Late-night izakaya in Apgujeong Rodeo: tare-grilled eel at Gatpo Karin

This time I got a great chance to visit Gatpo Karin (갓포 카린) in Apgujeong. It's a place my friends had recommended a bunch as an Apgujeong Rodeo go-to, so honestly I was pretty excited even before going. I'd especially been looking for somewhere a bit more atmospheric than the usual izakaya, but that still serves proper cooked dishes.

Among Apgujeong izakayas, Gatpo Karin kept coming up as a place with a wide menu and a good vibe. I was curious to see it for myself, so I decided to properly enjoy the experience this time.

Gatpo Karin at a glance: address, hours and parking

• Name: Gatpo Karin
• Location: 4th floor, Wednesday Building, 12 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 17:00–02:00 (last order 00:30)
• Parking: Valet available, ₩5,000 for first 2 hours / ₩5,000 per additional hour
• A Japanese specialty restaurant serving a range of gappo (kappo) dishes including sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, and futomaki
• A wide menu spanning both seafood and meat dishes
• Open kitchen and counter seats where you can watch the cooking up close
• Private rooms available, good for dates, gatherings, and meals alike
• A modern, warm Japanese dining spot within walking distance of Apgujeong Rodeo Station

How far is Gatpo Karin from Apgujeong Rodeo Station, and is there valet?

Gatpo Karin is located near Exit 5 of Apgujeong Rodeo Station. Since it's within walking distance from the station, it's easy to reach by public transit too.

Parking around Apgujeong can be a hassle when making plans, but Gatpo Karin offers valet, which makes driving there convenient. There's a valet booth in front of the Dosan Jeonggyuk entrance on the building's 1st floor. Valet costs ₩5,000 for 2 hours, then ₩5,000 per additional hour. If you're looking for an Apgujeong Rodeo spot and thinking of driving, this is worth keeping in mind!

The easy-to-miss entrance on the 4th floor

Gatpo Karin sits on the 4th floor of the building, so it's not the kind of place that jumps out at you while walking by. If anything, that made it feel like the sort of spot only insiders know about.

There seem to be quite a few hidden gems tucked away in the back alleys of Apgujeong like this. I only found out about it through friends, so I imagine a lot of the customers are regulars or people who heard about it by word of mouth — rather than a flashy, eye-catching storefront, this

kind of find-it-if-you-know-it feel actually made me more curious about it.

Inside Gatpo Karin: private rooms for group gatherings

Walking into Gatpo Karin, the space is split into hall tables and rooms. Overall it felt clean and comfortable, and the lighting and mood were nice for having a drink.

What stood out most was that there were more private rooms than I expected. If you want to eat and drink somewhere private, this could be great — good for dates, but also for gatherings with friends or a quiet drinking session.

When you're looking for an Apgujeong izakaya, atmosphere matters but so does the seating layout, and this place did well on that front. There's also a separate smoking booth on the terrace, which is convenient for smokers.

Gatpo Karin's menu and the two dishes we chose for round two

Once seated and looking through the menu, there were far more options than I expected — sashimi moriawase, a special sushi platter, abalone-innard pasta, Karin futomaki, whole freshwater eel, Korean beef striploin steak, and more, all centered around Japanese cuisine.

Going through the menu one dish at a time gave me a bit of decision paralysis since there was so much I wanted to try. The aged sashimi, miso-grilled Patagonian toothfish, and abalone-innard pasta all caught my eye especially.

But since we were there as a second round that day, we weren't super hungry. After some thought, we ordered two things: a full plate of Karin futomaki and a whole freshwater eel in tare flavor. True to its reputation as an Apgujeong Rodeo favorite, the menu felt less like a place to just drink and more like somewhere you go to actually pick and enjoy dishes.

The complimentary rice crackers served before the food

After ordering, they brought out a basic snack while we waited. At first glance I thought it was just a light complimentary bite, but once I started eating, my hand kept reaching for more.

Salty and crunchy — exactly the kind of thing that's perfect to pick at while having a drink! It kept our mouths busy before the main dishes arrived. This kind of basic snack isn't anything super special, but somehow an izakaya feels incomplete without one. We were chatting and picking away at it, and it disappeared pretty fast.

Karin futomaki: why the full plate beats the half

Then the futomaki (thick sushi roll) we'd been waiting for arrived. To cut to the chase — I'd really recommend this one!! I'd briefly considered ordering just a half plate since it was our second round, but I'm glad we went with the full plate.

Inside was packed generously with sushi, fried shrimp, and various other fillings. Taking a bite, each ingredient came together in harmony rather than fighting for attention, and the seasoning had a nicely balanced umami depth.

With futomaki, having lots of fillings can sometimes make the flavor muddled or let one ingredient dominate, but this one had really solid overall balance. Even though we weren't that hungry, we kept picking away piece by piece — personally, if I had to pick just one dish to order again at an Apgujeong izakaya, this would be it. If you visit Gatpo Karin, go for the full plate of futomaki, not the half!

Whole freshwater eel: tare sauce or shio salt?

Next came the whole freshwater eel. We chose the tare (sweet soy glaze) flavor over shio (salt). It's grilled over charcoal with a sauce made from eel bones and stock, and eating it, you could tell it had been cleaned meticulously — there was almost no fishy taste.

The eel itself wasn't chewy at all and had a nice, soft texture. Paired with the sweet-salty tare sauce, it worked really well. Eel can be a hit-or-miss dish for some people because of its distinct smell, but this version was easy to enjoy without any of that.

We ordered the futomaki and eel to split between the four of us, and in the end we cleaned both plates completely. Considering we weren't that hungry as a second-round stop, finishing everything so cleanly says a lot about how good both dishes were.

Is Gatpo Karin worth a second visit?

Overall, Gatpo Karin was satisfying across the board — atmosphere, menu, and taste. This time, as a second-round visit, we only tried the futomaki and eel, but both were so good that it made me even more curious about the rest of the menu.

The aged sashimi, miso-grilled Patagonian toothfish, and abalone-innard pasta on the menu all looked like they'd be delicious too. With well-set-up private rooms and a good overall atmosphere, it seems like a solid choice for dates, group gatherings, or just a quiet drink.

Being close to Apgujeong Rodeo Station and offering valet parking was also a plus. Next time, I'd like to come back as a proper first-round visit instead of a second round, and work my way through the dishes I missed this time. Wanting to go back right after finishing the meal says a lot about how satisfied I was.

If you're looking for an Apgujeong izakaya with a good atmosphere and an Apgujeong Rodeo spot where the food is genuinely good too, Gatpo Karin is worth a visit :)

Who Gatpo Karin is best for

• Anyone looking for a good Apgujeong Rodeo restaurant with a nice atmosphere
• Anyone looking for an Apgujeong izakaya with a wide variety of dishes
• Anyone looking for a bar with a good vibe for dates or blind dates
• Anyone who wants to enjoy a gathering or drinks in a private room
• Anyone looking for an Apgujeong spot with valet parking