Antique Seoul bar near Chungmuro Station with pork cutlets: Boah Boah

With the weather so nice lately, everyone's out in Jongno/Euljiro/Chungmuro, right? Today I'm reviewing my go-to spot in Chungmuro — Boah Boah!

Looking for a decent bar in Chungmuro, Seoul

I go to Chungmuro and Jongno a lot, but honestly, in Chungmuro… is it just me? I always struggle to find a place that feels worth going to, so for meals I end up drifting over to Jongno or Myeongdong instead. In that wasteland, Boah Boah is my one ray of light!!

This photo I briefly posted in my March daily log was actually from Boah Boah too! That time I had yurinki (Chinese-style crispy chicken) and rosé tteokbokki, and it was so satisfying. Full disclosure for this post: I did get a blog discount, but I'd already been here before on my own dime — this is a repeat visit.

Boah Boah location and opening hours

• Address: 1012, B1F Chungmu Building, 197 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 09:20 - 23:30 (break time 13:40 - 18:00)
• Regular closed days: Saturdays and Sundays
• On public holidays, opens at 7pm (no lunch service)

It's genuinely super close to Chungmuro. Just three minutes from the station. Come out Exit 7, go down one flight of stairs, and it's right there in the alley.

I first came here on a friend's recommendation, and it's not just a place that sells beer — it specializes in craft beer, house wine, and cocktails, which makes it feel more special. Good craft beer bars are hard to find, so it had been a while and I was extra excited!!

Is Boah Boah's antique interior good for a date?

Since this place means something to me haha, I made sure to take lots of photos — the antique vibe really makes it a top-tier date spot.

What comes in Boah Boah's Beer Sampler A set

With so many craft beer options, I first ordered the Sampler A set. It came with Neomsabyeok, Kelly, Mamma Mia Pilsner, and a salty tomato sour — when I asked the staff, they said this set was made up of exactly the best-selling beers at Boah Boah. For snacks, we ordered the assorted pork cutlet platter, flat dumplings, and old-style tteokbokki.

The basic snack that comes out automatically — nicknamed 'human feed crackers' — is honestly the perfect beer snack.

Beer Sampler A

Each beer had its own charm. The most memorable was Beer #10 — the salty tomato flavor. How was it, you ask… it was really salty. I didn't know beer could even be salty. But it's distinctive and something you can only drink here, so I'd recommend trying it as part of the sampler. The rest of the beers were all crowd-pleasers with nothing to dislike.

Assorted pork cutlets: bar snack or full meal

Since Boah Boah also sells pork cutlet meals at lunch, I'd been curious about the cutlet menu since my last visit.

Shrimp tempura, cheese cutlet, and classic pork loin cutlet — all solidly executed and genuinely delicious. It works perfectly as a drinking snack, and honestly also as a full meal.

Flat dumplings and old-style tteokbokki: spicy, and what fell short

Since I loved the rosé tteokbokki last time, I ordered the flat dumplings and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) this time!

But… it's spicy. Seriously spicy, so if you're weak with spice, be careful. And here's my honest opinion!!! I got a blog discount, but I'm writing an honest review anyway. As someone who's staked her life on tteokbokki, I loved that it was loaded with quail eggs and cabbage, but please change the fish cake… 🥺🥺 I felt the same way last time — if they just upgraded the fish cake to something better, this would become a dish I'd crave again and again.

Aside from that, this place has the atmosphere, the taste, and the friendliness all covered — a real hidden gem in Chungmuro that I highly recommend! Whenever I have a reason to be in Chungmuro, I'm definitely coming back again and again 🫡