Jongno bar for roast chicken and rosé gnocchi: Sudowonui Bimil

I recently went back to Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo (수도원의 비밀 저장고), a Jongno bar I'd introduced once before. It's one of my favorite places for both atmosphere and food, and one I genuinely want to bring friends to — this repeat visit was just as satisfying, so let me introduce it again for anyone looking for a date spot or group dinner bar around Jongak.

Where is Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo? Underground on Jongak's Street of Youth

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is located near Jongak Station's Street of Youth. You have to head down to the basement from the entrance, and that descent alone gives you the feeling of tracking down a genuinely hidden cellar, just like the name suggests. There are plenty of bars in Jongno, but places with this clear a concept are rarer than you'd think — so the atmosphere sticks with you from the first visit.

Interior mood — like a medieval cellar

The interior has a really unique, mysterious vibe. I once visited Tallinn, a medieval city in Estonia, and the moment I walked in I was reminded of that atmosphere. Overall it feels like an old European monastery or a medieval-era cellar, which sets it clearly apart from a typical Jongno bar!

Seating that works for group dinners too

Seating ranges from bar tables to regular tables, and there's also a space set up for group use. Every time I've gone it's been pretty crowded — plenty of couples, but also lots of friend groups and casual group visits. So if you're looking for a group dinner spot near Jongno or Gwanghwamun that isn't too stiff, this one's worth putting on the list.

Menu lineup and recommendations

The menu is fairly varied. I've tried several dishes here so far, and my personal top pick is the pork ribs. They're so tender and delicious that they stuck with me from my very first visit! I've heard the chef used to work at a Hilton hotel in New Zealand, and maybe that's why — every dish I've had here feels like the sauces and sides got just as much attention as the main.

Wine and even Belgian beer — the drinks lineup

Personally I feel like the atmosphere at Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo pairs especially well with wine. Of course it's not just wine — they carry a wide range of drinks. I was surprised to find Belgian beer here too, one I remember loving in Belgium and that's hard to find in Korea.

24-hour low-temperature aged roast chicken, reviewed

This is the roast chicken I ordered. It's made after 24 hours of low-temperature aging, and like the ribs, it comes with a salad, fries, and two sauces alongside the main. The portion was generous enough to share as a drinking snack among several people.

The roast chicken was really tender and delicious. The outside was crispy while the meat inside stayed moist, so the texture was great. But honestly, what I love here isn't just the main dish — it's the fries and sauces. The fries are fried up nice and crispy, and the accompanying sauces aren't ordinary at all, so I kept dipping into them. From the main to the sides to the sauces, everything feels carefully thought through.

I've already come back several times, and what I notice every time is that the basic food quality here is quite solid. The main dishes are tasty, but I especially like that even the fries and sauces — parts that could easily be an afterthought — come out delicious.

How was the rosé gnocchi?

This time I also ordered the rosé gnocchi. Gnocchi is a dish that's easy to get wrong — too mushy or too floury — so it can be hit or miss, but the gnocchi here was genuinely better than expected. The texture was really chewy and the rosé sauce was rich and delicious, to the point I kept eating the sauce even after finishing the gnocchi! Ordering one meat dish like the roast chicken alongside the rosé gnocchi seems like a pretty great combo.

Wrap-up

I've been to plenty of bars in Jongno, but Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo keeps coming to mind because the concept is so clear and the food is genuinely good. If you're looking for something beyond the usual hof or izakaya, I'd recommend this one — and if you want a casual Jongak-station bar with a bit of an edge, I highly recommend Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo!