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.

Historically a haven for the socially marginalized and longtime tourist hotspot, Itaewon is befittingly the home of the gay community's best-known party scene. Located in the area nicknamed “Homo Hill,” Trance is the oldest gay club and also an iconic Itaewon venue. Trance hosts popular lip sync performances by transgendered unni ("big sisters" in Korean) on Saturday and Sunday nights, and operates as a regular bar on weeknights. A shimmering curtain hangs on the other side of the bar, transforming into the perfect performance venue once customers sit around the T-shaped catwalk. Sing Sing unni and the transgender community’s very own Ninano, both of whom are hostesses of the night, invite a host of showgirls on stage, amongst which Bee Mimi’s over-the-top performance is the main attraction of the night. This destination is a hidden gem for tourists and always receives rave reviews from out-of-towners.

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...

Riding the wave of the single male whiskey trend is the second coming of the speakeasy. At Speakeasy Mortar, there is no sign—and you can't even open the door yourself. It opens only after the staff slides open a little wooden peephole to see who's outside. The “chosen” can enjoy their moderately-priced drinks in a moderately comfortable environment. Whiskey at 20,000 won a pop isn’t exactly affordable, but relatively so if you keep in mind that a certain bar in Cheongdam serves up glasses at 30,000 won each. Speakeasy Mortar is a easy place to kill time with excellent music backed by a quality sound system. It's relaxed with a mature sophistication. Note: your mobile won’t get much signal here, yet another rarity in hyper-connected Seoul (we're counting that as a plus).