Torch performance and signature Gamjeon at Bitters, a Hongdae bar

Hi, I'm a resident of Deogyang-gu 😊

After dinner in Hongdae, I wanted a drink somewhere with good vibes, so I went looking for Bitters!

Hongdae has so many bars, but that day I wanted somewhere a bit calmer to chat over cocktails rather than somewhere loud. I looked around, liked the vibe, and decided to visit~

Bitters hours and parking in Hongdae

• 🕖 Hours: Daily 19:00 – 02:00 (last order 01:30)
• 🚗 Parking: Available! Best to call the shop ahead to confirm details

Where is the door? Finding the entrance to Bitters

When I first arrived I was a little confused about where the entrance even was. It's not like a regular bar where you can see the door right away — the entrance is set up in a pretty unusual way. If it's your first visit, you might, like me, wonder "is this really the place...?" haha. If you like hunting for hidden spaces like this, the fun starts right from the entrance!

Once inside, the vibe was different from what I'd seen outside. The lighting was dim overall, and the bar was lined with bottles — the moment I walked in I thought, ah, this is a place for drinking cocktails. It wasn't the loud, chaotic Hongdae-bar feel; it was a nice atmosphere for chatting with friends or having a drink on a date.

There was a wide range of cocktails with distinct flavors, so it was fun picking and choosing. A great cocktail bar to visit when you want a quiet, atmospheric drink in Hongdae!

Bar-table seats and the pretzel house snack at Bitters

We sat at the bar table, and there were so many bottles right in front of us that it was fun just looking around.

While waiting for our cocktails, pretzels came out as the house snack. They were salty, so I kept reaching for one after another. A perfect little snack to nibble on between cocktails! And whenever the bowl got even a little low, they refilled it right away — ah, nice touch--! I was kind of touched.

And isn't this so cute haha — a complimentary Maker's Mark bottle-shaped cookie!! I set up an actual Maker's Mark bottle behind it for a photo, and the shape was made in such detail that I couldn't not take a picture.

The torch performance, right in front of the bar seats

Even if you don't know much about cocktails, you can take your time browsing the menu, and it was nice being able to watch them get made right in front of you.

This cocktail was a joy to watch from the very start 👀 At the end they hit it with a torch — whoosh 🔥 — and since it was done right in front of us, I found myself watching extra closely haha. It wasn't just the cocktail arriving at the table — getting to see this kind of performance too was a real plus.

It was fascinating how much the vibe of a cocktail can change depending on the ingredients. And of course, with cocktails, you just can't not take photos haha.

Putting the two glasses together made for a pretty visual, so I snapped photos from every angle. 📸 The lighting itself was so atmospheric that even photos taken with the drinks just sitting on the table came out great~

What does Pereco No.2 taste like?

Pereco No.2 was completely my style just from the look of it 💛 A whole passion fruit sits on top for a burst of tartness, and with mint added it looked refreshing just to look at haha.

Sweet with a strong tangy fruit aroma — the kind of taste that even people who aren't great with cocktails could enjoy without much pressure! It was so good I kept sipping it little by little.

Valheim, served with an olive on top

If Pereco was bright and refreshing, Valheim had appeal in a completely different direction. Ordering the two together made switching between sips a fun part of the night.

Valheim has an olive on top, and it was eye-catchingly cute.

After a glass each, we both liked them more than expected, so we said let's get one more! and ordered an extra round.

Third drink: Gamjeon, the Bitters take on a Godfather

This time I picked Gamjeon (감전, meaning "electric shock")! A low, heavy glass with a big ice cube and a deep color — just looking at it, it somehow felt like an adult's drink haha.

It tastes like a Godfather, but reinterpreted in Bitters' own way, apparently. And the name — Gamjeon, or "electric shock" — really stuck in my memory.

Is Bitters a good second round in Hongdae?

Each of the three glasses had a completely different feel, so I was glad we tried a variety. Bitters wasn't just a place to have a drink and leave — from the unusual entrance to the dark interior, the bar, and cocktails each with their own personality, there was a lot to enjoy.

A good place for when you're deciding where to go for a second round after dinner in Hongdae, or on a day when you'd rather sit somewhere atmospheric and talk slowly instead of a loud bar, or for a drink on a date. Especially recommend ordering different cocktails like we did and trading sips! 🍸