Dim Alley Walker · 22 stories

Dim Alley, Seoul Bars and Restaurants

Writes about Seoul's small bars, cafes, and restaurants, usually the ones tucked down side streets. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés

PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Hongdae taphouse: Among tteokbokki and boneless chicken at Art Monster

Art Monster Hongdae is a craft beer taphouse on the second floor of 131 Eoulmadang-ro in Mapo, Seoul, near Hongik Univ. Station. On a second visit, booked ahead for a weekend evening with two friends, the writer drank First Love's Scent, Nuclear Pride and Cheongdam-dong Daughter-in-law (₩6,500–₩7,500) and ordered the half-and-half pizza (₩22,000) and Among tteokbokki (₩13,000), then added half-and-half boneless chicken. The craft beer lineup and the wood-fired pizza, tteokbokki and chicken all satisfied, making Art Monster Hongdae a Hongdae bar worth booking ahead for on weekends.

Written Jul 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Hakdong Station Italian restaurant with free corkage: Osteria Lucia

Osteria Lucia is a traditional Italian restaurant on a side street near Hakdong Station in Gangnam, Seoul, with free corkage for 1 bottle of wine per 2 guests. The writer brought a bottle of sparkling wine and paired it with focaccia, branzino (sea bass tartare), guanciale pasta, squid ink risotto with sous-vide octopus and lemon sorbetto. Osteria Lucia is a good fit for bring-your-own-wine gatherings and group dinners that need a private room or a full-venue booking.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Guui coffee shop: flat white and iced Yirgacheffe, Center Coffee

Center Coffee Guui East Pole is a specialty coffee shop on basement level B1 of 402 Achasan-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, near Guui Station. The writer tasted a hot flat white (5,500 won), an iced Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Banko Taratu Washed (6,500 won) and the Original Tiramisu (8,500 won), each served with a tasting-note card. The step-free floor and wide aisles also looked easy to manage with a stroller. Center Coffee Guui East Pole is a Guui Station café worth recommending to anyone who wants coffee and tiramisu together.

Written Aug 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun modern Chinese: mala eggplant and baijiu at Bobo Sikdang

Bobo Sikdang Gwanghwamun (보보식당 광화문점) is Chef Jang Bo-won's modern Chinese restaurant at B1, 178 Sejong-daero in Jongno, Seoul. After an earlier visit to the Apgujeong branch, the writer came to Bobo Sikdang Gwanghwamun with a friend for mala-sauce fried eggplant, butter tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and uni jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles with sea urchin), paired with Luzhou Laojiao Touqu baijiu, and found the Gwanghwamun tangsuyuk noticeably softer than Apgujeong's. Book ahead and Bobo Sikdang Gwanghwamun is an easy, private spot for Chinese fine dining with no wait.

Written Aug 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno burger spot in Shilla Stay: 2 burgers, 3 sides at Reel Burger

Reel Burger Gwanghwamun is a handmade burger restaurant on the ground floor of the Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun building in Jongno, Seoul, between Gwanghwamun Station and Jonggak Station, and the brand was consulted on by chef Lee Won-il and Hong Seok-cheon on the YouTube show 'Gwajang Malgo Sajanghaja' (과장말고 사장하자). The writer ordered the No.5 Egg Benedict Burger, the No.2 Classic Burger, crispy onion rings, maple sweet potato fries, black pepper Cajun fries and two canned drinks for a total of ₩53,400. Verdict: Reel Burger Gwanghwamun is a Jongno handmade burger spot whose sides are as strong as its burgers.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean course lunch, ₩3,000 makgeolli & Moët free flow: MUSEO

MUSEO (무제오) is a modern Korean dining restaurant on basement level 1 on Gangnam-daero 47-gil in Seocho, Seoul, near Yangjae Station. The writer had the Lunch Premium Baekban (set meal) course at 49,000 won per person with a 3,000 won glass of makgeolli, and saw a Moët & Chandon event at the entrance: 25,000 won per glass or 49,000 won for free flow. With its black interior and neatly composed course, MUSEO suits anyone in Gangnam looking for a date spot or a place for a more formal get-together.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Ttukseom pastry boutique: last Blanc slice and Valrhona mocha, Notldun

Notldun is a pastry boutique dessert café on the ground floor of a red-brick building near Ttukseom Station and Seoulsup in Seongdong, Seoul. On a weekday afternoon only 3 desserts were left in the Notldun display case, so the writers had the ₩13,000 salty caramel mille-feuille, the very last slice of the ₩14,000 Signature Blanc, an iced Valrhona café mocha and a hot café latte. Notldun's desserts aren't cheap, but the looks and flavor were satisfying enough that the writers plan to return.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Seochon, Seoul bistro: wine by the glass and sourdough at Teen Seoul

Teen Seoul is a two-floor bistro on Jahamun-ro 5-gil in Seochon, Jongno, Seoul, overlooking hanok tile rooftops. Two friends had a glass each of red and sparkling wine (₩16,000 per glass) with grilled sourdough, bottarga abalone maltagliati, a 180g chuck flap steak and raspberry sorbet, cooked by a Le Cordon Bleu–trained chef who worked at an Australian hatted restaurant. For wine with a meal in Seochon, Teen Seoul is well worth recommending.

Written Aug 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Station Korean BBQ: pork ribs weighing over 250g, Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo (정육도) is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of Yanghwa-ro 6-gil near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul, serving Korean pork and hanwoo beef. One portion of fresh pork ribs and two portions of marinated pork ribs (₩19,000 and 250g each) came on trays whose labels showed more weight than the menu listed, yet the bill matched the menu price. With ₩10,000 hanwoo ugeoji sulguk (beef and dried cabbage hangover soup), ₩6,000 bibim naengmyeon and ₩3,200 Hanmaek draft beer, Jeongyukdo is a pork rib spot that delivers good value.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ lunch in Gongdeok with BYO Australian red wine: Usu

Usu is a hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant with only private rooms, linked underground directly to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. Over the Lunch C course (80g) with her sister, the writer poured a bottle of Australian red, Don't Tell Mom (돈텔맘), bought at a nearby wine shop, corkage-free. The meal ran from a showing of the ingredients to 1++ hanwoo sirloin on a personal grill, a sea bass pot-rice set and corn ice cream for dessert. With 3 hours of free parking and quiet rooms, Usu won her over, and she decided to book it for a family gathering.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored
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