Best bars in Itaewon

For those who love art, artistry, and old movies, Hephzibah will be like love at first sight. Founded by two sisters who studied performance art and acting, they actualized their college dream of creating a secret space filled with dramatic intensity. The space includes a small screening section for visitors to get tipsy on a retro-film along and some wine. It’s the humanistic element within older movies that the sisters like while they still provide the entertainment that is needed. This is not to say that visiting Hephzibah means sipping on wine and watching a black-and-white movie. Outside of the mini-cinema is an area not filled with music and chatter like any other bar, but rather dialogues from movies playing in the background, while you sit and relax in the couch getting lost in your thoughts. Hebsiba is surely a hide out for artists, with some visitors exclaiming that that the venue is a dream come true. The fantastical venue that offers an ambience of boundless imagination is place to search for your imaginary reality.

The name of this little bar comes from the original title of director Wong Kar-wei’s 1997 film, Happy Together. From the images projected on a wall and a pair of gold fish inside a bowl placed on the counter, to a little pink room hidden inside the bar, its space itself, too, gives off the luscious and sentimental vibes that are apparent in the film. Chungwangsaseol’s colorful melancholy suits a mellow night out, alone or with a friend or a stranger who’d lend you a good ear. A few seats at the bar counter, which are the only available seatings here, offer a quite intimate space for a group of two or three. Taiwanese mango and pineapple flavored beers are often paired with little dishes including the tomato ramen and fried rice, while in terms of liquors, gin is the only available type. Tanqueray 10, Beefeater, Hendrick's and Boodles are the selections that go into the gin and tonics. Boodles Gin which has a subtle note of juniper berries and cilantro is, interestingly, garnished with fresh cilantro. Quite unusual, perhaps, but it certainly makes for a refreshing combination. The Tanqueray 10 gin and tonic with thyme leaves and blueberries is simple yet flavorful. All of the gin and tonics are quite small in size, but have the perfect balance (and also reasonably priced). Situated in the quiet residential area above the “108 stairs” in Human-dong, Chungwangsaseol is not the easiest place to spot. Yet, its uniquely Hong Kongese vibe seems to continually attract equally...

 

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.

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.