4 Best Bars in Seoul, South Korea

This second floor cocktail and coffee bar manages to feel classic despite pulling off an unusual marriage of Korean and Western cultures. Hangeul directly translates to “Korean alphabet” and the bar’s name was inspired by co-owner Kim Hangeul’s name. Ms. Kim was born on October 9th, Korean Language day, and the bar opened on October 9th, 2023. One decorative highlight of the bar is a wooden beam on the ceiling decorated with dancheong, a traditional Korean pattern of five bright colors typically seen at palaces, done by a professional dancheong artisan using the art form’s customary powder paint (a rarity outside non-traditional spaces). Other nods to Korean culture include the serving of cold barley tea instead of water (typical of Korean households before the ‘90s) and Korean radio playing in the bathroom. None of the elements feel gimmicky and the ambience is never pretentious. Ms. Kim’s husband and co-owner, Jung Hyo-won is a veteran bartender in Seoul’s mixology community so each drink is made to perfection. Try the Cacao Fizz or Boulevardier; if you'd rather opt for a classic, they also make a great Old Fashioned.

A local institution for craft beer, Magpie was founded in 2011 and kicked off South Korea’s craft beer revolution. Their signature beers include the Magpie IPA, Porter, and Stout, but in recent years, they’ve become well-known for their more experimental drinks made with ingredients from Jeju Island, where one of their bases is located. While Magpie beer is sold at bars and restaurants across the country, this original location is a neighborhood institution.

Approximately a dozen bars occupy two parallel streets outside Euljiro 3-ga Station to make up Nogari Alley, one of Seoul’s most festive places to have fresh beer and nogari (dried pollack). While the fish snack is not everyone’s cup of tea, the ambience is a crowd pleaser unlike anything else you’ll experience in the city, especially in warmer weather. Each bar sets up red and blue lawn furniture outside, and the streets fill with friends and coworkers kicking back with cold drinks. It may be difficult to find a table between 8 pm and 10 pm, but if one bar is full you can easily hop to another. There’s little to differentiate them. Fried chicken and jwipo (fish jerky) are also on the menu.

Opened in 2018, this upscale bar in Hannam-dong is inspired by vintage train travel, where everything from the drinks to the decor would be right at home on a first-class carriage. Sit at the bar and have a chat with the bartenders if you’re having a drink on your own, or opt for a seat in the courtyard if you’re out with friends on a summer night. The bar’s signature cocktails—the Ramos Gin Fizz, Jimmy Roosevelt, and Breakfast Martini—are creative takes on crowd favorites. Make sure to order from the food menu as the dishes here, such as crispy bacon, deep-fried shrimp sandwich, and crab cakes, are a step above the ordinary.