Gangnam Station jazz bar 7-course with beef cheek lasagna: Flat Nine

I got back from a trip to Seoul not long ago, and while I was there I had a special dinner with a friend. Flat Nine (플랫나인), the place we went near Gangnam Station, lets you enjoy a course meal while watching a sweet live jazz show. It's also known as a bar with a great mood, and it was a lovely spot to spend time over good food. From the jazz to the pasta and the course, my eyes, ears and mouth were all happy, so let me tell you about Flat Nine.

Where is Flat Nine near Gangnam Station, and when is it open?

Flat Nine is on the 5th floor at 10 Gangnam-daero 65-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 342m from Gangnam Station Exit 10. It's open 18:00–23:00 on weekdays and 15:00–24:00 on Saturday and Sunday, with a break from 17:40 to 18:00 on weekends.

What kind of jazz bar is Flat Nine?

Flat Nine is a Gangnam Station restaurant where you can enjoy sweet live jazz together with a full dining menu. The jazz-inspired, upscale interior and a carefully designed sound system come together, and it feels like you've stepped into a scene from a movie.

What sets Flat Nine apart: the stage and the seating flow naturally into each other, so you can watch lively live performances while eating pasta and a course meal. It also has 9 jazz-inspired signature cocktails and a list of 200+ wines, whiskies, cognacs and other drinks. It suits a date, an anniversary or anyone looking for a Gangnam Station bar with a good mood.

What time are the live jazz shows at Flat Nine?

The jazz shows run like this: Monday to Thursday, one set at 20:00; Friday, sets at 19:00 and 21:40; Saturday, sets at 16:00, 19:00 and 21:40; Sunday, sets at 16:00 and 19:00. You can check the schedule on Flat Nine's Instagram.

Inside Flat Nine: bar counter and table seating

The interior is classy and stylish, and you feel something special the moment you walk in. There's a stage at the front for the live jazz, set up so you can watch the performance up close.

Seating ranges from a bar-style counter (dachi seats) to tables for 2, 4 and 6, so it's easy to fit whatever size group you come with.

Plates and a kiosk were already neatly set on the table. There was soft table lighting and even a cute hand cream, so you could feel the care in every little detail.

Flat Nine menu and the price of the course for two

The menu runs from course meals to à la carte dishes. With steak, pasta and plenty of other dining options, it's easy to choose to your taste, and the signature cocktails and 200+ drinks widen the choice even more. Flat Nine is a Gangnam Station spot where you can pair a drink you like with your meal and enjoy jazz at the same time.

What we ordered was the course for two at ₩138,000. It's a 7-course meal to enjoy with the jazz show.

What's in Flat Nine's 7-course set for two?

Amuse-bouche: bonito bavarois and Gouda gougère

The amuse-bouche that opens the course came as two items.

The first was a soft bonito (katsuo) bavarois topped with caviar, asparagus and a crispy spring roll chip, small but delicately presented. It melted in the mouth, and the salty savoriness of the caviar and the crunch of the spring roll chip made for lots of different textures.

The Gouda gougère came with truffle custard cream, with a rich, nutty cheese flavor and a lovely truffle aroma spreading softly.

Bread: brioche with butter and Maldon salt

The brioche, baked fresh every day, came with butter and Maldon salt. Golden brown, it was slightly crisp outside and fluffy and soft inside, and the nutty flavor came through the more I chewed.

Spreading on the soft butter made the flavor even richer, and the saltiness of the Maldon salt brought out the nuttiness even more.

Entrée: cauliflower gangjeong (sweet-glazed fried cauliflower)

The cauliflower gangjeong (a Korean-style sweet crispy glazed dish) is a cauliflower dish with celeriac and parsnip purée and a honey tuile. Golden-cooked cauliflower topped with a thin, delicate honey tuile made for a stylish plate.

Crisp outside and soft inside, the textures balanced well, and the gentle sweetness and nutty flavor of the celeriac and parsnip purée made it even smoother to eat.

Primi: beef cheek lasagna

The beef cheek lasagna is layered with mushroom duxelles and béchamel, served with chili con carne and parsnip chips. Sauce and garnish were placed precisely on top of the many layers, and I loved the luxurious look right away.

The beef cheek, which tasted slow-cooked, fell apart softly with a deep meaty aroma, and the nutty, creamy flavor was in harmony. The lasagna stayed moist too, so the taste was rich and full.

Palate cleanser: basil sorbet

Before the main, a basil sorbet came out as a palate cleanser. The fizzy sparkle and the flavor of olive powder came together and left my mouth refreshed, which was great for moving on to the next course.

Main: Iberico steak

The main is Iberico steak of the cebo de campo grade. The nicely grilled steak came with Gruyère cheese sauce, pork jus and grilled button mushrooms, a classy plating.

I cut a piece and tasted it: the inside was juicy and tender, and the deep meaty aroma typical of Iberico came through the more I chewed.

The deep, nutty Gruyère cheese sauce and the rich savoriness of the pork jus lifted the steak even more. Alternating the different sauces and garnishes, I got several flavors out of one steak, which made it a fun Gangnam Station course.

Dessert: dark chocolate mousse

Dessert was a house-made dark chocolate mousse with homemade vanilla ice cream, berry marmalade and chocolate crumble. The crunchy bits of crumble here and there kept it interesting to the last bite, and it was a sweet way to finish the course.

What a course dinner with live jazz at Flat Nine feels like

While we ate the course, sweet live jazz played right in front of us. Lively instrument playing and charming jazz melodies filled the space, giving it a special atmosphere, and being able to enjoy each dish while watching the live show made my eyes, ears and mouth all happy.

Verdict: what occasions suit Flat Nine in Gangnam?

Flat Nine is a special Gangnam Station spot where you can enjoy sweet live jazz together with an upscale course meal. With dishes from the amuse-bouche to steak and dessert blending with the jazz, it's a Gangnam Station bar with a great mood that I highly recommend for a date, an anniversary or a special get-together. If you want a different kind of Gangnam Station course meal, Flat Nine is worth a visit.