Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Seoul for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Seoul for grown-ups.
12 places
Drink Andong soju flight with seasonal dried fruit
Sanullim 1992 in Hapjeong is a speakeasy dedicated to Korean traditional spirits: single-variety soju, cheongju, and artisanal makgeolli by the pour.
Drink 12-glass makgeolli sampler tray
Damotori is the definitive makgeolli bar in Seoul, stocking over 40 varieties of the unfiltered rice wine from producers across Korea and presenting them.
Drink Quality makgeolli selection by the kettle
Juan Makgeolliano is a traditional-style makgeolli bar on the Yeonnam-dong strip, with an extensive compiled selection of quality makgeolli matched.
Drink Korean pear and ginger sour
Charles H in the Four Seasons Seoul is the city's most refined cocktail bar, a Prohibition-era concept built on Korean seasonal ingredients and 200 spirits.
Drink Magpie Porter (Seoul's defining craft dark beer)
Magpie Brewing's Itaewon taproom is the craft beer entry point to Seoul, with the full range of Korean-brewed ales and lagers served alongside pub food.
Drink Gildong IPA and seasonal sours
The Booth Brewing on Gyeongnidan-gil pairs its own-brewed IPAs and stouts with a food menu, a full evening destination on Seoul's most international street.
Drink Draft beer (maekju) with fried chicken (chimaek)
Jongno 3-ga's pojangmacha tents and beer halls open at dusk behind the station, serving somaek (soju-beer bomb) and dried squid until well past midnight.
Drink Nature-elements omakase cocktails with botanicals and fresh herbs
M29 occupies the 29th floor of the Fairmont Ambassador in Yeouido, with an indoor cocktail bar and outdoor terrace overlooking the Han River and the Yeouido.
Drink Korean ingredient-driven omakase cocktails
Zest ranked No. 2 Asia's 50 Best Bars and No. 16 World's 50 Best Bars 2025, serving Korean seasonal cocktails sourced from contract farms in Gangnam.
Drink Bourbon sour with Korean persimmon syrup
Southside Parlor is one of Itaewon's most consistent bars: New Orleans-inflected, with live music Thursday through Saturday and a well-stocked spirits shelf.
A sample of Seoul hotels from our booking partner, who list 2,002 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Seoul Dalbit Dongdaemun Guesthouse
With a stay at Seoul Dalbit Dongdaemun Guesthouse in Seoul (Jongno), you'll be a 3-minute walk from Cheongg...
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Seoul Dalbit DDP Guesthouse
With a stay at Seoul Dalbit DDP Guesthouse in Seoul (Jung-gu), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Dongdae...
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K-POP Hotel Seoul Tower
K-POP Hotel Seoul Tower is centrally located in Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Seven Luck Casino Millennium Se...
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24 Guesthouse Seoul City Hall
With a stay at 24 Guesthouse Seoul City Hall, you'll be centrally located in Seoul, steps from Daehan Gate ...
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Drink Classic cocktails behind a hidden bookcase door
Le Chamber is a Cheongdam speakeasy entered through a hidden bookcase door, a fixture on Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016, pouring precise classic cocktails.
Drink Soju and beer (somaek bomb)
The pojangmacha tent alleys of Euljiro are old Seoul's most genuine late-night drinking: somaek and dried seafood under orange awnings since the 1970s.
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