Best bars in Itaewon

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...

The name of this little bar comes from the original title of director Wong Kar-wei’s 1997 film, Happy Together. From the images projected on a wall and a pair of gold fish inside a bowl placed on the counter, to a little pink room hidden inside the bar, its space itself, too, gives off the luscious and sentimental vibes that are apparent in the film. Chungwangsaseol’s colorful melancholy suits a mellow night out, alone or with a friend or a stranger who’d lend you a good ear. A few seats at the bar counter, which are the only available seatings here, offer a quite intimate space for a group of two or three. Taiwanese mango and pineapple flavored beers are often paired with little dishes including the tomato ramen and fried rice, while in terms of liquors, gin is the only available type. Tanqueray 10, Beefeater, Hendrick's and Boodles are the selections that go into the gin and tonics. Boodles Gin which has a subtle note of juniper berries and cilantro is, interestingly, garnished with fresh cilantro. Quite unusual, perhaps, but it certainly makes for a refreshing combination. The Tanqueray 10 gin and tonic with thyme leaves and blueberries is simple yet flavorful. All of the gin and tonics are quite small in size, but have the perfect balance (and also reasonably priced). Situated in the quiet residential area above the “108 stairs” in Human-dong, Chungwangsaseol is not the easiest place to spot. Yet, its uniquely Hong Kongese vibe seems to continually attract equally...

Hannam Liquor is not the most obvious bar. Even if you had its address, you might easily miss and walk by it. And, until you go completely down to the basement through the long and narrow stairs, you’d never know what you’ll see. Inside, the first thing that pops up in your scene is not a bar but a fancy boutique. Among over 400 types of liquors available here, the particularly unusual selection you’ll find is the 3 types of St. George gins: the very forest-like Terroir, Botanivore which has 19 types of plants including cilantro, cinnamon and lime and the St. George Dry Gin made with 100% pot-distilled rye. Don’t worry if too many of the selections seem unfamiliar — boutique manager and sommelier Kim Min-ju is always happy to offer detailed information on and interesting stories behind each liquor. Behind the glass wall in front of the boutique is where Hannam Liquor’s bar section is located. All types of gin and rum sold at the boutique are available here as a glass and cocktails. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, just ask — bartender Kang Geun-hyeok who is in charge of the bar section will create any cocktail that is not on the menu. 5,000 won cover (per person) at the bar includes a bit of dried nuts and fruits, as well as bottled water (still or fizzy). The combination of simple but elegant interior, dim lighting along with flickering candles on each of the tables creates a refined cave-like atmosphere. It is obvious that Hannam Liquor has succeeded in...

The boys down at Southside Parlor whip up a mean cocktail. Native Texans and friends Phil, Robbie and Johnny opened Southside in 2013 and have become beloved fixtures in Gyeongridan. Behind an unmarked fourth-floor door lies their spacious den full of leather couches, dartboards, hookahs and an 80s arcade game console. This ain’t no swanky Gangnam mixology lounge—Southside is a place where anyone can walk in and learn about cocktails. To keep their drinks accessible despite steep prices for imported liquor, Southside opts for good-quality mid-shelf booze and focuses on the other ingredients: they fresh-press all juices and make their own syrups, sodas and even tonic water. Imbibers will appreciate the broad selection that ranges from classic to creative. We’re huge fans of the Juarez Old Fashioned, a spicy take on a standard, and Phil recommends his favorite, The Last Word, a bright mix of gin, chartreuse, fresh lime juice and maraschino liqueur.

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).