Restaurants, Bars, Clubs and Nightlife in Seoul, Korea

Soju is drunk in Gangnam. Champagne in Cheongdam, and coffee or wine in Garosu-gil, Sinsa.

So which drinks fit the Hongdae scene?

If anything, Hongdae has it all. Hole-in-the-wall soju and beer places are everywhere. Jagermeister and tequila shots are commonplace in clubs. There are plenty of wine bars and other bars that sell hard liquor. But can you think of a place where you can have some sangria?

El Bliss is a dining lounge that you would expect to see in Cheongdam. El Bliss is reminiscent of Bliss in Itaewon, with similar wall design and light lamps that hang low.

But if anything El Bliss feels more like a cocktail lounge. In other words, totally un-Hongdae-like.

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Oddly located on the second floor of a building, sharing the floor with a small independent movie theater, is perhaps one of Seoul’s nicest lounges. Lounge 153 is home to excellent décor, excellent drinks, and Korea’s 2009 award winning “Best Sommelier Of the Year”.

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Some of you might have noticed that we’ve been a little quiet recently. Now Team SeoulGrid comes out of hiding and proudly presents:

SeoulGrid Guide to Seoul Nightlife Ep. 01 — Macaroni Market, Itaewon!

A picture paints a thousand words. And a video animates a thousand pictures. Especially at a high frame rate in HD! So check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments.

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Pregaming in Korea usually involves soju, beer, and a host of greasy side dishes which are less than satisfying. Although this is to save money, there are better options. Oversound in Hongdae offers extremely affordable prices, yet provides a chic atmosphere with quality music (and a sound system setup which can only be described in pictures).

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With dozens of clubs in the Hongdae party scene, in order to stand out a venue needs to provide something unique and entertaining. Club Cocoon sports one of the liveliest and most progressive atmospheres in Korea, and together with good prices and good music result in it being one of the top clubs north of the Han River.

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Club Eden opened its doors in December 2008, effectively making it Seoul’s second newest club next to Club Heaven. Located in Gangnam’s prestigious Ritz-Carlton hotel, Eden totes itself as a “megaclub,” and it does not disappoint. The dance floor is the biggest in Seoul, and on any Friday or Saturday night is guaranteed to be packed.

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Finger Lounge is one of those venues located in alleys of Cheongdam that not everyone knows about.  It’s a modern lounge located in the alley between Tom N Toms cafe and MNet building (the main road that connects ex-Circle, McDonald’s Drivethrough and Club Answer).

The interior is very modern and clean.  Bar, which is located in the center of the venue, is metal-finished.  The center of the venue space almost reminds you of a large kitchen, where as tables and seats surround the center bar is white and wooden-brown in color.  It’s an interesting blend of two different atmospheres captured within a venue.

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Le Nuit Blanche is now Club Answer, again.

For Club Answer, one of Seoul’s most popular clubs, the last year or so has been nothing short of eventful. The club’s once mysterious insides took the public stage when controversially revealing photos of clubbers on the internet hit the news. Then toward the latter part of 2009, it closed down for renovations, re-opening with a brand new, confusing, and for many koreans, hard-to-pronounce name: “Le Nuit Blanche.” It soon changed back to “Answer,” though its intimidatingly luxurious gates that still bear the French name. [Editorial note: The sign out front finally reads "Club Answer" again.]

Despite the chaos, Club Answer’s penchant for exceptional music selection and a consistently great crowd that knows how to party have made it without a doubt one of the best clubs in Seoul.

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Mix Lounge is arguably one of the best lounges in Seoul when it comes down to both the quality of cocktail and drinks selection.  Located right off a block from the main Garosu Street in Sinsa, Mix boasts 14 varieties of martinis, 7 types of mojitos and 9 brands of vodka (over 16 types of vodka in different variation).  Definitely a cocktail lover’s heaven, Mix remains one of the top hangout spots to all the trendsetters in Seoul.

Read more to view a few colorful example shots of the menu as well as interiors.

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Club Heaven is Seoul’s newest megaclub that attracts Seoul’s trendiest clubbers.  Club Heaven stands amongst the top electronic music clubs in Seoul, which boasts one of the highest trend and fashion turnover rate in the world.

Located close to the landmark Renaissance hotel in south of the Han river (“강남”, or Gangnam), Club Heaven is located below right next to Artnouveau City Hotel.  Its rivals include Eden and Le Nuit Blanche, both of which are located to the south of the Han river, as well as Club Volume, located next to Crown Hotel in Itaewon (north side of the river).

Club Heaven sports state-of-the-art laser system as well as sound system to please the most audiophiles.  The club also features a few unique installation such as a confetti set that unleashes paper shower as shown below, and a thumping wooden dance floor, which is designed to make it seem like you’re dancing, even if you just stand on the floor.

Read on to see more club pictures, club reviews, directions and phone number!

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