Euljiro solo bar in Seoul with hourly card-draw seat swaps: Uyeon

Sometimes when you're traveling or on a work trip to Seoul, you just want a simple drink but aren't sure where to go. I wanted somewhere I could naturally mingle with strangers, and that search led me to Uyeon, a bar in Euljiro known as a great spot for solo drinking.

I live in Daegu, and I stumbled onto this place while traveling in Seoul. I was worried sitting alone at a bar might feel awkward, but thanks to the seat-rotating system, I ended up having a way more comfortable time than expected.

• 📍 Uyeon, 3rd floor, 40 Toegye-ro 27-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🕐 7:30 PM – 4:00 AM (walk-ins welcome)

Where is Uyeon, and can you walk in without a reservation?

Uyeon is tucked inside an alley in Euljiro, on the 3rd floor of a building. Walking in without a reservation wasn't a problem at all.

A banner and chalkboard sign at the entrance made it easy to find without wandering around.

Getting into Uyeon: entry and wait time

When I visited, there was a bit of a wait.

A staff member seated us at the bar table so my friend and I could chat over a cocktail while waiting. Before long, a seat opened up and we moved right in.

How does the card-draw seat rotation work?

The seat-rotating concept is Uyeon's biggest signature feature. You draw a card placed at each table to get assigned a seat, and...

...after about an hour, you draw again and move to a new seat.

Keycaps at Uyeon that break the ice

Uyeon has a variety of keycaps set up at each seat. You know those awkward silences that pop up mid-conversation sometimes? Pressing a keycap is a nice little way to switch up the mood~

I ended up pressing them together with the person next to me, haha, it worked well.

How to order: table QR codes

Every table at Uyeon has a QR code attached, and scanning it let me order from the menu and pay right away.

I didn't have to flag down staff, and since payment was handled all at once, I could keep ordering without feeling like I was piling up a tab.

Uyeon's cocktails: taste and alcohol strength

Uyeon's cocktails come topped with a lemon slice, which gave them a fresher, cleaner taste. There was a good range of options depending on how strong you wanted your drink.

The lower-proof signature cocktails went down smoothly. There was a good variety of menu items to pick from depending on your mood that day!

Was drinking alone at Uyeon comfortable?

Uyeon has a nearly even mix of men and women, which made the atmosphere feel much more natural and fun. The people I chatted with also came from all kinds of jobs, so there was never a shortage of things to talk about.

I found it true that this is a fun place to go alone, and the friend I brought had way more fun than she expected. We even talked about coming back again.

Drink coupon and paying the bill

If you make a reservation and visit Uyeon, you get a drink coupon at entry, and each coupon covers up to ₩16,000 worth of drinks.

If you go as a walk-in, you just order directly without the coupon option, and payment is handled all at once when you leave.

Final verdict on Uyeon in Euljiro

To sum up, if you're looking for a good solo bar in Euljiro, Seoul, I'd recommend Uyeon. The seat-rotating system made for a genuinely fun time even alone, and the QR ordering and payment system was convenient too — overall a satisfying visit.

I stumbled onto this place by chance while traveling in Seoul, but it's somewhere I'd love to visit again.