Quirky Jonggak monastery bar: gratin, tiramisu after dinner, Sudowonui

In Seoul's Jonggak area I found a quirky bar that nails both atmosphere and concept: Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo (수도원의 비밀 저장고, literally "the monastery's secret cellar"). The head chef is said to come from the Hilton in New Zealand, so I went in with high hopes, and the strong concept hit me the moment I walked in. Definitely not your average bar!

Wait, where am I?????? I visited Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo, a quirky bar near Jonggak Station!!! The striking concept of a medieval European monastery is seriously impressive. It was so unique. And with a chef from the Hilton in New Zealand, the food doesn't fall behind either. Let's head down to the secret cellar together!

Where is Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo, and what are the hours?

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is at 47-1 Samil-daero 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on basement level 1, and it's open daily from 5 PM to 12 AM. Last order is at 11 PM, and there is no parking.

• Location: 47-1 Samil-daero 17-gil, basement level 1
• Hours: daily 5 PM to 12 AM
• Last order: 11 PM
• Parking: not available

It's only 3 minutes from Jonggak Station, so access is great, and it's an easy spot to reach from Euljiro 1-ga, Gwanghwamun Station and so on and on.

What is the medieval monastery interior like?

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is underground, and even the entrance is totally out of the ordinary, haha. The inside is amazing, so let me show you.

Past the entrance and down to basement level 1, the inside of Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is quite spacious. A group reservation had just ended, so I lucky-me walked in as the first customer, haha. What really surprised me was how faithful it is to the medieval monastery concept, lol. You can feel the owner's madness, kind of. Every prop and every bit of the interior has that European monastery feel, so pretty, haha.

There was a lot of group seating. Group reservations and private hire inquiries are apparently both possible.

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo menu and drinks

The signature dish at Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is the barbecue platter, and the menu is varied: gratin, sausage platter, pizza, fried dishes and more. In a medieval European spirit~~ the menu names are seriously funny 🥹🥹🥹 hahahaha

Do you have to order alcohol?

Yes, Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is an alcohol-focused venue, so ordering alcohol is required! Being alcohol-focused, the drink selection was really, truly huge. The Naver menu doesn't list the drinks, so I photographed all of them at the bar and posted them here, haha. This is the full menu.

There was a really wide range of craft beers and beers, tons of wine, and even soju. The soju is called "Green Potion" (초록물약) and the beer is called "Tasting of the Holy Grail" (성배의 시음), which is so funny. You can feel an intense, slightly mad concept in every single menu name, haha.

Is it okay as a second round after dinner? Gratin and tiramisu

I went to Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo after already eating dinner, so I had the gratin and tiramisu, and even after dinner they were incredibly good. I thought, as expected, a chef from the Hilton is on another level.

The tiramisu looked so good that I ordered it, and the tiramisu here was honestly really special and delicious. I wanted to try the signature platter, but I arrived with a full stomach, so I ended up with other dishes. Even full, both were amazingly good 💕

Medieval concept down to the drinks and tableware

It cracks me up that Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo stays true to the medieval concept even in the drinks and tableware, hahaha. The soju, the "Green Potion", comes out served that beautifully, haha. Isn't the concept so fun? If you go to Jonggak Station, definitely drop by Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo, haha. I'm so curious who the owner is, lol.

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo, a quirky Jonggak bar: final thoughts

With a chef in the kitchen, the bar food is reliably good and the drink selection is huge, so do stop by Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo, the quirky Jonggak bar with a rock-solid concept! Your eyes will have so, so much fun, haha.