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Haebangchon & Gyeongnidan
The hill start. Serious whisky, Korean spirits, a record bar or two, and Itaewon waiting at the bottom of the slope.
Designed rarity: about 9% of takers
You want a real drink and a real conversation before anything loud, and you would rather a night build than start at full volume. Haebangchon was second only to Itaewon in our survey, and it is the best first stop in the city when a club is where you might end up rather than where you have to start. Bartenders who trained abroad opened here because the rents made sense, so the whisky lists are serious and the Korean spirits are worth the detour.
Bars fill from eight. There is no cover; your money goes on cocktails and a proper meal. Sinheung Market is the heart of it, and the slope down to Itaewon-ro is a ten-minute walk when the night wants more. Noksapyeong is Line 6, the hill is steep, and a taxi back up at three is worth every won of the surcharge.
Your strength
The best start to any night in the city, and a complete night on its own if the club never happens.
Your blind spot
Nobody is dancing up here. If you need a floor by midnight, you will have to walk down for it.
Key takeaways
- No cover anywhere. Spend on the drink and the meal.
- Start at Sinheung Market; the hill decides the rest.
- Walk down to Itaewon after midnight if the night wants a floor.
Rooms to try in Seoul
- Seoul Community Radio, Haebangchon: The bar where the underground goes on air. Residents, guests and a crowd that knows the records.
- Seoul Vinyl, Haebangchon: Records on the shelves and on the deck, up the Sinheung-ro slope.
- Boogie Woogie, Haebangchon: A second-floor room on Hoenamu-ro where the night slows down with the right music on.
Rooms to try around the world
- Club der Visionaere, Berlin: A deck by the canal where talking with good music nearby is the whole idea.
- Brilliant Corners, London: A listening bar that proves a night can be about the system without a dancefloor.
- Bar Part Time, San Francisco: Records, wine and a room built for the hour before the club.
Your nearest types
Read next: Haebangchon: the neighbourhood that never fully slept