Best bars in Itaewon

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.

 

Unit 208, Building 31, Hangang Mansion, Ichon-dong — even if you had the address, you’d probably wander around, looking up and down the run-down building in which it’s located. While walking up the stairs built in the early 1970’s after vaguely locating this new café and bar, you’d only see a few residents of the apartments around it visiting their family doctor or picking up small bags of groceries. Hell Café Spiritus, however, has been attracting coffee and cocktail aficionados as well as industry professionals from all over Seoul, with its all-star squad of baristas (who are behind Bogwang-dong’s Hell Café) and bartenders — namely, Lim Seong-eun, Kwon Yo-seop, Lee Hun teamed up with Vault +82’s Seo Yong-won. Inside, you’ll find a minimalistic setting: the tables, bar counter, bar back and even window blinds are all dark brown woods. The simple flower arrangements placed on a few of the tables add an emphasis to the exceptional simplicity, while the classical music played through the large speakers create a nostalgic feel that goes well with the surrounding area. As for the café menu, it is exactly the same as that of Bogwang-dong’s Hell Café, the first venture of the star barista team; the famous Hell Drip and classic cappuccino are available from 9am until 9pm. From 7pm until 2am, a large selection of cocktails, single malt whiskeys and other liquors are available. The list of cocktails including Rolls-Royce (which, here, is made with the Macallan Rare Cask, orange...

In HBC, across from the Bonny’s Pizza line-up, there is a little basement bar that welcomes a great mix of everybody for good chats and great music. Jack Ahn, the owner, and local celebrity Pounamu from New Zealand, have teamed up recently and set the stage for the welcoming atmosphere. “It’s a safe place that is about interacting with other people,” Jack says, as Pounamu adds: “It’s also about cheap therapy.” The unusual thing about this bar is that the draft beers are only categorized, not named. When Jack opened in July of 2015, another neighborhood bar owner was slightly miffed that he was offering lower prices for the same beer. Wanting to be a good neighbor, this creative owner decided to keep his prices but not to show the brands of the beers. Customers, however, can always sample the beer to see if they like it before ordering, and Jack has come to enjoy the fact that people are not drinking for the brand but actually for the taste. Cocktails and sandwiches are also on offer now. Jack makes his own homemade hibiscus ginger ale that he pairs with Jameson for a Hotel Juliette, and there is also the popular Bunker on Vacation, which is a mix of Jäger, vodka, and pineapple juice. Another homemade specialty is the grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwiches — which, if I might say, are scrumptious both before and after a few Hotel Juliettes. The food and drinks are sound, but the Bunker also really loves to support the arts. Musicians come in for jam sessions on...

While it seems that there are new venues popping up in Itaewon all the time, most of them are too… predictable: fancy lights, hipster furniture and whatever sound that's "in." But this one, let me tell you, is different. With its rough, warehouse-like atmosphere and dim lighting, Beton Brut brings coziness and, most importantly, good music. It's surely a place you can "hang," unlike many of the clubs in the area that are just too much while lacking character. Perhaps that's why you can occasionally spot older crowds here, but of course, that certainly doesn't mean this place isn't hot. With 2 dance floors inside, you can go for drum n base, dub step and trap, or choose to roll with techno and house at any point of your night. If these options still don't satisfy your diverse taste, visit Beton Brut before 10pm for some jazz, acoustic or music critic Lee Dae-hwa's talks. Wait, I have an idea: if there's that special someone that you're into, head here after the dinner. You'll have a chill couple of hours to get into the night, then once the floor turns into a club you'll realize how natural and easy it can feel to be clubbing with a date.