Cocktail bar (World's 50 Best Bars No. 16, Asia's 50 Best Bars No. 2, 2025)Gangnam and CheongdamTue-Sun 18:00-02:00, closed Monday
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.
Signature drink: Korean ingredient-driven omakase cocktails
Food: Snacks paired to cocktail menu
American-style cocktail bar and live music venueItaewon and HannamDaily 16:00-02:00
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.
Signature drink: Bourbon sour with Korean persimmon syrup
Food: American pub food and Korean fusion bar snacks
EDM nightclubGangnam and CheongdamThu-Sun 23:30-09:30, closed Mon-Wed
Club Mass is Gangnam's longest-running electronic house club, with two basement floors and a main-stage program of Korean residents and visiting international DJs five nights a week.
Signature drink: Bottle service and electronic house program
Food: None
Pojangmacha alley (outdoor tented bar strip)Jung-gu and MyeongdongDaily 18:00-03:00
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.
Signature drink: Soju and beer (somaek bomb)
Food: Tteokbokki, sundae, fish cakes, spicy stir-fries
Traditional Korean spirits barHongdae and YeonnamTue-Thu 17:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00, closed Sun-Mon
Sanullim 1992 in Hapjeong is a speakeasy dedicated to Korean traditional spirits: single-variety soju, cheongju, and artisanal makgeolli by the pour.
Signature drink: Andong soju flight with seasonal dried fruit
Food: Traditional Korean drinking snacks (anju)
Makgeolli barItaewon and HannamTue-Sun 16:00-24:00, closed Monday
Damotori is the definitive makgeolli bar in Seoul, stocking over 40 varieties of the unfiltered rice wine from producers across Korea and presenting them.
Signature drink: 12-glass makgeolli sampler tray
Food: Korean pajeon (green onion pancakes) and fried snacks