Best bars in Itaewon

Magpie is one of Seoul’s most popular craft beer houses, started by five friends with a home-brewing hobby that grew by leaps and bounds. As the craft beer scene in Seoul has boomed, Magpie expanded to locations in Hongdae and Jeju Island. They’re constantly experimenting with recipes with a variety of unique imported hops. In addition to their porter and their pale ale (now a classic that is served at bars around Seoul), they offer varieties such as The American Muscle (an American wheat) and The Ghost (a German gose). Whether you’re looking for a simple dinner or a snack to go with your beer, their pizza is one of the best in the area—it’s a simple handmade dough topped with fresh ingredients and baked to order.Magpie is as much a community center as it is a bar, hosting concerts, classes and workshops on food and drink.

The area behind Hannam Ogeori’s Richensia building is quite an interesting one — while filled with unique shops, bars and restaurants, it is usually quiet and peaceful. One of the newest additions of the alleys, which we’re welcoming with both arms, is Ox Bar. Living up to its name, the bar serves up quality beef (Hanwoo) menus (even the welcome drink is — instead of any classic or creative cocktail — genuine seolleongtang, Korean ox bone soup) along with great cocktails. The menu’s actually quite large, and includes T-bone steak, roast beef and ossobuco. The service is top-notch, yet “How would you like your steak done?” is a question that’s never asked around here. Instead, everything is cooked to the level that’s the most ideal for each cut and the type of dish. Exclusively on Mondays, the kitchen serves up burgers (18,000 won), which is another reason to find this bar. At the bar section, manager Lee Su-won and bartender Choi Beomgyu create delicate cocktails. From classics to be paired with the Hanwoo dishes to fresh fruit cocktails including the Halla Fizz made with a whole hallabong orange, their creations are smart, witty and well-balanced. Wrapped in the skillful service and attractive atmosphere, what Ox Bar serves every day is a special type of authenticity. It’s so warm, charming and genuine that we wouldn’t be surprised to see this young and hidden venue become a landmark of its own in a near future.

Son Dam-bi comes here for wine and Bae Jung-nam comes here for beer. When ATM first opened its doors, celebrities frequented the place, creating a stir. Now that it has become a popular hotspot, you'd best not get your hopes up for a celebrity sighting. An abbreviation for the expression "against the machine" (no relation to the American rock band), ATM is a laid-back pub, regularly attracting the fashion crowd. The jukebox at the bar sets the tone for a chill and slightly retro vibe. Reminscent of New York City backalleys pubs, we especially love ATM in fairer weather when customers sit outside for a cool drink.

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.

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.