Restaurants, Bars, Clubs and Nightlife in Seoul, Korea

Lound is amongst the new players in Cheongdam-dong area, known to be a destrict with luxurious upscale bars, restaurants and lounges. I rated mojitos from this place to be one of the better ones you can find in Seoul, and their other cocktails certainly do not disappoint.

I tried their Rose Lychee Martini which was a pleasant surprise. Their apple martini was also expectedly reasonable as well. Then again if you are paying 20,000 Won for a cocktail you wouldn’t expect it to be nothing short of brilliant.

So what does the place actually look like and where is it? What is with all the hype about Lound, which seems to be taking business away from S-bar, an establishment which stood the test of time for more than 10 years?

Read more after the jump.

The venue has 4 floors, with the first floor exuding quieter wine-bar-esque ambiance. The second floor is an open space with tables with more of a lounge-feel to it. The whole building in general boasts stylish modern white interior. The third floor has a few more tables and is set up almost like a VIP floor of a club where you can look down on the second floor. The forth floor has spacious rooms with karaoke machines and for private gatherings.

I sat near the corner of the second floor. Lound has a very interesting and over-the-top this-place-is-so-awesome kind of a menu where there is a small LCD screen built into the menu! Sure, the menu is a plank of plastic to accommodate the screen, and it weighs good five pounds or so, but hey, we gotta do what we gotta do to make it as stylish and high-tech as possible right?

That set aside… The price… damn, it’s 20 dollars a cocktail, without 10% VAT… That means it’s 22,000 Won of damage to your conscience.

We ordered a Rose Lychee Martini and an Apple Martini anyways. The drinks came out relatively quickly, and the lychee martini was especially brilliant. They had small chunks of lychee floating around the drink and as you take a sip you would also chew on bits of it. They definitely didn’t use canned lychee syrup as I had tasted in other bars I visited. I found bits of lychee to be refreshing and it wasn’t too sweet for my liking. I would recommend it if you are willing to pay 22,000 for a cocktail.

Apple martini was also very satisfying as well. Just before getting here, I had an apple martini half the price of the one in Lound in a bar near Gangnam station just before coming here… But trust me, I would prefer to have one cocktail at this price than to have 2 of the halfer ones.

It wasn’t my first time here, and the quality of cocktails never disappointed me. Lound definitely isn’t for your buddies to come out for a round of beer, but rather, a reasonably secluded place where you take your close friends out for a cocktail or two.

Steps in the staircase aren’t made out of wood, but marble. There is a waiter waiting to escort you to your seat at every floor. They ask if you need a cab as you leave the establishment, and if you request for one, they call the black cabs by default.

Definitely one of the nicer chillabouts in Cheongdam area. So yeah, this is where you start the night, not where you end your night (and I am sure your wallet will agree).

It was obvious Lound was not your typical bar in Gangnam Stn. or an alley of Hongdae. Everything about the interior, service and of course the quality of drinks screamed Cheongdam-dong, an expensive but worthwhile place to visit.

Directions: Right beside S-Bar.

Now, where is S-bar? If you are at the Designer Club side of the Rodeo Street entrance in Apgujeong, cross the street and walk uphill. Look to your left and make a left right before 74 Cafe/Lounge. Keep walking straight and it is on your right after you pass S-Bar. You can’t miss the bright color-changing LED sign.