# Front-row live jazz at a Gwangjin bar: Kick Ass Jazz Club - By Gangwon Walker (https://superchart.com/en/@gangwon-notes/) - Written Sep 11, 2026 - Local places › Bars › Gwangjin, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written following a sponsored visit to the venue. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@gangwon-notes/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@gangwon-notes/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/index.md) ## In short Kick Ass Jazz Club is a live-jazz bar in Gwangjin, Seoul, where guests can enjoy cocktails and performances. I booked the first Friday slot with a friend, had a gimlet, mojito, and fruit-and-cheese plate at a front-row table. Verdict: I’m 200% planning to return for the live jazz. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F, 332 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 광진구 능동로 332 1층), near Gunja Station - **Opening time**: 6 PM - **Live performances**: Every Friday and Saturday - **My reservation**: 6:30 PM for two; the deposit is refunded on arrival - **Performance-day cover**: ₩12,000 per person - **Performance-day minimum order**: One bottle of whisky or wine per table, or one plate/dish plus one drink per person - **What we ordered**: Fruit and cheese plate, gimlet, and mojito - **Seating**: Bar seats, tables for two, and tables for four *as written by the visitor on Sep 11, 2026* I found a Gunja drinking spot that is absolutely my taste....!! If you’re looking for a cocktail bar or wine bar too, you really have to try this place: Kick Ass Jazz Club (킥애즈재즈클럽). I visited with a friend on a Friday, when they have live jazz, and totally fell for it ㅠㅠㅠ (Two jazz-bar lovers here... this was only our second jazz bar visit together, eek!) ![Signature photo of Kick Ass Jazz Club in Gunja](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-01-40ctk-1200.webp) ## How to get to Kick Ass Jazz Club from Gunja Station ![Exterior of Kick Ass Jazz Club near Gunja Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-02-5kf8v-900.webp) It’s near Gunja Station, so it was easy to find (just walk straight out of the exit), and being on the first floor made it even easier. Most jazz bars seem to be underground... but Kick Ass Jazz Club, the Gunja cocktail bar I was looking for, was right on the ground floor :) Live shows happen every Friday and Saturday, and they announce the lineup on the bar’s Instagram feed. Definitely! I recommend booking ahead through Catchtable. (When I went, almost every table was reserved.) ## A bar like this in Gunja! ![Red-toned interior of Kick Ass Jazz Club](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-03-uk73y-900.webp) ![Reserved tables at Kick Ass Jazz Club](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-04-th9id-900.webp) They open at 6 PM, and we booked the first time slot, 6:30 PM, for two. (Through the Catchtable app; there’s a deposit, but it’s refunded when you arrive.) We were the first guests, so I could photograph the interior comfortably, and I loved the red-toned atmosphere. Other than the bar seats, every table had a “Reserved” sign on it. ![Seating area at Kick Ass Jazz Club](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-05-1lb3p-900.webp) It’s great for drinking alone too (they even have menu items for one person—nice), as well as a date for two, and there are tables for four. Personally, I thought the side-by-side seats for two were the best, and since we arrived at 6:30, we got the very front row, hehe. ![Side-by-side seating for two in front of the stage](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-06-165uu-900.webp) Being able to see the stage right up close is the highlight. The show started at 7:30 PM that day, and it was perfect to leisurely order our snacks and cocktails, chat for an hour, then start watching the performance. Keep that in mind :) haha ![Kick Ass Jazz Club before the performance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-07-vynox-900.webp) There’s a clothes rack at the back of the bar, which I thought would come in handy once it gets colder and outerwear season arrives. ## Must-read for live-performance days ![Welcome drinks and popcorn on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-08-xqfym-900.webp) Over welcome drinks and popcorn, the basic snack, we looked over the menu and decided what to order. There’s one thing to remember if you visit on a live-performance day. - There is a ₩12,000 cover charge per person. - Each table must order one bottle of whisky or wine, or one plate or dish item plus one drink per person. Those two things are mandatory! ![Ordering guide for live-performance days](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-09-l061h-900.webp) ![Kick Ass Jazz Club menu guide](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-10-1aero-900.webp) We ordered one fruit-and-cheese plate from the dish menu and one cocktail each. We had eaten an early dinner nearby and came here for a second round, so we kept the food and drinks light, but next time I’m planning to enjoy it with wine, hehe. (I love white wine, so I’ve got my eye on the Chardonnay ^^) ## Happy feasting before the show ![Snacks and cocktails ordered before the performance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-11-1x1cn-900.webp) As I mentioned above, we arrived with plenty of time before the performance, so naturally, we started with the feasting. ![Gimlet and mojito cocktails](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-12-1f6cw-900.webp) ![Cocktails on the table before the performance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-13-17m7b-900.webp) ![Cocktail order at Kick Ass Jazz Club](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-14-1ce08-900.webp) ![Easy-drinking cocktails](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-15-zop5n-900.webp) I ordered my favorite, a gimlet, and my friend got a mojito. They were as easy to drink as they were pretty. As a Gunja cocktail bar, I thought it would be lovely even on a day without live music, haha. The interior atmosphere and service were good from the start! ![Fruit-and-cheese plate arrives](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-16-eas6v-900.webp) The fruit-and-cheese plate arrived before long, and I loved the selection!!!! ![Fruit and cheese plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-17-ixva0-900.webp) ![Fresh fruit and cheese plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-18-ndb9i-900.webp) ![Snack plate with a variety of cheeses](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-19-1yxc3-900.webp) The yellow lighting meant these photos didn’t turn out as well as the real thing, but I loved the tangy, fresh fruit and the variety of cheeses. It’s a snack I want to have again next time, hehe. ## Why I’m 200% planning to return There are lots of reasons I’m 200% planning to return: it’s close to the station and on the first floor, the interior and mood are great, and the drinks and snacks are delicious. But of course... the live jazz performance was the very best ㅠㅠ If you go early and claim the front row, you can enjoy a stage this close up.. hohoho I love bass, so I also filmed the fingers working hard at the back of the stage ㅠㅠ sob sob. I really love improvised jazz. Looking at the short-form videos Kick Ass Jazz Club posts, I wondered if they only invite incredibly talented players, because every performance is insane.. I filmed far more videos than this, including several longer ones, but because I really want you to experience it in person, I’ll share only two... ^. ^ haha ![Time at Kick Ass Jazz Club with a friend](https://img.superchart.com/images/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat-20-z19kl-900.webp) Kick Ass Jazz Club was a Gunja bar where my friend and I could have such a happy time, and I recommend it 100 times whether you’re after a cocktail bar or wine bar!!! I’ll be back for another live jazz performance. (Remember to book through Catchtable~!) ## Where it is - Kick Ass Jazz Club (킥애즈재즈클럽) (킥애즈재즈클럽) - 1F, 332 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 광진구 능동로 332 1층) - 서울특별시 광진구 능동로 332 1층 - 37.5591085, 127.0807672 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%82%A5%EC%95%A0%EC%A6%88%EC%9E%AC%EC%A6%88%ED%81%B4%EB%9F%BD/@37.5591085,127.0807672,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@gangwon-notes/gunja-jazz-cocktail-frontseat/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt