Cocktail barCocktail 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
Cocktail barAmerican-style cocktail bar and live music venue₩₩₩Itaewon 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
Cocktail barSpeakeasy cocktail bar₩₩₩Gangnam and CheongdamMon-Thu 19:00-03:00, Fri-Sat 19:00-04:00, Sun 19:00-02:00
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.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails behind a hidden bookcase door
Food: Bar snacks
Cocktail barPojangmacha 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
Cocktail barTraditional Korean spirits bar₩₩₩Hongdae 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)
Cocktail barMakgeolli bar₩₩₩Itaewon 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