Best bars in Itaewon

As the sun goes down and the street lights go on, rooftop bars come alive. 

The best reason for coming to Golmok? The music! LP pubs may be commonplace in Seoul, but Golmok Vinyl and Pub is no ordinary bar. The music selection is often headed by DJs or determined by concept parties such as Bob Marley's birthday bash. Weekends tend to be packed, so time your visit wisely. Golmok Vinyl and Pub serves whiskies, vodka cocktails, and beer on tap. Pickings are slim when it comes to food, so come with a full stomach, or else plan to feast your ears on their tunes. You can try your luck with requests, but sitting back to the flow of their selections isn't such a bad idea either.

Baraboom is an "eating bar," a bar that is also a restaurant. The main ingredients change from season to season, and wine, vodka, and beer are available at affordable prices. The long table that can seat lots of people at once is reminiscent of something from Europe or New York. Exhibitions, parties, or other such large-scale gatherings are possible. The food isn't that cheap, but it's reasonable, considering how fresh the ingredients are, or how creative the concoctions tend to be. This isn't so much a casual setting as it is something to save for a more elaborate, fancy night. It's perfect for enjoying wine without too much stilted fanfare. The menu, presented by two directors that have tasted some of the best stuff the world has to offer, is thoughtfully curated.

Queen shares the title of “Best Gay Club” with the well-established Trance on Homo Hill. On your journey towards the top of the hill you will see a terrace with large glass windows showcasing dancing that will stop you in your tracks. It is as notorious as it is attention-grabbing. Whether it's physics-defying feats on the dance floor, or good-looking guys getting hot and heavy, you see it all, and often. If you are neither gay nor familiar with the culture, tread lightly—this is not a place to come for a wide-eyed tour of gay culture. People are here to party, and you'd better be ready. Straight women, on the other hand, can look forward to a night of mindless dancing with men who will be busy checking out other men. The guys at Queen are well-mannered, witty, attractive, and most of all, great dancers. All the best to the best—all hail the Queen!

You can’t talk about the craft beer trend in Seoul without talking about Craftworks, which opened in 2010 and now has four locations across the Seoul metropolitan area. The Canadian-owned enterprise, along with local brewery Ka-Brew, were instrumental in helping change Korean laws to allow smaller breweries to produce and sell beer, ultimately helping kickstart the craft beer craze sweeping Seoul today. The menu at the original Namsan location is standard North American brewpub with burgers, sandwiches, and ribs (plus a few creative twists—their five varieties of eggs benedict include shrimp and southern), while newer locations have updated menus. As for the beer, we’re always happy with the Jirisan IPA, but if you can’t decide, you can always get the sampler of all six brews.