Garosugil basement bar for after-dinner drinks in Seoul: Birdman

Ever gone wandering around Garosugil after dinner looking for a good-atmosphere bar that's not too loud for a second round?

Address: Basement 1F, 55-4 Garosu-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Birdman / Hours: Daily 19:00–02:30

Hi, this is Nodimon. Today's spot is Birdman, a bar in Garosugil. Let me tell you what I actually thought while drinking there.

Where is Birdman in Garosugil, and is there parking?

Birdman is a cocktail bar on the basement floor at 55-4 Garosu-gil, and true to Garosugil's nature, there's no dedicated parking. My wife and I sometimes go on weekend dates in Seoul, and it had been a while since we'd been to Garosugil. We had dinner as our first stop, and wanting a bit more, went looking for somewhere simple for a second round — that's how we found this cocktail bar! Let's get into Birdman, a bar in Garosugil!

First, the exterior. This place is tucked inside a Garosugil alley and the shop is underground, so it might be hard to find. If you search on Naver Maps and spot this sign, you've found it~

If you go around the back of the building with that sign, you'll see this small entrance. At first you'll think, huh??? is this really it? — but yes, this is the place! And as I said, no dedicated parking in Garosugil.

Once you step through this door you'll still think, wait, is this really it..?? but yes, it is~ Real bars are exactly this kind of quiet, secretive place you slip into.

Inside Birdman: bar seats and the mood downstairs

Inside, Birdman is divided into a long bar counter, a separate inner space, and a group area where several people can sit together. Open the door and, wow... the atmosphere inside is just great. It feels like stepping into a secret hideout, and everything changes — the mood, the music, the lighting, the scent.

You fall for the clean interior and quiet mood right away.

And true to the name Birdman, there are bird-themed decor pieces throughout,

and since a bar can easily feel too dark, all the art and decor pieces here give your eyes something to enjoy too.

And as a proper bar should, there's a long bar counter, and there's also a space further inside, so we went to check it out —

— and there was this separate space too. Looks like a great atmosphere, right? Makes me want to go back already...

There's a space for the two of you to talk quietly, and on one side there's a group area where several people can sit together.

There's a lot of decor inside too, which makes the mood even better — it feels a bit like a scene from a movie.

Even the bathroom has serious atmosphere, haha

Warm towels and a sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) welcome drink

We like watching the bartenders work and chatting with them, so we sat at the bar.

As soon as we sat down, the bartender brought us a warm towel right away, and I was already impressed here. Places used to give you a warm towel like this all the time, but these days it's hard to find that anymore, sigh.

Then they gave us a cold sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) as a welcome drink. This kind of thing is so nice.

Birdman's menu comes by QR code

Next, the menu. This place doesn't have a separate physical menu — instead, they give you a QR code.

Scan it and pages come up so you can choose your drink while looking at photos. I liked that the menu photos show you what's in each drink.

How the Gin Tonic, Elderflower Shower and New York New York taste

Today's picks at Birdman, a bar in Garosugil: Gin Tonic (₩18,000), Elderflower Shower (₩19,000), and New York New York (₩19,000).

When it's hot, I usually go for a Gin Tonic at a bar. I like that it's cool and simple.

After drinking the Gin Tonic here, I could really tell the bartenders' skill was serious.

A place that knows what it's doing squeezes lime and rubs it around the outside and inside of the glass, layering in the aroma and flavor as they make the Gin Tonic — and that's exactly what they do here. The aroma rose up before I even took a sip, and it was so good. It's a basic technique, but so many places don't even bother with the basics.

Next is the Elderflower Shower, which my wife drank — the foam on top really matters, you know? My wife went to the bathroom and the foam deflated a little, and they remade it for her? Wow... I felt their professionalism all over again.

And then the New York New York. This was my first time trying it and it was delicious — I really recommend this one. Wine sits on top, and you taste the wine first, and right as that slightly dry, wine-specific finish kicks in, the sweetness of the liquor underneath comes through, and it was so good.

So we were happy with the drinks and the atmosphere, chatting a lot as we drank, and at some point my wife kept telling me to smell my hair — turns out this place really has a great scent, and it had rubbed off on me. Loved that.

Please check out the overall atmosphere in the video too~

Verdict: who should come to Birdman for a second round?

Birdman, a bar in Garosugil

• Anyone looking for a second-round bar in Garosugil
• Anyone wanting a drink somewhere with great atmosphere in Garosugil
• Anyone looking for a cocktail bar in Garosugil
• Anyone planning a date course with drinks in Garosugil