Entertainment in South Korea
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Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Casino
This casino offers the usual ways of losing money - one-armed bandits, roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, big wheel and tai-sa. Snacks are free, and free drinks can be ordered at the gaming tables. There is no dress code and Korean nationals are not allowed inside.
reviewed
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O'Kim's
Ask for the Irish bar and people will direct you to O'Kim's - the only Irish drinking spot in the city. There's plenty to entertain you: darts, pool, bar football, free Internet and live music every night. You'll be less than entertained by the drink prices however.
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Vinyl Underground
Bring your A-game to this hip-hopping dance club that's wall-to-wall flesh late Fridays and Saturdays. Commingle with local women sporting the latest music video-inspired club wear and the baddest home boyz to come out of Saskatchewan. It's up the street from Ol'55.
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Dublin
Sit outside under the small trees or inside by a window and watch the world go by as you down a draft Guinness or Kilkenny with your toe tapping to Irish music. Bottled beers include Newcastle Brown in this very large dark-wood bar that’s almost the size of Dublin.
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Why Not
This small gay dance arena has been expensively revamped with the latest lights and lasers, splashing green and red stars everywhere. Drag shows start late and DJs crank it up at this ‘meet’ market until the subway trains start running again at dawn.
reviewed
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Time Out Sports Bar
A monster collection of signed sporting memorabilia adorns the walls of this sports bar with screens and differing zones to relax in. Beers are reasonably priced, and the fusion-style food includes steaks. A popular organic salad buffet is available at lunch time.
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Bahia
Seoul’s best Latin American dance club, Bahia has a friendly atmosphere and mirrors down one side, so you can check out your moves. Saturday always sizzles, as does Wednesday, which is bachata (music originating from the Dominican Republic) night.
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Beautiful Tea Museum
This is not a traditional Korean teashop. Instead, it offers the chance to sip teas from around the world in the pleasant covered courtyard of a modern hanok (traditional house), with tea sets on display. Some teas (100g for W80,000) are liquid gold.
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Jazz People
With a bird's-eye view of Suwon, this comfortable 8th-floor hang-out has live music for half an hour every day at 21:00. A mix of soft Korean or foreign love songs make it a popular blind-date spot, and affordable beers and coffees probably help out as well.
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Zibe
Pronounced ‘Jeebay’, the name means ‘at home’ (a place to relax), but this ramshackle two-storey glasshouse is more like homemade than home. Inhabited by a large footbath and lots of floor-cushion areas with flimsy curtains around them, the music is global.
reviewed
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Once in a Blue Moon
An intimate and famous Apgujeong club with live jazz from two groups of performers every night, each performing two sets between 7.30pm and 12.40am. The free admission is offset by charging W15,000 for cocktails and beers, and eating costs lots more.
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OG Bar
A basic concrete-and-candles bar with cheerful music. It specialises in weird beer cocktails such as sweet-and-sour beer, guava beer and even coffee beer. They taste better than they sound and cost W5000, making this a good spot to start an evening.
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Juliana
This nightspot in the student entertainment zone opposite City Hall operates on the Korean system and the high admission price buys three beers and anju (snacks). The music is mixed but mainly hip-hop. Extra beers are around ₩4000.
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Sipjeondaebotang
The ladies running this tiny teashop cook up wonderful thick danpatjuk, red-bean porridge with ginseng, chestnut and peanuts. The Korean teas are medicinal, authentic and richly flavoured. Established in 1976, nothing has changed since.
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Mu
Probably the most amazing bar interior in Seoul, it has overhead waterways, and a sinuous white creeper design that creates individual cubicles for patrons. Imagine a Star Wars bar designed by an Inuit. It feels strange even when you're sober.
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Cowboy
Anyone doing the rounds in Seomyeon at some point pulls into Cowboy. Dark and smoky with thumping Korean pop music interspersed with classic rock tunes, the open-floor concept and wooden bar make it possible to mingle and on occasion hook up.
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Free Bird
More loungelike than it used to be, with a range of live music from death rock to Sound of Music outtakes, the long-running Free Bird generally puts on solid shows. A handful of acts play every evening. Wednesday is audition night.
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Moonglow
This large underground venue with red armchairs and candles on the tables features live jazz from 21:00, with a different style every day. It is owned by Shin Kwan-Woong, a noted Seoul jazz cat who performs almost every night with his band.
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Gecko’s Terrace
This comfortable and popular 2nd-floor bar and restaurant has a global menu (meals W11,000), lunch specials and draught beers, plus the obligatory-in-Itaewon darts and pool. The pub supports soccer and ice hockey teams, so it can get rowdy.
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G2
Come here to bump around in trance-inducing, blacklit darkness. The funk and hip-hop is ear-splitting - just the way most of the crowd wants it. Come after 23:00 or you'll have the place to yourself. Soldiers are asked to leave by 00:30.
reviewed
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Princess
Candles and chandeliers light the steps down to this winter palace of a café. White curtains around the tables give privacy to your little white princess world. Ballads, a glittery decor and dainty cakes add to the princess effect.
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Rock ’n’ Roll Bar
A small museum of foreign currencies and personal mementoes adds atmosphere to this long-running three-storey log-cabin bar in pricey Apgujeong, where the cocktails (W9000) are a better deal than the beers (W8000). Meals cost W20,000.
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Beatles
An enviable record collection of over 10,000 LPs fills a wall in this basement log-cabin ‘old music’ (ie 1960s and ’70s) bar where beers cost W4000. The host is laid-back and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing.
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Kayagum Theatre
These entertaining and lavish 1.5 hour shows include traditional Korean music and dance followed by a glitzy Western/Asian cabaret revue. The hotel theatre is over 1km (0.6mi) from the subway, so take the hotel shuttle bus or a taxi.
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Cine Cube
This well-respected art cinema near Deoksugung screens international festival films, which are usually shown in their original language with Korean subtitles. Interest in world cinema is growing, especially amongst young Seoulites.
reviewed