charles H

Located on the basement level of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, this bar is at the center of people’s attention these days. It’s a speakeasythemed bar so the entrance is kind of hard to find. (There are two bars in the hotel but to get here, head to the one in the basement.) This bar was named after the American author Charles H. Baker, Jr., who wrote about different kinds of liquors from various places, including Cairo, Cuba and Shanghai, during the Prohibition era. The Charles H bar was inspired by him and the recipes he recorded. When you open the door and walk in, the host will first ask your name and give you a glass of sparkling wine as a welcome drink, which you can sip on while you wait to be guided inside. The bar used mahogany for its elegant and glamorous interior design in order to make you feel like you went back in time to 1920s’ New York. Sitting on the couch you can get the entire view of this place, but the best place to sit is at the bar, where you can chat with the bartenders. In fact, a lot of people— especially, well-dressed couples—want to sit here. Chris Lowder, the head bartender, focuses on various recipes from different cities that Charles Baker once lived. And by doing so, he even came up with new signature cocktails. There are three different kinds of Manhattans served, each of which follows recipes from 1870, 1917 and 2002. It’s served in three glasses with the one on the right being the strongest. Another drink, Shanghai Breakfast, strikes a great taste balance, with Venezuelan rum, black sesame, honey, Scotch and cream in it.