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Mi
A pioneer of electronic music in Hongik, this club's DJs still win prizes and the staff are friendly. Nowadays they play techno and progressive house.
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Mindeulleyeongto
Pay peanuts and have basic food and drink for up to five hours, or pay more for special fusion-style meals and drinks. Seven large rooms are furnished mainly with flowery sofas and decorated with fantasy themes, and small alcoves, hideaways and balconies are spread around the five floors. It's a seminar centre designed and named by New Age hobbits. Downstairs are free movies, there's a piano to practice on and two friendly dogs act as unpaid greeters.
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Moonglow
This large underground venue with red armchairs and candles on the tables features live jazz from , 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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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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Munye Theatre
This large red-brick theatre in Daehangno puts on a varied dance-oriented programme of events and shows as well as hosting the annual Modern Dance Festival. Posters around Daehangno advertise what's on.
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Nanta Theatre
Set in a kitchen, this long-running, high-energy show mixes together varied ingredients - magic, circus tricks, drumming with kitchen utensils, slapstick comedy, dance, martial arts and audience participation - to produce a clever and enjoyable musical pantomime.
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Nashville Sports Bar
A scruffy Itaewon institution with a jukebox, pool, darts and a view. In summer the rooftop garden bar opens except when it's raining. In the basement is an American-style diner and above the sports bar is Club Caliente.
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National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts
The Yeakdang theatre puts on a programme of top performers every Saturday (Mar-Dec). The show is a bargain and usually contains eight items including court dances, folk songs, pansori and drumming. A three-day festival is held at the end of October. At the smaller Umyeondang theatre, younger performers put on a similar show every Thursday (May-Dec).
Read more about National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts
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National Theatre
On Namsan, this complex is home to the national drama, national changguk (Korean opera), national orchestra and national dance companies. Besides the main hall, venues include outdoor stages where free concerts and movies are held in summer. It is a 15-minute uphill walk from the subway exit or take the yellow bus No 2 from the bus stop just behind Exit 6.
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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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O'Sulloc Teahouse
Impeccably presented green-tea drinks, cakes and ice creams are created here in this smart modern teahouse, but prices are not cheap. Everything is produced from the green tea picked on the company's tea plantation on Jejudo. Green-tea ice cream is recommended as are the homemade green-tea chocolates but the green-tea latte tastes like hot milk. There is a second branch in Gangnam.
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Once in a Blue Moon
Successfully fusing live jazz and nouvelle cuisine, this classy club is popular with local celebrities. It's very run-of-the-mill USA-jazz-club, but the music is good and very authentic. You can mix music with sirloin, sip on cocktails named after jazz musicans and sample hundreds of international wines.
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Opera House Noraebang
Sing as loud as you want in these basement karaoke rooms, which feature a bank of four screens, a tambourine, a disco light and hundreds of English songs.
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Our Place
Spread over the three top floors with a terrace and rooftop section, this engaging wine bar with candles serves fusion food and is run by Seoul's most famous gay icon, TV actor Hong Seok-chun.
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Platinum Microbrewery
In a party mood? Ten metres from the subway exit is this smart good-deal restaurant that offers the chance to eat and drink too much at the same time. The buffet has 17 items such as salads, sushi, shellfish, bulgogi (barbecued beef slices and lettuce wrap), spaghetti, soup and fruit. The on-site brewery produces six beers including a brown ale and a stout. The décor is modern with black furniture and fairy lights.
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Princess
Candles and chandeliers light the steps down to this winter palace of a café with white curtains around some tables to give privacy, but cigarette smoke sometimes lowers the regal tone.
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Queen
This comfortable bar attracts a mixture of Korean and Westerners, and welcomes visitors of all orientations. It has chandeliers and bright red chairs, and beer is around also brightly priced.
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Reggae Pub
Reggae rhythms on the sound system are the main attraction at this Jamaican outpost, but there is the usual pool and darts. You can chow down on jjigae (Korean beef stew) or a decent Jamaican jerk chicken and wash it down with good cheap beer, punch or soju , the local vodka.
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Rock'n'Roll Bar
A museum of personal mementoes adds atmosphere to this three-storey log cabin in Apgujeong where the bargain cocktails will help you forget some memories of your own.
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Rolling Stones
This small underground cellar sells only soft drinks but is dedicated to putting on all kinds of live rock music, and it's often standing room only at the weekend. Listen out for Broken Pearl.
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Santana
Dark beers are the big attraction in this bar that has stacks of room and sells draught Guinness, Becks Dark, Heineken Dark and Miller Dark all served in thumping 2L pitchers. A dozen different bottled dark beers are also available.
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Sejong Centre For The Performing Arts
Centrally located, this recently renovated centre is a leading arts complex that puts on major drama, music and art shows, including an annual three-day international drum festival in early October. It has a grand hall, a small theatre and three art galleries.
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Seoul Norimadang
This covered outdoor arena with seats hosts entertaining traditional music and dance performances that are enjoyed by the mainly elderly local audience who may get up and start dancing. If you are in Lotte World walk through Baby World and go up the stairs for a short cut to the lakeside venue.
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Seoul Pub
A friendly, laid-back pub with around cheap brews, pool tables, darts, music and occasional pub games. Plenty of locals, military types and travellers seem to get along fine in this comfortable place.
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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.
