Itaewon game bar with darts and flower cocktails: Yahwa Honsul Bar

After training at the food-mountain and coming back down — no failed meals allowed. Matdongsan descending the mountain here! This time I found a pretty fun bar in Itaewon. The name alone gets you: Yahwa Honsul Bar Itaewon branch.

Is Yahwa Honsul Bar in Itaewon only for people drinking alone?

Yahwa Honsul Bar Itaewon branch is an Itaewon bar for solo drinkers where solo guests mix with pairs and groups. I figured a "honsul bar" (solo-drinking bar) meant sitting quietly alone with your drink, but the vibe was pretty different from what I expected. There really were people who came alone, and also people who came in twos or groups. When I went, the male-to-female ratio was almost even too, so it didn't feel dominated by one side.

If going to a bar alone still feels a little intimidating but you still want some people-watching and something to do — this is exactly the kind of Itaewon solo-drink bar for that kind of day.

Finding Yahwa on the third floor of an Itaewon side street

Yahwa is on the 3rd floor of a building in the alley on Itaewon-ro 23-gil. Go into the building, climb the stairs, and Yahwa appears on the 3rd floor.

There are posters up the whole way as you climb, so you go "ah, this is the place" haha.

Open the door and the lighting is dim overall, with bottles lined up densely — it really gives off that bar atmosphere. It's not the kind of place so quiet you have to watch your own volume; you keep hearing people talking. So even coming alone, I don't think you'd feel like you're just sitting there by yourself. When I visited there were people who'd come alone and people who came with friends mixed together. The ratio of men to women was more even than I expected too.

Walking into a regular bar alone can sometimes make you feel like the only solo person there, but here — since it's a solo-drink bar to begin with — that doesn't feel odd at all.

Games at Yahwa Itaewon: darts, crocodile game and pirate barrel game

And here's why Yahwa was fun — there's a lot to do.

There's a dart set inside the bar, and the tables had various games set out too.

The crocodile game in the photo, plus a pirate-style barrel game similar to that classic "pop-up pirate" toy haha. Playing games over a drink is definitely less boring than just sitting across from each other drinking.

On one side there was also a sign for an ideal-type matching service — "for those who want it, we'll find your ideal type." Will they actually hook me up?? I'm desperate, sob sob.

It's really more of a solo-drink bar where you can still hang out with others even if you come alone.

Ta-da~ a day I ate really well at a solo-drink bar haha.

Three cocktails and Dohwa, the signature drink at Yahwa

At Yahwa Itaewon I ordered several cocktails. Three came out, each a completely different shape, so lining them up for a photo made a pretty shot. There was a tall glass, one topped with a cherry, and one with an entire flower on top.

The one with the flower on top was especially gorgeous!

This is my favorite — Dohwa! I think the signature menu item is the tastiest.

Yahwa has a wide range of cocktails, highballs, and whiskey listed on the menu.

The free crackers that come with every table

Crackers came out with the table too — refills are a must haha. I grabbed one without thinking and just kept reaching for more haha. Drinking cocktails, chatting, playing games, grabbing crackers again... time flew by faster than I expected.

Cheesecake at a cocktail bar: is it worth ordering?

And then, a cheesecake encountered at a bar. Looking at the photo alone, it looks like a café haha.

Dinner had been a little light so I ordered it, and a sip of cocktail with the cheesecake paired surprisingly well — differently from pairing with salty bar snacks.

Should you try drinking alone in Itaewon at Yahwa?

At first I wondered, "can you even go to a solo-drink bar with friends?" but once I was there, it turned out you can come alone or with friends and just play it by whatever mood you're in that day. Most of all, what stood out was that there really were people who came alone when I visited, and the male-to-female ratio was even too.

With darts and games to break things up, it's not a place where you're just drinking start to finish either. Compared to a quiet bar for drinking alone, this suits a day when you want to be alone but still around people. If you're looking for a different kind of Itaewon solo-drink bar, Yahwa Itaewon is worth a visit. I might actually go alone next time haha.