Best bars in Itaewon

Located in the busiest part of Itaewon across from Hamilton Hotel is The Bulldog Pub. Operating as a normal sports pub during the weekdays, the venue changes its face on Fridays and Saturdays into a wild celebration called “Latin Day.” As the lights dim out the wide hall, it starts to receive party goers and by 11pm, the whole pub will be filled with people. From Salsa to Bachata, and Merengue to Reggaeton, the floor will be pumping with energy from locals, expatriates and visitors. For those of you who’ve never tried Latin dances, the pub has a great supportive atmosphere, so no shame in missing a move or two. Opening at 9pm, the entrance fee, which include one free drink, is 10,000 won per person.

Want to deviate from reality?—or, first of all, from the hustle and bustle of the Itaewon alleys? Located on the 6th floor of a building resting on a relatively quiet alley between Hannam and Itaewon, Deviate offers affordable drinks, comfy seats with large tables and nice dance floor. The well-known DJ Yeonjun is the owner of this place, so you can expect some edgy selection of music as well. The overall design of the space is quite impressive, and the full-wall windows offer a view from the top floor. While it's not exactly a "Hangang view," the scenery offered here around the sunrise is quite impressive—which, of course, can only be found with enough stamina and booze. BY Estevan Kim (Editor-in-chief at Bling Magazine)

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.