Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Run by friendly English-speaking Kim Hyoung-Jin, this stylish one-shot bar is on the 2nd floor – look for the English sign as you come out of the subway.
Must-see nightlife in Seoul
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
You'll find a friendly welcome and a well-mixed selection of house and top-shelf cocktails in this intimate 3rd-floor bar run by Americans.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
The most welcoming gay bar on the strip, this place has flirty-friendly staff, low-playing music and a cosy open-air lounge set-up.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
The undisputed queen of Homo Hill, this eternally popular gay bar is still the place to party in Itaewon.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
The original Booth brewpub (there are now eight in Seoul) looks the part with its pop-art murals and warehouse-chic interior, but beer aficionados have…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
A popular brew pub with its roots in Noksapyeong's Craft Beer Valley, this Gangnam branch has several of its beers on tap, including its signature Bill's…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
A two-storey house (with roof terrace) converted into a bar, Blue 55 is slightly away from the action, making it a more easy-going spot for a hop-based…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Pricey drinks, including a good selection of wine, come with knockout views from the enormous windows at this restaurant and bar perched 33 floors above…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
On the ground floor of District – a warehouse-style complex of upscale venues behind the Hamilton Hotel – Prost has a club-meets-pub vibe, meaning you get…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
This basement microbrewery pub serves its own, mostly German-style beers on tap, as well as pizza and snacks. If you make it out here, the surrounding…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Sip tea, hand-dripped coffee, whiskey or beer in this minimalist, retro-styled cafe that’s part of a 1930s building that includes a gallery and analogue…
Seoul
Deep underground is M2, the largest and first of Hongdae's EDM clubs. It may have lost some of its cool cred but it's still popular for its grand space …
Seoul
Offering one of the most extraordinary facades in Seoul, this medieval fantasy pub has an equally bizarre dungeon-cellar interior. It serves up several…
Seoul
Drunken revels may be in full flight around it, but gentility reigns at this teashop offering an impressive range of black and flavoured brews, dainty…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
It’s much quieter than Oktoberfest at this long-running microbrewery, but the quality is good, serving up four freshly produced brews. It's in a large,…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
As well as Korean teas you can sip teas from around the world in the pleasant covered courtyard of this modern hanok. Loose-leaf teas and tea-making sets…
Northern Seoul
Chandeliers and recycled wood make up the shack-chic decor of this greenhouse-like cafe-restaurant that serves pizza, pasta, risotto and brunch dishes…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
This wine-and-cocktail, one-shot bar is appealing and spacious, and the English-speaking bartenders mix a mean mojito. The homely atmosphere and diva…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
A tiny branch of this speciality coffee roaster with a somewhat bizarre location within the Myeong-dong Cathedral complex, but it makes for a good pit…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
An all-Korean affair, Pongdang brews a changing roster of craft beers from pale ales and blondes to more esoteric concoctions like their Seouliner Weisse,…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Gay-friendly Almaz is more chilled than other Homo Hill hot spots, drawing a mature crowd to its scarlet-hued lounge hung with glitter balls. Previously a…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
A one-man operation run by a local surfer, this cramped bar has an extensive selection of Korean and international craft beers chalked up on the board…
Northern Seoul
One of a row of cutesy cafes at the very top of Ihwa Mural Village and parallel to the Seoul City Wall, Gaepul boasts an L-shaped outdoor deck for dreamy…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Foreigner-friendly Itaewon wouldn't be complete without a British pub, and this atmospheric two-storey boozer delivers with its pints of ale, fish and…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This Itaewon gay bar by the same folks behind Queen opposite is a good place to kick off the night with a cocktail before moving to more danceable spots…
Seoul
A spacious, design-savvy hangout where they serve beer, refreshing homemade juices plus the usual caffeinated beverages along with cute animal-shaped…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
The hanok goes global at this charming ‘traveller’s hang-out’ decorated with colourful cushions, photos and Snoopy items. As well as beer and cocktails it…
Seoul
This 8th-floor, comfortable women-only space is lesbian-oriented but not exclusively so. A female DJ plays dance music, and there are cocktails and anju …
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
One of Gangnam's original EDM clubs, this huge basement space attracts a young, beautiful crowd here for techno and house, and a frenetic light show. It…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
The original bar for this Korean microbrewery does a good selection of pale ales, and Belgian and wheat beers, enjoyed at Pongdang's bar or tables…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
The name indicates the style of this cafe, which is tastefully furnished with mid-century modern pieces. It’s a good pit stop for coffee and snacks while…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Myeong-dong isn’t short on chain cafes, but for something with more individual character hike up to this hidden gem on the lower slope of Namsan, next to…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Bringing third-wave coffee to Sinsa-dong, Steamers does Ethiopian and Colombian single-origin brews in its shabby-chic industrial brick cafe.
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Grab a gourmet roastery coffee and sandwich at this classroom-meets–industrial space while ambling around Bukchon between the palaces.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
A smart gay bar opposite Queen with a laid-back vibe and a club area for later in the evening.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
One of Korea's few exclusively lesbian bars, this queer-only joint sits atop Homo Hill and gets going around midnight.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This small but smartly turned-out gay bar has good cocktails and plenty of K-Pop.
