Nonhyeon pocha for spicy chicken feet and rice balls: Yeongdong Pocha

I had an evening appointment in Gangnam and wanted to catch up with friends over drinks and some good bar food. This time I went to Yeongdong Pocha!

I found this place while looking for a bar between Nonhyeon and Sinnonhyeon stations, and it has that relaxed pocha (Korean street-style pub) vibe rather than a typical bar feel, which made it perfect for drinking with friends. On nice-weather days you can also enjoy the outdoor yajang atmosphere, so the mood really picks up in the evening. It's known for having outdoor seating, and I saw reviews from people who went for drinking gatherings or company dinners, so it seemed like a good fit for groups too.

Where is Yeongdong Pocha, and what is the second-floor pocha like?

Yeongdong Pocha is a pocha on the 2nd floor of 51 Hakdong-ro 2-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an easy walk from both Nonhyeon and Sinnonhyeon stations. There are so many good restaurants and bars around Nonhyeon that just picking one is a chore. But that night I wanted somewhere a little more relaxed rather than sleek and quiet, and that's how I ended up at Yeongdong Pocha.

It's on the second floor, so you climb a staircase into a proper pocha-style space, and the atmosphere was better than I expected. You can eat indoors, and when the weather's nice there are seats with that outdoor yajang feel too — great for an evening drink. A lot of people doing company dinners around Nonhyeon prefer this kind of casual pocha style over a too-formal restaurant, so I think it'd suit anyone looking for a bar near Nonhyeon Station for a company dinner.

Here's Yeongdong Pocha's location. As you can see, it's right by the station.

The exterior alone had a vibe — I knew right away this was the place for tonight.

Genuinely antique and full of character. I couldn't believe a place like this exists in Gangnam.

As you can see, the interior has such a warm, familiar feel. That's exactly what a pocha should look like. This is really where you should be drinking.

We ordered a rice ball — do you know what the main dish was?

Yeongdong gukmul dakbal: bone-in or boneless chicken feet?

What we ordered that day was chicken feet! Yeongdong Pocha has a Yeongdong gukmul dakbal (broth chicken feet) menu item, and you can choose between bone-in and boneless. While deciding what to order for drinks, we figured — if you're at a pocha, you've got to get chicken feet — and ordered it right away.

The chicken feet we had that day really paired well with drinks. The signature chewy texture was there, and the spicy seasoning made you want to keep reaching for more with every sip. At first we ate one piece at a time slowly, but before long our chopsticks just kept going back to the chicken feet, haha.

Chicken feet really come alive more as a drinking snack than as a side dish with rice. When the spice hits, you take a sip, then grab another piece, and before you know it the conversation's gone on and on and the mood's gotten more relaxed. The slightly rowdy pocha atmosphere paired especially well with the chicken feet. If you're looking for somewhere to hang out and talk with friends rather than just eat quietly and leave, this seemed like a good spot.

Evening, when the outdoor yajang seats come alive

Yeongdong Pocha is easy to reach from Sinnonhyeon Station as well as Nonhyeon, so it should work well for anyone looking for a bar in this area. What I especially liked was being able to enjoy the outdoor yajang atmosphere!

When the weather turns cool these days, you kind of want to sit outside for a drink. That's when you look for a place with that outdoor yajang feel instead of an indoor bar, and Yeongdong Pocha was good for that. Recent reviews mention it as a good spot for outdoor drinks near Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's worth checking out if you're looking for a bar with outdoor seating near Sinnonhyeon.

Is Yeongdong Pocha good for a company dinner near Nonhyeon Station?

Yeongdong Pocha has both indoor and outdoor space, so you can pick based on group size and mood — a nice feature. When office workers pick a company dinner spot in Gangnam, the menu matters, but so does the atmosphere. Somewhere too upscale feels burdensome, and somewhere too cramped is hard for a big group.

The reviews confirm visits for drinking gatherings and company dinners, and the place is described as suitable for groups. So it seems like a good fit not just for friends but for colleagues grabbing drinks after work. A company dinner doesn't have to mean just meat, after all — ordering a few pocha dishes like chicken feet, stew, or pancakes and chatting over drinks works just as well.

A second-round bar too: the full range of drinking snacks

There are plenty of sleek, pretty bars these days, but sometimes a pocha-style place is what actually pulls you in — sitting at a table, ordering one dish, sipping drinks and chatting about anything. Yeongdong Pocha has that relaxed atmosphere, which made it especially good for visiting with friends. Time went by fast as we ate chicken feet and talked about this and that. The chicken feet paired well with drinks, and above all I liked that the mood didn't feel formal at all.

If you have an evening plan around Nonhyeon Station, you're often looking for a second-round spot after dinner, and a pocha-style place like Yeongdong Pocha works well for that too. With such a variety of dishes, it's good whether you just want a simple drink or want to make a full meal-plus-drinks night of it from the start!

Looking at the menu, besides the broth chicken feet there's crab stew, vongole soju stew, hagfish, and grilled dried pollack — plenty of dishes that go well with drinks. So it's not just about one dish; it looks great for a group where everyone picks their own snack to share.

Yeongdong Pocha: the verdict

Yeongdong Pocha was a good pick for a casual drink near Nonhyeon and Sinnonhyeon stations. The spicy, chewy chicken feet we had paired so well with drinks that we kept picking at it while talking. If you love the yajang atmosphere, I'd recommend visiting on a nice day to enjoy the outdoor seating.

From office workers looking for a company dinner spot near Nonhyeon Station, to friends wanting a casual drink, to anyone looking for outdoor yajang seating near Sinnonhyeon Station — this place seemed to suit each of those purposes well. Personally, I love this kind of pocha mood, ordering chicken feet and having a drink. If you're in the Nonhyeon area and feel like a relaxed drink today, Yeongdong Pocha is worth a stop.