Hongdae cocktail bar for an after-work dinner date: Madame X, Rosetta

Hi, it's Beomda, a thirty-something newlywed. :) Today I timed dinner with my husband's finish at work and made it a date at Rosetta, a cocktail bar in Hongdae. The place looks lovely from the outside, so I was excited before we even got there.

Where is Rosetta, the Hongdae cocktail bar?

Rosetta is at 35 Eoulmadang-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor, open daily from 18:00 to 05:00 the next day. There are 2 parking spots in front (ask in advance), or you can use a paid lot nearby, and Naver reservations are available.

It sits roughly between Sangsu Station and Hapjeong Station, with Hapjeong Station a little closer. Come out of Hapjeong Station Exit 3 and walk, and it's easy to find.

The red awning and gold sign made the outside look like a little bar on a European side street.

Rosetta's interior: is it good for a date?

Inside, Rosetta has antique red-toned décor with famous paintings on the walls, and offers bar seats, tables and room seating. I got there before my husband, and the moment I walked in I thought, "Oh, this is a great place for a date!"

With the red antique interior and paintings all around, it felt like a small gallery. There were bar seats, tables and even rooms, and the staff kindly showed us to our seats.

Rosetta menu and prices

Rosetta's signature cocktails follow a famous-painting series at ₩21,000–25,000 a glass, and plates and pasta run in the ₩18,000–24,000 range. The menu had a classic design that matched the bar's mood.

Signature cocktails (famous-painting series)

• Water Lily Pond (8%) — ₩21,000
• Summer Sunlight (8%) — ₩21,000
• Madame X (14%) — ₩23,000
• Dream (10.7%) — ₩22,000
• The Scream (32%) — ₩25,000
• The Gleaners (7%) — ₩22,000
• Magpie and Tiger (6%) — ₩22,000
• Dancer on the Stage (14%) — ₩23,000

Plates and pasta

• Burrata cheese with peach tomatoes — ₩19,000
• Butter-roasted baby potatoes with jamón — ₩21,000
• Orange prosciutto salad — ₩23,000
• Fruit and cheese platter — ₩18,000
• Rosé mac and cheese — ₩18,000
• Pumpkin cream gnocchi — ₩22,000
• Cuttlefish ragu linguine — ₩24,000
• Spinach and whelk conchiglie — coming soon

Daily drinks and the Discovering menu

• Inedit Damm draft beer — ₩12,000
• Maker's Mark highball — ₩14,000
• Gin and tonic — ₩15,000
• Timeless Classic (a cocktail recommended to your taste) — from ₩18,000
• Whisky Trilogy, 3 glasses (45ml) — ₩42,000 (regularly ₩58,000; Royal Brackla 18, Angel's Envy bourbon, Dewar's Double Double 21)

Classic cocktails

• Italicus Tonic ₩21,000 / Bergamot Bamboo ₩22,000 / Pisco Sour ₩23,000 / Milk Maid ₩24,000
• Second Serve ₩22,000 / White Linen ₩22,000 / Bicycle Thief ₩23,000 / Ramos Gin Fizz ₩28,000
• Macunaíma ₩22,000 / Kingston Club ₩23,000 / Jungle Bird ₩24,000 / Penicillin ₩24,000
• Negroni ₩22,000 / Old Fashioned ₩24,000 / Easy Speak ₩24,000 / Sazerac ₩26,000
• Jack Rose ₩22,000 / Bellissimo Aperitivo ₩23,000 / Boulevardier ₩24,000 / Manhattan ₩24,000
• Walnut Eggnog ₩22,000 / Amaretto Sour ₩23,000 / Grasshopper No.2 ₩24,000 / Rum Espresso ₩26,000

Whisky and brandy

• House whisky bottles: from Maker's Mark at ₩180,000 up to Glenmorangie Signet at ₩740,000 (refills of soda and ice, a truffle chocolate and fruit petit platter included, 3-month storage)
• Single malt whisky: from ₩17,000 a glass (Laphroaig 10, Bowmore 12, Talisker 10) to ₩74,000 (Arran 17 Calvados Cask); no extra charge if you order it as a highball
• Blended, Japanese and more: Johnnie Walker Green Label ₩17,000, Hibiki Harmony ₩22,000, Yamazaki 12 ₩38,000, Balvenie 21 Port Cask ₩78,000, Octomore 17.3 ₩80,000 and others
• American whiskey: from Jefferson's at ₩16,000 to Booker's at ₩36,000
• Brandy: Martell VSOP ₩17,000, Hennessy VSOP ₩18,000, Hennessy XO ₩52,000 and others

I heard the signature cocktails take famous paintings as motifs and change each time. "Rosetta" means little rose, so apparently there's always at least one rose cocktail among the signatures.

What we ordered on our after-work date

• Madame X — ₩23,000
• Summer Sunlight — ₩21,000
• Pumpkin cream gnocchi — ₩22,000
• Butter-roasted baby potatoes with jamón — ₩21,000

The total came to ₩87,000.

What kind of cocktail is Madame X?

Rosetta's Madame X (₩23,000) is a 14% wine-based cocktail inspired by Sargent's portrait "Madame X." It's made with ruby port wine, lychee, rose, hibiscus and oak chips.

It comes with an edible perfume made from roses and hibiscus. You spray it near the glass, smell it first, then take a sip.

The rose scent spread fragrantly the moment I sipped, and behind the sweetness of the port there was a faint woody note, so it was a glass I wanted to savor slowly. It was the most memorable cocktail of the night, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes floral scents.

What does the Summer Sunlight cocktail taste like?

Rosetta's Summer Sunlight (₩21,000) is an 8% cocktail inspired by a painting of a woman reading on the beach. It has yuzu, Korean pear, lemongrass and kefir yogurt with some fizz added, so it's light and easy to drink.

The yuzu and lemongrass come first, and the pear and fizz make the finish refreshing, so it really matched its name. It comes with seasoned seaweed (gim) as a garnish, which is meant to express the saltiness of the sea breeze.

Take a cool sip, then a bite of the salty seaweed cracker, and that sweet-and-salty combo keeps tempting you more than you'd expect.

Is the pumpkin cream gnocchi too rich?

Rosetta's pumpkin cream gnocchi (₩22,000) is potato gnocchi in a cream made from pumpkin purée and crème fraîche, with sage and chorizo oil added.

The pumpkin cream was really smooth, with the subtle sweetness pumpkin is known for.

The cream clung nicely to the chewy gnocchi, and the chorizo oil added a little savory depth, so it never felt heavy and I could finish it all.

The sauce was so good that I scraped the plate clean at the end.

Why order the baby potatoes with jamón alongside the gnocchi

Rosetta's butter-roasted baby potatoes with jamón (₩21,000) are moist butter-roasted baby potatoes topped with jamón and pecorino cheese, served with an apricot honey reduction.

The potatoes are nutty outside and fluffy inside, and when you top them with salty jamón, the sweet-and-sour sauce ties it together. The combination was really good.

Dipping the potatoes into the gnocchi's pumpkin sauce was great too, so I recommend ordering the two dishes together.

A Hongdae cocktail bar worth returning to for an anniversary

None of the food at Rosetta had a flavor that jumped out; everything was subtle, and the dishes went well together.

Elegant food plus special cocktails made it a much more special time than an ordinary dinner. I definitely want to come back with my husband on our next anniversary.

If you're planning a date at a Hongdae cocktail bar with a great atmosphere, take a look at Rosetta. It was another grateful day with delicious food. :)