Quiet bar near Jonggak Station: perilla chicken hot pot at Ari Gyegok

I heard there was a Jonggak Station bar with a waterfall and valley recreated right in the middle of Jongno, so I headed to Ari Gyegok Jonggak (아리계곡 종각점) near Exit 4.

Ari Gyegok Jonggak at a glance

• Signature dishes: original chicken hot pot, spicy hangover chicken hot pot, perilla chicken hot pot
• Ordered today: perilla chicken hot pot, nurungji monkfish liver hoe
• Access: about 3 minutes on foot from Jonggak Station Exit 4
• Interior: a distinctive space shaped like a waterfall and valley
• Space: a spacious traditional bar spread across 1st and 2nd floors
• Mood: wood furniture and hanok-style details, a landscape-painting media wall blending tradition with modern sensibility
• Seating: wide table spacing with partitions, good for private meals
• A wide range of traditional-liquor side dishes
• Recommended: rich, nutty perilla-broth chicken hot pot and dishes using nurungji (scorched rice)

Why I chose Ari Gyegok as a bar near Jonggak Station

I was looking for a Jonggak Station bar that felt hip yet cozy, and I came across a place called Ari Gyegok haha. I was curious about the story of a waterfall and valley recreated inside the store, so I visited Ari Gyegok Jonggak near Exit 4.

I was there to drink, but I especially liked that the signature dish was a chicken hot pot, so it doubled as a nourishing meal too. Compared to other Jonggak Station bars around Jeolmeumui Geori (the Street of Youth), the table spacing was generous and the room wasn't echoey, so it was easy to focus on conversation.

It's great for a work dinner after getting off work, and it also suits a date or a Jonggak wedding-invitation gathering that wants a place with a bit of formality but still comfortable.

Ari Gyegok Jonggak location and opening hours

• Address: 41 Ujeongguk-ro 2-gil, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: about 188m, under 3 minutes on foot from Jonggak Station Exit 4
• Hours: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun 16:30–02:00 (last order 01:30), Fri/Sat 16:30–03:00 (last order 02:30)
• Closed: September 25 for Chuseok

Coming out of Jonggak Station Exit 4, walk a little down the alley lined with noraebang and izakaya signs and the tall vertical Ari Gyegok sign comes into view. Even at night, amid the surrounding neon, the Chinese-character and landscape-painting-style sign was easy to spot.

The exterior and entrance of Ari Gyegok Jonggak

The entrance is finished in calm black tones, with 'Ari Gyegok' written above. The moment I opened the door, the usual bustling noise of Jonggak disappeared, and I could instantly feel that this was a space where traditional sensibility and modern style were intricately blended.

What do the 1st and 2nd floors of Ari Gyegok Jonggak look like?

1st floor: stone monument and ink landscape painting

On the 1st floor, right past the entrance, a large stone monument engraved with 'Ari Gyegok' catches your eye first, next to the stairs.

The monument is also engraved with the image of Ari-sae, an imaginary bird, carrying the legend of Ari-sae who loved seeing people at peace, and Ari-gae who enjoyed a feast of delicacies all night long.

To match the cozy wood tones, a traditional cloud-filled landscape painting hangs on the wall, giving the place an Eastern, Korean-tavern feel.

2nd floor: window seats along the full-height glass

Going up to the 2nd floor, the mood shifts again. With high ceilings and soft wood-toned lighting, I felt cozy and stylish the moment I walked in. The lighting details woven throughout the space really brought out its distinctive, emotional atmosphere.

Especially the window seats overlooking the night streets of Jonggak through the full-length glass seemed perfect for a quiet chat on a date, haha.

With a blue-toned landscape painting nearby, it even gave off a healing feeling, like running into a valley in the middle of the city.

The lighting wasn't overly bright and stayed on warm tones, which made it easy to focus on conversation, and thanks to the heavy use of wood the space also carried a calm hanok feel. Even right in the middle of the busy Jonggak district, we weren't bothered by outside noise — this place really nailed the atmosphere.

Naver Reservation: how many people can book

Hall reservations run from 2 to 12 people, and private room reservations from 10 to 14 people.

Ari Gyegok Jonggak menu and prices

The signature side dishes are the original chicken hot pot ₩22,900, the spicy hangover chicken hot pot ₩23,900, and the perilla chicken hot pot ₩23,900.

• Pan-fried & fried dishes: chicken jeon (pan-seared) ₩10,900 / fluffy potato rice cake ₩12,900 / black-garlic fried chicken ₩13,900 / onion chicken ₩14,900 / chicken neck yurinchi ₩13,900 / whole pork fried chicken ₩18,900 / bubbling cheese potato jeon ₩18,900 / mud duck pancake ₩19,900
• Set menus: 2-person duck set ₩40,800 / vitality set (2 people) ₩39,700 / nourishing set (3 people) ₩57,600 / feast set (4–5 people) ₩77,500

For drinks, there are distilled traditional liquors like Hwayo (25%, ₩25,000 / 41%, ₩50,000), Dowon Gyeolui (15%, ₩15,000 / 25%, ₩18,000), and Seoul-ui Bam (₩15,000), along with yakju like Donghak (₩9,000), Maesil Wonju (₩15,000), and Gungjung Sul Wangju (₩13,000). There's also a highball made with omija (schisandra berry) infused liquor from ₩5,900 a glass, and soju and baekju were ₩6,000 each.

Perilla seed chicken hot pot, 23,900 won: how it tasted

The limited-run perilla chicken hot pot (₩23,900) was generously ground with perilla seeds, so the broth had a pretty thick, rich texture.

Fresh ginseng, eomnamu (elder tree), and jujube went in together, so a subtle herbal-medicine aroma spread through the broth — it felt like drinking and doing a body tonic at the same time, haha.

Since the chicken had been lightly seared beforehand, it cooked quickly, and once I tried it, the chicken was really tender.

The outside had a faint char-grilled aroma while the inside was moist and soft — I really loved that.

I dropped the second batch of chicken in right away. The broth was so rich and nutty from the perilla that as soon as the chicken went in, the thick broth soaked right in.

The nutty perilla flavor combined with the chicken made for a proper nourishing meal.

The broth was nutty and rich with a deep, thick flavor — truly a tonic dish. The deep flavor of the chicken had really infused into the broth, so I kept spooning it up.

Nurungji monkfish liver hoe, 22,900 won

The nurungji monkfish liver hoe came out with three components on one plate: hoe (raw sliced beef), soft monkfish liver, and crispy nurungji (scorched rice). The monkfish liver, which can sometimes have a fishy smell, was so smooth and rich you couldn't detect it at all, and the fresh hoe added savory depth.

On top of that, the crispy nurungji added a nutty crunch, so each bite layered three different textures together. It was also fun to crack it open myself, and eating the crunchy shattered nurungji together with the hoe and chicken hot pot worked really well with the nutty flavors.

Piling the hoe and monkfish liver on top of the nurungji and eating it all in one bite — the crispy nuttiness of the nurungji plus the soft, savory monkfish liver and hoe matched so well that my chopsticks kept going back for more.

What to check before visiting Ari Gyegok Jonggak

• Your entire party must have arrived before you can be seated.
• Reservations are automatically canceled if you're more than 10 minutes late.
• Reservable tables are limited to 10 per day.
• Groups of 15 or more must call the store directly (after 4pm) to inquire.
• If you need to wait on-site, remote waitlisting via Catch Table is recommended.

What sets Ari Gyegok apart, plus how to eat the nurungji

You order without calling staff over — just scan the QR code at each table and order directly from your phone. You can even check sold-out status in real time, so there's no confusion when ordering together, and it was convenient to add more items right when you wanted, with no waiting.

How to eat the nurungji (scorched rice)

Lightly cracking the nurungji with the small wooden mallet first, then topping it with hoe and monkfish liver, gave the best texture. A gentle tap with the mallet was enough to break it apart.

Once you've enjoyed the hoe, try dropping the leftover nurungji into the thick broth of the perilla chicken hot pot. Soaked in the broth, it turns into a thick, tonic-like porridge for a clean finish.

Adding extra nurungji felt less like an option and more like a near-must. Mixing the nutty, crispy nurungji into the chicken hot pot was so good I ended up scraping the pot clean to the last bite.

Frequently asked questions about Ari Gyegok Jonggak

What is the atmosphere like at Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

It's a Jonggak Station bar with a waterfall-and-valley theme, a blue-lit corridor, and a stone monument, with soft lighting and lots of wood giving it a quiet, hanok-like feel.

Is Ari Gyegok Jonggak loud?

The tables are spaced generously and the room isn't echoey, making it easier to focus on conversation than at most Jonggak Station bars.

How many floors of seating are there?

It's split across 1st and 2nd floors — the 1st floor has the Ari Gyegok stone monument and a blue-lit corridor, and the 2nd floor has a hall with bamboo blinds and neon wave lighting.

Can you book Ari Gyegok Jonggak by phone?

Phone reservations aren't accepted — only Naver Reservation. The hall takes 2–12 people, and the private room takes 10–14.

What are the signature dishes?

The three chicken hot pots — original, spicy hangover, and perilla — are the signature dishes, with the original chicken hot pot being a reinterpretation of baeksuk (whole boiled chicken).

Are the set menus cheaper than ordering separately?

Set menus like the vitality set, nourishing set, and feast set are sold at prices lower than ordering items individually.

Would I go back to Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

Both the perilla chicken hot pot and the nurungji monkfish liver hoe were satisfying, so I'd like to come back and try the other hot pot dishes too.

Final take on Ari Gyegok Jonggak

The waterfall-and-valley concept wasn't just a name — it flowed naturally through the whole space, from the entrance logo to the corridor lighting, the stone monument, and the neon wave lighting on the 2nd floor. It's rare to find a Jonggak Station bar this quiet and easy to talk in, so even right in the middle of the Jonggak Gwancheol-dong commercial district, I could relax comfortably.

I came for drinks but left feeling like a bowl of the perilla chicken hot pot broth had also given me a proper tonic meal, and it was great being able to order right away via the table QR codes without any waiting. If you're looking for a quiet Jongno bar for real conversation, or thinking about a spot for a Jonggak wedding-invitation gathering, Ari Gyegok Jonggak is worth a visit.