Gangnam Station cocktail bar with mezzanine seats for a late date

Finding Ugly near Gangnam Station

I visited Ugly, a cocktail bar near Gangnam Station, after finishing dinner and wanting to switch things up with a drink somewhere different.

I got there around 9pm, and after stepping in from the busy streets of central Gangnam Station and heading up to the 5th floor, the atmosphere changed completely.

The high ceilings, dim lighting, and duplex layout caught my eye right away — it felt less like an ordinary bar and more like a date spot where you enjoy the space itself together.

Which Gangnam Station exit is Ugly closest to?

Ugly is on the 5th floor of a building at 5 Gangnam-daero 96-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's an easy walk from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, which made it convenient for a second round after dinner.

There are plenty of restaurants and things to do nearby, so it fit well into a Gangnam Station date route, and the elevator took me straight up to the 5th floor.

How the mood at Ugly changes after 9pm

I visited Ugly at 9pm. With it already dark outside, the interior lighting felt more vivid, and the high ceilings made it feel less cramped than you'd expect from a cocktail bar.

Instead of just a handful of tables like a typical small bar, the space opened up upward into a duplex, so there was fun in simply looking around.

I didn't expect to find this kind of atmosphere in the middle of Gangnam, so the first impression was pretty distinctive.

Ugly's mezzanine layout and seating options

Ugly wasn't just a cocktail bar with bar tables. There were regular tables, a duplex area, and more private seating too, so there were plenty of options for where to sit.

Looking down at the lighting and seats on the lower floor from above felt different too, and combined with the high ceilings, the sense of space felt even bigger.

It seemed like a great fit for anything from a quiet conversation-focused date to a gathering with several friends.

What Ugly's cocktail menu is like

After sitting down, I took my time going through the menu. There was everything from cocktails to whiskey, gin, and tequila, and alongside the usual familiar names, there were plenty I'd never seen before.

Being able to read about the type and character of each drink made choosing more fun than just picking a name quickly. That night I ended up ordering one familiar cocktail and two I'd never tried before.

Three cocktails at Ugly for 63,000 won

What I ordered at Ugly that night was Holy Smokes for ₩26,000, Berry Ugly for ₩19,000, and Mojito for ₩18,000. All three together came to ₩63,000, paid at 9:30pm. I picked a couple of unfamiliar cocktail names alongside a familiar mojito so I could try something different with each.

Ordering several cocktails instead of sticking to one made the whole table feel a lot more varied and lively.

Holy Smokes, 26,000 won

Holy Smokes was ₩26,000, the priciest of the three drinks I ordered that night.

The name was different from the cocktails I usually order, so it caught my eye right away while looking through the menu.

Since it was my first time at this cocktail bar, I wanted to order at least one menu item that stood out at Ugly rather than sticking to familiar choices, and that's why I picked this one.

The unique space and the name suited each other well.

Berry Ugly, 19,000 won

Berry Ugly was ₩19,000. Since the drink's name includes the shop's own name, Ugly, it naturally caught my eye again while looking through the menu.

At a place I'm visiting for the first time, if there's a drink whose name itself reflects the shop's personality, I always want to order it, and Berry Ugly was exactly that. Picking two cocktails I'd never tried before, alongside Holy Smokes, made for a fun way to experience Ugly's own signature menu.

Mojito, 18,000 won

Mojito was ₩18,000.

After picking two unfamiliar names, I chose the relatively familiar mojito as the third drink.

Rather than picking three unfamiliar cocktails, adding in one familiar drink made choosing easier. Sipping between the three, I enjoyed the fun of trying something different with each glass.

Why Ugly works for a second-round date

I finished paying at 9:30pm, and visiting around 9pm really let Ugly's signature lighting and atmosphere come alive.

The high ceilings and duplex layout created a feeling different from a space that's just for drinking, and it was great for sitting together and talking slowly over time. Near Gangnam Station, if you want to keep a date going somewhere with atmosphere rather than a loud bar, this was a good fit.

Ugly hours, address and parking

• Name: Ugly
• Address: 5F, 5 Gangnam-daero 96-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 18:30–02:00
• Friday & Saturday: 18:30–03:00
• Parking: No dedicated parking

Is Ugly worth it to end a Gangnam date?

Visiting Ugly, a cocktail bar near Gangnam Station, at 9pm let the high ceilings, lighting, and duplex space really shine. Ordering three different drinks — Holy Smokes, Berry Ugly, and Mojito — made for a good continuation of the date after dinner, and it fit perfectly with wanting a drink somewhere a bit more distinctive than an ordinary bar that night.