12 cocktail bar places in Seoul we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Seoul | Cocktail Bar across every city.
Seoul drinks across a wide register, from craft breweries to hidden cocktail rooms and old-school hof joints. Charles H, Zest and Southside Parlor carry the serious cocktail end, while Magpie Brewing in Itaewon and The Booth Brewing in Gyeongnidan handle the beer. For something closer to the street, Damotori and Juan Makgeolliano pour traditional drinks, and the Jongno 3-ga Hof Alley and Euljiro Pocha Row keep the city's tented, late-night side alive.
Sanullim 1992 ★ 4.7
Hongdae and Yeonnam · 60 Seogang-ro 9-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Sanullim 1992 in Hapjeong is a speakeasy dedicated to Korean traditional spirits: single-variety soju, cheongju, and artisanal makgeolli by the pour.
Damotori ★ 4.6
Itaewon and Hannam · 44-18 Yongsan-dong 2-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Damotori is the definitive makgeolli bar in Seoul, stocking over 40 varieties of the unfiltered rice wine from producers across Korea and presenting them.
Juan Makgeolliano ★ 4.5
Hongdae and Yeonnam · 248-2 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Juan Makgeolliano is a traditional-style makgeolli bar on the Yeonnam-dong strip, with an extensive compiled selection of quality makgeolli matched.
Charles H ★ 4.6
Jongno and Insadong · Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, 97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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.
Magpie Brewing Itaewon ★ 4.3
Itaewon and Hannam · 244-1 Noksapyeong-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
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.
The Booth Brewing (Gyeongnidan) ★ 4.4
Itaewon and Hannam · 7 Noksapyeong-daero 54-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
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.
Jongno 3-ga Hof Alley ★ 4.1
Jongno and Insadong · Jongno 3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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.
M29 (Fairmont Ambassador Seoul) ★ 4.4
Jung-gu and Myeongdong · Fairmont Ambassador Seoul 29F, 108 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
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.
Zest ★ 4.9
Gangnam and Cheongdam · B1 26 Dosan-daero 55-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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.
Southside Parlor ★ 4.2
Itaewon and Hannam · 36-5 Bogwang-ro 60-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
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.
Le Chamber ★ 4.6
Gangnam and Cheongdam · 42 Dosan-daero 55-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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.
Euljiro Pocha Row ★ 4.3
Jung-gu and Myeongdong · Euljiro 3-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul (alley between Eulji-ro and Toegye-ro)
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.