i ♥ Seoul (#8)

♥ DRINK ♥

Seoul features a mind-bogglingly large array of nightspots catering to every taste and budget.

Itaewon is Seoul's international district, housing a variety of Western-styled venues to eat, drink and be merry. Being a place where many foreigners congregate, it remains somewhat of a niche nightlife area for Koreans who are interested in a more international scene. A number of notable bars and clubs spot the area, both on the main street and in the alleys off it. Recently becoming gentrified as more upscale restaurants and chains move in. The US army has decided to move the nearby army base outside of Seoul within the next few years so expect regular changes to the area..

Many bars in Itaewon celebrate Thursdays as Ladies' Night which often means that ladies drink free before 12am. Finally, there are a few gay bars, located two alleys east of the main street. There you can find a club and a few bars near one another.

Due to its proximity to the nearby United States Army Garrison Yongsan, a large number of American military are found here in the evenings and weekends. It is not unusual to see uniformed military wearing CP (Courtesy Patrol) or MP (Military Police) armbands enforcing the curfew.

• Geckos, (opposite Quiznos). A relaxed bar scene and good food. Very popular with GIs and expats.
• Seoul Pub.
• Hollywood.
• Rocky Mountain Tavern. A Canadian bar for expats living in Korea. Located north of the main intersection.
• The Loft.
• Polly's Kettle.
• Old Town.
• The Wolfhound Irish Pub & Restaurant. (in the alley behind Geckos across from Quiznos/Family Mart). Serves a great selection of draft beers and hearty, homemade meals.
• The 3 Alley Pub, Popular with the older expat crowd. It's located in an alley off the street near the Itaewon subway station.
• Helios Small Hip hop club with a bit of a reputation.

For some good House/Trance music, try some places like:

• Bricx.
• Bar Nana.
• Spy Club.
• King Club. Gaudy and a tad sleazy. Located in a seedy part of the neighborhood.
• XO.
• Club Volume House/trance club, quite large and a excellent crowd on weekends. It is the best and most upscale club in the neighborhood.
• Pulse. Gay dance club.
• EF. Gay dance club.

• Sinchon (신촌), home to universities including the Ehwa Women's University (이화여대 Ihwayeodae) this is a great place to soak up a more Korean environment. (Sinchon is not to be confused with Sincheon, the only difference being the sound of the last o!) Sinchon is set up like many Korean 'play' areas, whereby bars, clubs, restaurants, singing rooms, and sometimes even motels, are structured in a grid-like fashion. The only way to familiarize yourself with the area is to stroll the alleys and discover all the different places. Korean bars tend to be rather antisocial compared with their Western counterparts, with people sitting at tables with friends and not tending to mix. There are a number of Western style bars in the area:

• Woodstock. Around since 1991, the bar prompted a slew of copycats but is the best place to hear classic rock and pop. The sound system is awesome and the owner/DJ knows his stuff. Expect large crowds Friday and Saturday nights and seeing people dance from their tables. Great place to mix with Koreans of all ages.
• Zen II.
• Nori Ha Nun Saram Dul. A bar infamous for both its great rock music and its decrepit interior with writing on the walls. Difficult to find and almost impossible to get a seat after 9PM, but a definite must.
• Watts on Tap. Great pub grub and a wide range of imported draughts and bottles. Friendly atmosphere, international staff and clientele, and great tunes. Darts and rooftop patio. Watts regularly hosts events such as The Drinking World Cup and Electro (dance party). Popular with English teachers and the host of international undergrads and grad students at nearby Yonsei, Ewha, Hongik and Sogang.
• The King's Tap (London Pub), 5th Fl., Cupid B/D, Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu (Sinchon St., line 2, exit 3. Go right. Right again at second light. 100 meters on left across from Beer Zone.), ☎ 02-313-2223. Imported beers on tap and in bottles, pub grub, projection TV. Free pool, darts, foosball and claims to have Korea's first shuffleboard table.

Hongdae (홍대), short for Hong'ik University, is the premier club area in Seoul by far. Located around Hongik University, clubs and bars are strewn everywhere around the place. The clubs aren't near the station, but aren't hard to find. The most popular clubs are:

• M2 Trance/techno.

Miroir, 405-5, Seokyo-dong, Mapo-gu (From exit 4 at Hapjeong station walk in the direction that the traffic flows, when you reach the fake airplane towards the minimart on your right, follow this road (watch out for taxis creeping from behind), turn right at main crossing, follow until you see Family Mart). Psychedelic hippie hangout with psytrance Fri and Sat, 60's and 70's rock during the week. No cover.

• nb (noise basement) Hiphop.
• Q-Vo Hiphop.

Some other popular clubs include

• Club Saab Small Hip hop Club
• Joker Red Techno club
• Club Tool House Music club
• Club FF Rock music club that is popular with foreigners
• Janes Groove a club that markets itself to foreigners....plays popular music
• Harlem Hip hop club
• S Club hip hop club that gives free entry to all foreigners.

On a Friday or Saturday expect all of these to be packed tight. Last Friday of every month is Club Day where ₩15,000 will get you into those clubs who are part of the "Club Day". Expect a packed crowd. There are a number of bars popular with foreigners here too:

• Tin Pan A club/bar with cheap drinks and a dance floor. Popular with foreigners and Korean women.
• Bricxx A hookah lounge with an intimate atmosphere. Has a large mixed drink and wine list.

The place is huge and you could party for a whole week in all the bars and clubs. The best way to see it is to stroll around and find something you like. An interesting note: The entire club district of Hongdae is officially off-limits to American military personnel, US Federal employees and their dependents. However, it is not unusual to see crew-cuts here on the weekends. In warmer months, don't pass up the closet-sized B-Dan on Hongdae's main strip, which offers up take-out draft beer by the plastic cup.

Apgujeong (압구정) is the upmarket area of Seoul. Walk around the streets and you'll see teenagers valet parking their new Benz or Audi, strutting their new designer threads and looking generally, well, rich. That said, a lot of people who party in Apgujeong aren't necessarily rich and actually live far away. There are some clubs and bars here, but it is a rather subdued venue for partying. Nightlife here consists mainly of designer bars and restaurants. Places where it isn't possible to valet haven't turned out to be great hits traditionally. That said, there are a few small clubs in the area. Expect English to be more commonly spoken in this area too, due often to overseas education or excessive private tutoring. However with it comes a certain desensitization to foreigners, so don't expect people to stare or approach you as much as they would in other parts of Seoul. Consider Apgujeong as a great place to hang out, not rock out. If you wanted to impress a date for example, this would be a great place to go to. The backstreets of Apgujeong tend to sprout and lose new clubs seemingly at random throughout the year, so exploring off the main drag from time to time can sometimes yield a new "hot club of the month."

• Superclub Circle usually playing house music, sometimes hip hop(only availible for private parties as of July, 2009)
• Club Air House/Techno club.
• Elec Small, trendy club that is quite difficult to find.

Gangnam (강남) is probably the second most popular club area. Also set up in a grid structure, clubs, bars, restaurants and various other entertainment venues decorate this upmarket location. While not as upmarket as Apgujeong, it definitely is busy and lively. If Apgujeong is the place for rich kids to hang out and look cool, Kangnam is the place for those rich kids to party and look sexy. The station is central and a ton of buses run through the heart of the entertainment area, so finding your way there is extremely easy.

• NB. Full of clubbers pretty much every night of the week.
• Harlem Next to NB...guess what music they play?
• 4X. Popular with foreigners.
• Eden Electro house/techno club
• Club Answer House music club with regular events and famous Djs
• Club Naked Plays House music and also serves as an after hours club.
• Miero After hours club with great decor.
• Club Mass Large house music club that occasionally brings in famous DJs

• Tokyo Jazz, 153-44 Samsung Dong, Kangnam-gu (directly across the street from Coex Oakwood Premier Center), ☎ 011-365-1770. A cozy jazz club located on the second floor with live piano and vocal music every night and a jazz combo on Thursady and Friday nights 9-12 or later if the club is full. Famous for staying open until the last customer leaves.

Note: Some bar districts, such as Hongdae, are off-limits to American military personnel, US Federal employees, contractors and their dependents. A nationwide curfew (imposed and enforced by the US Military as part of the Status of Forces Agreement) is also in effect for persons subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, American military personnel, US Federal employees, contractors and their dependents: midnight Su-Th and 3AM F-Sa.