based cocktail with pineapple juice.
Then there’s the Ward Eight, a citrusy whiskey-based cocktail that can be traced back to 1898 (20,000 KRW, 15 USD).
To find The Storage Room, first head to The Cheese Salon, run down to the basement and search for the white secret door.
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Seongdong-gu, Yeonmujang 7-gil, 8-1 B1/F
Bars in Seoul with Unique Cocktails
8. Pomme (뽐): Korean fruit-based cocktails
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away…
That’s why you’ll find me sipping apple liquor-based cocktails at Pomme 🤪
Pomme’s cocktails are delicious and incorporate Korean seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Try the SOUR YOO, which incorporates wine made using apples from North Chungcheong Province, with the earthy twang of kombucha and spunky dill (22,000 KRW, 16.50 USD).
The vibes are immaculate at this clean, warm and minimalist bar, which has beautiful slanted wooden ceilings and romantic ambient lighting at night.
It’s a total plus that the bartenders are so friendly, which makes sitting at the bar seats totally worth it, too!
Address: 135-4 Tongin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
9. Bar Swallow: Excellent Cocktails by Expert Bartenders
For top-notch bartenders and a romantic vibe, Bar Swallow is an excellent pick.
Jazz is flowing at this intimate nook of a bar.
You’ll be warmly greeted by legendary mixologists, including Kim Jin-hwan, a cocktail connoisseur who was chosen to proudly represent Korea in Diageo’s 2018 World Class Bartender competition.
There’s over 450 bottles to pick from, including an impressive assortment of whiskeys.
For an oriental experience, try the Shiso Gimlet (with savory perilla leaves!) and the whisky-based K’oriental Breeze, with pear and yuza (both 24,000 KRW, 18 USD).
Bar Swallow is located in the hippest part of Hannam, in Hangangjin, which has tons of cool places to shop as well.
Cover Charge: 10,000 KRW (7 USD)
Address: South Korea, Seoul, Yongsan District, Hannam-dong, 744-34 1/F
10. Eau de Vie (오드비): Bespoke Cocktails at Friendly Prices
Serious about your cocktails? I got the perfect place for you.
A hidden gem with no menus, where the bartender is the owner.
Robin Hong (홍제익) creates one-of-a-kind cocktails for his guests depending on their preferred liquors and flavor profiles.
The cocktail prices are so reasonable for the experience, ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 KRW (7.50 to 15 USD).
Eau de Vie also has a great variety of whiskeys.
If you’re traveling solo or are in the mood to hon-sul, or drink solo, this classy nook of a bar is a fantastic choice!
Address: South Korea, B1/F 5-5 KR Seoul, Seongdong-gu, Sangwon 2-gil
11. Bar Cham: Korean Cocktails in a Korean Traditional House
You’ll only find Bar Cham’s creative cocktails in Korea, because they’re made using traditional liquors like sweet potato soju and deodeok (bitter, ginseng-like root) and Angelica (celery-like) infused gin.
All these traditional cocktails, in a traditional Korean house, too (a beautiful hanok!).
It’s no wonder Bar Cham has been named as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2024 (20th) and one of the World’s Best Bars in 2023 (75th).
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’d highly recommend the Jeju Negroni, which is made swapping out the typical gin with a traditional gogorisul (soju) infused with Solomon’s seal root (earthy, nutty) and dried mandarin peel (22,000 KRW, 16.50 USD).
You can expect great service, and long lines at Bar Cham. You might consider going during the week (they’re open 6pm-1am every day, but closed on Tuesdays).
Bar Cham is in Seochon, where young Korean locals and couples hang out all the time.
It’s totally worth spending a day there, since there’s sightseeing (Seochon Hanok Village), plus the cutest, trendiest shops (like One More Bag) and sick cafes (Onground Gallery!).
Address: 34 Jahamun-ro 7-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Unique Bars in Seoul with Ingenious Concepts
12. Pung New (풍뉴): Floating Drinks in a Rock Stream
Back in the Shilla Dynasty, the Korean kings played this drinking game where if you failed to recite a poem when the cup flowing down a stream stopped in front of you, you had to drink three glasses of alcohol for losing.
That’s one way to get litttt.
Try it yourself at Pung New! As a welcome drink, they’ll float a glass of strawberry makgeolli (rice wine) down a stream in the middle of a rock table.
To experience the king life properly, make sure to reserve the Poseokjeong Bar Table ahead of time!
Address: 10-3 Toegye-ro 70-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
13. Your Naked Cheese (유어네이키드치즈): Crazy Cute Cheese Platters
This trendy bar is a vibrant cross between a vintage diner and a European grocery store.
Pair a glass of wine with one of their adorable, seasonally updated cheese platters, with shapes ranging from cutesy turtles 🐢in the summer to spooky tombstones 🪦 around Halloween (35,000 KRW, 26 USD).
A nod to their grocerant theme, you’ll find tasty (and beautifully packaged) snacks, from Hello Kitty-shaped chocolate to truffled-flavored Lays.
In classic delicatessen fashion, you’ll also find a range of cheeses, deli meats and olives to pick from the refrigerated section.
Address: 656-439 Seongsu-dong 1(il)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
14. Bourgogne Hannam (부르고뉴 한남): Major Wine Cave Vibes
This wine cellar-themed French restaurant boasts a 600+ wine selection.
Marvel at the dimly-lit medieval stone walls as you walk up the entrance, then push open the heavy wooden door to oak caskets.
There’s no written-down wine list as the selection is constantly updated, but the sommeliers are knowledgeable and friendly and will help you find the best bottle.
The seating area also gives wine cave.
This romantic venue is the perfect setting for a date, but it’s also classy enough to impress adult family members!
Address: 2/F, 81-1 Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
15. Omusa (오무사): Major cabin vibes
After a long, tiring day wandering about Seoul, retreat to Omusa and sip a glass of wine in a warm cabin-like setting.
The bar’s muse is a store with the same name in Hwang Jung-eun’s novel, Hundred of Shadows (황정은, 백의 그림자). The novel reads, “Omusa was a store that sold light bulbs. It was not a place you’d notice while walking past, but you had to know that there was a store like that, at that place, in order to find it.”
Cozy up in the dimly lit space and enjoy a relaxed evening with a Vin Chaud or a Hot Whiskey Toddy (12,000 KRW, 9 USD).
Address: 1 Pirundae-ro 9-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Unique Bars in Seoul (Conclusion)
In this guide, we went over unique bars in Seoul for a fun night that you can only enjoy in Korea.
We went over places with unique atmospheres, from a hidden bar disguised as a shoemaking atelier, to a mysterious bar inspired by shamans and a cocktail bar that uses local ingredients.
These places are the real deal, and exemplify the richness of Korean nightlife.
- Zoosindang (주신당): Shaman & Zodiac Sign-Inspired Speakeasy
- Pussyfoot Saloon (푸시풋살룬): 1930s Shanghai Speakeasy
- Myeongdong Sookhee (명동 숙희): It’s giving Period Drama
- Charles H. (찰스 H.): Classiest Speakeasy at the Four Seasons
- Cinderella Bar (명동 숙희): Speakeasy with Drinks in Her Shoes
- Jean Frigo (장 프리고): Fruit Stall Speakeasy with a Retro Phone Booth
- The Storage Room (더스토리지룸): New York 1920’s Speakeasy
- Pomme (뽐): Korean fruit-based cocktails
- Bar Swallow: Excellent Cocktails by Expert Bartenders
- Eau de Vie (오드비): Bespoke Cocktails at Friendly Prices
- Bar Cham: Korean Cocktails in a Korean Traditional House
- Pung New (풍뉴): Floating Drinks in a Rock Stream
- Your Naked Cheese (유어네이키드치즈): Crazy Cute Cheese Platters
- Bourgogne Hannam (부르고뉴 한남): Major Wine Cave Vibes
- Omusa (오무사): Major cabin vibes
Thanks for checking out my article about unique bars in Seoul!
Pin Me for Later!
Leave a Reply