Best bars in Itaewon

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...

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)

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.

 

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.