Good streets to enjoy a beer on a summer night
There are many alleys where can enjoy a good beer in Seoul. They tend to have just the right crowd and are just spacious enough. Some of the spots have been in the neighborhood for decades, while others are renovated spaces or have been newly established. Let’s go out to the streets of Seoul at night for a nice glass of beer. A good beer will always be waiting for you.
Seongsu-dong Shoe Craft Street
Once lined up by the workshops of renowned shoemakers, this street has now transformed into one of the hottest spots in Seoul. This area, extending from the Seongsu Station to the Shoe Craft Street, and then to the Seoul Forest and Understand Avenue, is packed with aesthetic restaurants, cafes, breweries and tap houses. This street is full of shops that have preserved the old forms of the small factories, warehouses and shoe crafting shops from the days past. Here, you will be surrounded by a retro aesthetic.
Go for a walk between the alleys and you will be able to find many charming tap houses and breweries. One of the most famous ones, amongst all, is the Amazing Brewing Company. This brewery first opened 3 years ago, when it first began producing beer. It is located in a renovated storage space built in 1959. From the Seongsu-dong Pale Ale, made in collaboration with the locals, to Seoul Potter, and Seoul Forest, this place offers many different beers named after the places that inspired them. It’s worth mentioning that the Seongsu-dong Pale Ale was made with the locals, making it all the more special.
Besides the Amazing Brewing Company, there are a few other tap houses that attract people’s attention. The pilsner from Seongsu Beer is known for being a beer that you have on your way home after a long day at work, a popular menu for professionals.
Liquid Lab is a modern pub that offers a variety of domestic and international beers.
Carnivore features the most famous beers of Korea’s main breweries.
# Amazing Brewing Company Seongsu (Main)
- - Location: 4, Seongsuil-ro 4-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-465-5208
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 18:00 to 01:00 / Weekends 16:00 to 01:00
- - Specialties: Amazing Sampler (basic 5 types + 3 types to choose) KRW 25,000 / First Love KRW 6,000 / Seongsu-dong Pale Ale KRW 5,000 / Seoul Potter KRW 5,000 / Seoul Forest KRW 6,000
- - Tip: Takeout available, brewery tour available (also available in English, call to make a reservation)
# Seongsu Beer
- - Location: 69, Seongsui-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-462-6780
- - Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday 16:00 to 01:00 / Sunday 15:00 to 24:00
- - Specialties: Crafted Beer 420 KRW 6,500 / Seongsu Pilsner (Beer on the Way Home) KRW 6,500 / Seongsu Coffee Beer KRW 8,000
# Liquid Lab
- - Location: 9-31, Wangsimni-ro 10-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-70-8825-7595
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 18:00 to 01:00 / Weekends 16:00 to 01:00
- - Specialties: Gorilla IPA KRW 8,000 / Weizen KRW 6,000 / Handcrafted Mixed Platter KRW 15,000
# Carnivore
- - Location: 20-1, Seoulsup 4-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-499-1223
- - Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 to 24:00 / Monday 18:00 to 24:00 / Closed on Sundays
- - Specialties: French Lamb Rack KRW 36,000 / Fine Lager KRW 7,500 / Mocha Stout KRW 7,900
Eulji-ro Nogari Alley
On this alley in Eulji-ro, there are several draft beer places that for a number of years have been the go-to spots for workers after a long day of work. OB Bear was the first one amongst all, opening its doors in 1980. Once Eulji OB Bear started to become loved by workers, Mansun Hoff, Chowon Hoff and other pubs opened up. This is how the Eulji-ro Nogari Alley was created.
Nogari, or dried pollock, wasn’t always the snack of choice offered at every store along this street to accompany the beers.After Eulji OB Bear first became known for their nogari with chili pepper paste, other pubs surrounding this establishment followed suit. This was all thanks to the fact that nogari is a cheap snack to offer.
The Eulji-ro Nogari Alley was already loved by workers in the Jongno and Eulji-ro area 40 years ago and is still loved by workers today. Not only do these pubs offer nogari and beer for cheap prices, the area has a uniquely vibrant vibe that almost makes visitors feel like they are on a famous beer street abroad. The street has become all the more popular recently, as its unique scenery began to be known. In 2015 the street was designated as Seoul’s Future Heritage, proving that it perfectly captures the essence of Seoul.
Try some refreshing draft beer and nogari with chili pepper paste on the Eulji-ro Nogari Alley. You will be able to find aesthetic shops here and there along the street, so look for them if you are interested.
# Eulji OB Bear
- - Location: 12, Chungmu-ro 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-2264-1597
- - Hours of Operation: 12:00 to 23:00
- - Specialties: Dried Pollack KRW 1,000 / Draft Beer (500cc) KRW 3,500
Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
The Ikseon-dong Hanok Village is one of the most popular places in Seoul nowadays. This area, a continuation of the Bukchon Hanok Village, is filled with traditional houses but was not well-known until recently. In recent days, more visitors have been making their way to the street, as more unique and hip stores have opened their doors. In fact, you may even have to wait up 30 minutes to an hour to get a seat at some popular restaurants and pubs in this area.
The wait reflects how popular these restaurants and pubs are, which means it is quite an enjoyable experience to visit each of them. Along the street, there are many pubs that renovated the traditional houses that are over a century old and transformed them to suit the unique vibe of Ikseon-dong. In particular, there are quite a few breweries and tap rooms that specialize on crafted beers. ArtMonster, a shop that brews its own beer, Goose Island, and Craft Roo are some of the breweries you can find here. There is also Hangout, a tap room that serves a collection of crafted beers from different breweries, and Turtle Supermarket, that serves home-made beer.
# ArtMonster Ikseon-dong
- - Location: 30, Donhwamun-ro 11da-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-745-0721
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 15:00 to 24:00 / Saturdays 14:00 to 24:00 / Holidays 14:00 to 23:00
- - Specialties: Itaewon Freedom KRW 5,500 to 12,000 / Extreme Pride KRW 6,500 to 17,000 / Beer Flight 5 Types KRW 17,000 / Pizza KRW 13,000 to 15,000 / Fried Chicken KRW 15,000 to 16,000
# Goose Island PUB
- - Location: 32, Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-70-5168-9998
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 13:00 to 23:00 / Weekends 12:00 to 23:00
- - Specialties: 9’s Heaven IPA KRW 9,500 / DUCKDUCK GOOSE KRW 8,500
# Craft Roo
- - Location: 17-7, Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-70-7808-0001
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 17:00 to 24:00 / Weekends 15:00 to 24:00
- - Specialties: Sokcho IPA KRW 8,000 / Dongmyeong Port Pale Ale KRW 8,000 / Seoul Brewery Tres Leches Blonde Ale KRW 8,000
# Turtle Supermarket
- - Location: 17-25, Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-10-8819-8826
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 15:00 to 24:00 / Saturdays 14:00 to 24:00 / Sundays 14:00 to 23:00
- - Specialties: Regular Bottled Beer KRW 4,000 / Dried Pollack KRW 12,000 / Fish Jerky KRW 8,000
Sharosu-gil
The area filled with restaurants near the Seoul National University Station is known as Sharosu-gil. The name takes after the fact that the monument at the entrance of the Seoul National University seems to spell “Sha”, and the fact that the street looks similar to Garosu-gil. Unique restaurants, cafes and pubs each attract visitors with their own vibes. Although there are no breweries crafting their own beer in here, there are craft beer tap rooms known for their exceptional snacks.
Wheat Bros Brewery mainly features beers made with barley produced in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. At WENZY, a gastro pub, you can enjoy a nice dinner with beer from the Platinum Craft Brewing Company. As the street is right by the university, there are many spots where you can enjoy a beer on your own. At Tailor Slice Pizza, they sell huge individual pizza slices that go perfectly with beer.
# Wheat Bros Brewery
- - Location: 22, Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-6052-5151
- - Hours of Operation: Wed., Thurs. and Sun. 12:00 to 02:00 / Fri. and Sat. 12:00 to 03:00 / Mon. and Tues. 17:00 to 02:00
- - Specialties: Sampler 5 Types KRW 18,000 / Pilsner KRW 6,500 / Dunkel KRW 6,500 / 267 Rice Beer KRW 7,000
# WENZY
- - Location: 106, Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-875-9095
- - Hours of Operation: Weekdays 16:00 to 01:00 / Weekends 15:00 to 01:00 / Closed on Tuesdays
- - Specialties: Homemade Burger KRW 15,000 / Shrimp and Pollack Roe Gambas KRW 15,000 / Platinum WHITE ALE KRW 6,500 / Platinum IPA KRW 7,000 / Platinum Mr. Bock KRW 8,000
# Tailor Slice Pizza
- - Location: 28, Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: 02-3285-1604
- - Hours of Operation: Mondays 17:00 to 23:00 / Tues to Sundays 12:00 to 23:00
- - Specialties: Pepperoni Hawaiian Pizza (1 slice) KRW 4,900 / White Truffle Mushroom Pizza (1 slice) KRW 5,500 / Weizen KRW 6,500 / Mosaic IPA KRW 7,000
Songnidangil & Bangi-dong Gourmand Alley
If you plan on making a visit to the Seokchon Lake or the Olympic Park, why not end the day at Songnidangil and Bangi-dong Gourmand Alley? Bangi-dong is close to both parks, which is why it has always been packed with restaurants. Recently, a lot of new and aesthetic restaurants, cafes and pubs have opened in the area, attracting visitors.
Some of Korea’s best tap rooms are located around Songnidangil. Each of them offers different types of beers to suit the store, making the tasting and choosing all the more fun. At By the Lake, a “new-tro” (new retro) tap room, unique beers like the Songpa Sunday and Chungdamdong Myuhnuri are popular. You will easily find people enjoying the night view at the Seokchon Lake holding a can of beer with the neighborhood’s name stamped on the packaging. Keg by Keg, Mill House, and other unique craft beer shops are also located around this area. In the neighboring area of Bangi-dong Gourmand Alley, SteinDof, a German-style brewery that serves beers that taste like traditional German beers, is waiting for you with open arms.
# By the Lake
- - Location: 20, Songpa-daero 48-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-420-2912
- - Hours of Operation: Fri and Saturdays 16:00 to 03:00 / Sun to Thursdays 16:00 to 02:00
- - Specialties: Songpa Sunday KRW 7,900 / Cheongdam-dong Daughter-in-Law KRW 6,500 / Kabrew Pilsner KRW 4,900
# SteinDorf-Bräu
- - Location: 11, Ogeum-ro 15-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: +82-2-422-9000
- - Hours of Operation: 15:00 to 24:00 (closed on Sundays)
- - Specialties: Signature Beer KRW 6,500 to KRW 7,000 / Schweinshaxe KRW 36,900