There’s a new speakeasy in town, and its name comes straight from the 1920 law that kicked off the Prohibition Era in the U.S. In keeping with its namesake, Volstead recently opened in a basement space at the bottom of an unmarked staircase, though plenty of people are already beating a path to its door—expect crowds on weekends. They come for the relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, quality cocktails at sensible prices, and a menu that is upping the ante for Mexican food in Seoul.
Chef D, who hails from Los Angeles, serves carnitas tacos, chimichangas with green chili sauce, nachos, tamales and more, all inspired by his family’s cooking but with his own twist. As far as ingredients go, he’s liberal with onion, spices and lime (a notoriously difficult fruit to source here). Is it roaring twenties cocktail food? Not quite, but who cares—it’s packed with flavor. The menu is flexible enough for both diners looking for a meal and drinkers looking for a snack. Fans of cocktails will appreciate the rotating drink menu at Volstead—managers Alex and Justin update the menu every night to get creative with seasonal ingredients. The team has clearly put a lot of work into the venue, but you also get the feeling they’ve had a lot of fun doing it—exactly what you want a speakeasy to be.