12 editor picks in Seoul.
Food experience in Gangnam and Cheongdam
Korean Home Style Cooking Class in Gangnam Seoul
2 of these places are in Gangnam and Cheongdam
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.
12 cocktail bar places in Seoul we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Seoul · Cocktail Bar across every city.
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.
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.
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.
