Sunset-screen bar with pizza in Jumunjin, Gangneung: Jumunjin Blues

What kind of bar is Jumunjin Blues?

Jumunjin Blues is a moody little bar at 53 Jumun-ro, 102-ho, Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, where you can drink whiskey and world beers. It's open from 8 PM to 1 AM.

If you asked me for the one place I remember most from my Gangneung trip, I'd say without hesitation: Jumunjin Blues, out in Jumunjin, Gangneung!

The atmosphere was gorgeous, sure, but it also fit perfectly with that bittersweet feeling of the last night of a trip, the last night of vacation — a day that felt safe and satisfying no matter how you spin it. It really felt like a dream on a midsummer night, the kind of place I said more than once I wanted to come back to someday. Great vibe, great snacks, and a genuinely warm-hearted owner — here's the story of our visit to Jumunjin Blues, a moody Gangneung bar.

Finding the entrance: ring the bell at the back of the building

The entrance to Jumunjin Blues is at the back of the building. I'd read so many times beforehand that the entrance was in the back that we found it right away, even though it might trip up other visitors. Since it's right in downtown Gangneung and we'd looked it up so many times out of sheer eagerness to go, we walked straight in like we'd already been there before.

From the moment we walked up, you could just tell the vibe was going to be good — there's a sign saying to ring the bell and the door will open. I figured it was an automatic door and pressed it, but then the owner himself, looking incredibly cool, came out and opened it for us. I mean, come on! I really thought it was automatic — the shock and the delight when it wasn't, haha.

Sunset screen and wave sounds: the mood at Jumunjin Blues

Even though this place is well inland from the actual coast in downtown Jumunjin, the second the door opened, I gasped like I was watching some incredible show.

A sunset filled the screen along with gentle waves, mood music playing underneath, and I swear a shiver ran through my whole body — I hadn't even had a drink yet and I already felt tipsy and dreamy. It'd be great with two people, three people, anyone really, but it hit me instantly that this would be an amazing hidden gem for solo travelers to have a drink alone. (I swore right then that I'd come back to Gangneung one day just to drink alone here!)

They said the doors opened for Season 7 on June 8, after six seasons had already passed. Jumunjin Blues has a wide range of whiskeys and world beers, plus snacks that are simple but still satisfying.

The moment we opened the menu to decide what to eat, round two of being blown away began.

A piece of memory

What kind of sense of style does it take to pull off interior design like this? Just looking at it made me envious, and looking at the owner, so stylish, I found myself wondering what kind of life he'd lived — I didn't even know his voice yet and I was already envious of the whole vibe he'd built, haha.

Maybe because it was a weekday, we were the first customers in, and it was quiet enough that we could bring the kids along too :)

It really had that vibe of wanting to do absolutely nothing and just sit at the bar sipping whiskey in the quiet!!

What we ordered: beer, nachos and homemade-style pizza

At Jumunjin Blues we ordered two beers, nachos, and a cider. They even gave us pretty glasses to pour the cider into, so the photos came out looking like art.

On top of Kozel and Big Wave — beers I hadn't had in a while — they also had wine, whiskey, cognac, tequila, and more, plus snacks like pizza, a cheese platter, hamburg steak, nachos, and popcorn.

Even the kids seemed to catch the vibe, pulling out their own phones and snapping photo after photo, saying how cool this place was.

Is this place secretly famous for pizza? The cold beer wiped out all our thirst, but then — the pizza was seriously delicious, haha. Not some plain frozen pizza — it had that homemade, hand-topped feel!

We meant to just have a couple beers and leave, but then — the magic of ending up drinking whiskey too!

We also tried Samuel Adams beer for the first time, and it was genuinely delicious. Where can I even buy this!!

What the owner of Jumunjin Blues said to the kids

While we were quietly talking with the kids about wrapping up the vacation, saying we'd all go back to Seoul and keep fighting the good fight in our own corners, the owner came over and carefully handed the kids something. "I'm not your grandfather, but," he said, telling them to read it, haha. Such a thoughtful touch!!

My husband and I had tequila, then whiskey — a truly great time for our family after a while, and Jumunjin Blues is a place we'll remember for a long time.

I thought it was a short but intense good time, and after the trip, when I asked the kids what they liked, they said it was that place at 'the house' with the pizza and the sunset over the crashing waves. Turns out good vibes hit everyone the same, kids and adults alike. If you're looking for a moody whiskey bar in Jumunjin, Gangneung — whether solo or with company — I'd wholeheartedly recommend Jumunjin Blues.