Date-night cocktail bar in Gangnam: 3 drinks ranked by ABV at Ugly

Why we picked Ugly for our Gangnam date second round

Ugly is a cocktail bar on the 5th floor of a building near Gangnam Station. My boyfriend and I hadn't had a proper Gangnam date in a while, so we went here for our second round. We both enjoy a drink, so we were looking for a cocktail bar with a good atmosphere and ended up at Ugly. The interior feels like a fantasy novel, and with the high ceilings it felt like a really classy date.

Getting to Ugly and opening hours

Ugly is a 3-minute walk from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station (Shinbundang Line and Line 2). It's really close to the station, so it was easy to find. The building is right as you turn the corner, so you get there fast.

Daily 18:30 – 02:00 (next day)

Ugly is on the 5th floor, so you take the elevator up and you're right there when the doors open. Even the waiting area at the entrance is decorated in an antique style, and the exotic mood was lovely.

Ugly's duplex 2nd floor and constellation ceiling

The 2nd floor of Ugly is a duplex space with only 2-person tables, which suited a couple's date well. We were taken straight to a 2nd-floor seat, and the duplex layout with that medieval-fantasy interior looked so cool. From the 2nd floor you can watch the cocktails being made, which gives it a different kind of charm.

The ceiling at Ugly is embroidered with constellations. It's a little dim, but that eye-catching ceiling made the space even more appealing. The faint scent of incense was lovely too.

Ugly seating: group rooms, 2-person seats and luggage baskets

The tables inside come in 2- to 4-person sizes, and there are even 2 group rooms, so this cocktail bar seemed great for visiting with a group of friends. The 2nd floor only has 2-person tables, and they also provide a basket for your belongings.

The terrace at Ugly and the Gangnam night view

Ugly is on the top (5th) floor of the building, so there are terrace tables too, and coming in the evening the mood was wonderful.

If we come when it's a bit cooler, we'll definitely sit on the terrace. Seeing the Gangnam night view all at once was great too. The terrace has roomy 4-person seats, so it looked good for bigger groups.

Ugly's cocktail and snack menu

Ugly has a really wide range of distinctive cocktails. The menu is so varied that I filmed it as a video.

For snacks that go well with cocktails, there are things like a cheese plate and pizza. We only had about 3 cocktails and left it at that.

Berry Ugly and Pamplemousse: ABV and taste

Our first order was Ugly's Berry Ugly (12%) and Pamplemousse (15%). Pretzel snacks come as the complimentary snack.

Berry Ugly 12%

Berry Ugly is 12%, a strength anyone can enjoy comfortably. It's vodka packed with berry, lemon and guava flavors. I think women would love this cocktail. The glass is distinctive and the decorations on top of the crushed ice are varied, so the look was fantastic.

Pamplemousse 15%

Pamplemousse was 15%, about 3 points higher than Berry Ugly. It's full of London dry gin, Aperol, lemon, grapefruit and yuzu (Korean citron) flavors, so even though it's a bit stronger I enjoyed it. Dried grapefruit on top made it look good too.

The last glass, Moai 8%: tropical flavors

The last one we ordered, Ugly's Moai, was 8%. The tropical aroma was stronger than the previous two. It's Jamaican rum with banana, passion fruit, pineapple and mango flavors, so it feels like being in Hawaii.

The Moai cocktail looks so novel and cute that I kept wanting to take photos with it. The mood is good and there are lots of tasty cocktails, so it seems perfect for a blind date or a date.

My ranking of the three cocktails at Ugly

Of the three drinks at Ugly, my ranking was Pamplemousse > Berry Ugly > Moai. (That might be because I like drinks with a bit of a kick.) I'm sharing photos of the cocktails we ordered too, haha.

The mirror in front of Ugly's entrance was a great photo zone!

If you're looking for a cocktail bar with a good mood near Gangnam Station, or a bar that works for a blind-date second round, I recommend visiting Ugly at least once.