Sinjungdong beer bar: grilled squid and ice mango at Geumbyeol Beer

Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong (금별맥주 신중동점) is a bar in the food alley near Sinjungdong Station in Bucheon. After dinner, we were walking through the alley toward the station when we stumbled on it. The mood was just right for a casual round two, and the icy draft beer and tasty snacks won me over, so here's my story.

Where is Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong, and when is it open?

Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong is at 25 Jomaru-ro 297beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on the first floor. It's open until the early morning, so it works for late rounds two and three too.

• Mon–Thu: 17:00 – 05:00 (next day)
• Fri: 17:00 – 06:00 (next day)
• Sat: 16:00 – 06:00 (next day)
• Sun: 16:00 – 05:00 (next day)

What's the atmosphere like at Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong?

The interior is retro, with flashy chandeliers and dark wood furniture. The chandeliers and wooden pieces are the first things you see when you walk in, and it felt like time-traveling back to the late 19th-century opening-of-the-ports era. It was a great setting for a moody drink.

Outdoor tables in the Sinjungdong food alley (yajang)

Since the bar is in the Sinjungdong food alley, the outdoor tables let us enjoy the lively street atmosphere. On a nice day, drinking outside beats sitting indoors.

Geumbyeol Beer menu and the prices of what we ordered

Geumbyeol Beer is known as a great place for anju (drinking snacks), and it sells plenty of signature dishes: butter-steamed clams, tomato hangover pasta, even crispy pastry pizza. There was a wide range that works as either a meal or a snack. We had already eaten dinner, so I picked lighter items.

• Tender grilled hanchi squid ₩21,000
• Sweet ice mango ₩12,900
• Draft beer 380cc ₩4,500
• Slushy draft beer 500cc ₩4,900
• Peach highball ₩7,900

Is the grilled squid good for round-two snacks?

The complimentary snack at Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong is a bowl of lightly salty crackers.

We weren't very hungry, so I ordered grilled hanchi squid (₩21,000) as a light snack. They brought scissors and tongs along with it, so there was no need to ask, which made it easy to dig in.

With mayonnaise and Cheongyang chili peppers on the side, it was rich with a faint kick of heat, and I kept reaching for more. The squid was tender and chewy, a good match for beer.

Is the ice mango a good dessert for a drinking night?

The ice mango (₩12,900) comes with big mango cubes topped with vanilla ice cream and cheese cubes, and it looked refreshing just sitting there.

It melted coolly in my mouth with the first bite, and the sweet mango and soft vanilla ice cream went really well together.

If you're craving something sweet while drinking, it's a good one to add to your order. It also worked nicely as a palate-cleansing dessert.

Our kid enjoyed the ice mango too, then headed straight out with Grandma to browse a supermarket. While our child spent time with Grandma, my dad, my husband and I got to enjoy a relaxed round two with a beer for the first time in ages. Good snacks and cold draft beer ended the day on a happy note.

How do the slushy draft beer and peach highball taste?

If you come to Geumbyeol Beer, definitely order the slushy draft beer (500cc, ₩4,900). It arrives in a special glass that looks cold just by sight, packed with ice slush, and it was wonderfully refreshing from the first sip. Drinking it in the sweltering weather felt like the whole day's fatigue washed away.

Draft beer is great, but I'd also recommend the peach highball (₩7,900). A subtle peach aroma plus a zingy fizz made it feel less like alcohol and more like a refreshing peach ade. If you like sweet drinks, you'll be happy with it.

Cheers with cold draft beer and a peach highball! 🍻

Final verdict: Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong, a Bucheon Sinjungdong bar

If you're looking for a bar in Bucheon's Sinjungdong, Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong satisfied on atmosphere, snacks and drinks alike. The slushy draft beer and peach highball suited the hot weather especially well, and the grilled squid and ice mango were nice light orders. It's easy to visit for round one or round two, and with outdoor tables, it was a great spot in the Sinjungdong food alley to soak in a summer night.