Hongdae solo bar for introverts and first-timers: Guerilla Honsulbar

This is a story about Guerilla Honsulbar (게릴라 혼술바), a bar in Hongdae, Seoul.

What kind of place is Guerilla Honsulbar?

Guerilla Honsulbar is a "honsul" (solo drinking) bar on Eoulmadang-ro in Hongdae, where you can have a casual drink alone or mingle and chat with new people. Solo-drinking bars where you can do either have been getting a lot of attention lately, right? I was looking for a simple place for a second round, stumbled on this Hongdae bar by chance, and had such a good time that I want to introduce it to anyone curious.

Guerilla Honsulbar location and opening hours

• Address: 18 Eoulmadang-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (B1)
• Hours: Tue–Sun 20:00–04:00
• Closed: every Monday
• Parking: not available

Getting there from Sangsu and Hapjeong stations

Guerilla Honsulbar is a 6-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 1 and a 7-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 3. It's on the basement level next to the Behind Café entrance.

Like a regular cocktail bar, you can drink cocktails and whisky here, but you can also chat easily with other people or just drink comfortably on your own. I recommend it to anyone looking for a bar in Hongdae.

Is it okay for an introvert who's new to solo bars?

We walked in right at the 20:00 opening, and we were the very first customers...! I'd worried it might feel awkward since it was my first solo-drinking bar, but being first turned out to be a blessing, and the staff welcomed us so warmly that even an extreme introvert like me could relax. (Open secret: first customers get a free drink~)

Guerilla Honsulbar interior and seating

Right in the middle of Guerilla Honsulbar is a U-shaped bar table, and there's a microphone in the open space in the center. I asked, and they said they host parties often! (Last week they even had a drag show.) Lots of party info gets posted on their Instagram, so check it out if you're interested :)

My friend and I skipped the center table and sat at the bar right in front of the liquor shelves, drinking and chatting with the staff :D (I'm an extreme introvert so small talk is hard, but they struck up conversation without being pushy, which I loved...🤍)

How do you see the menu at Guerilla Honsulbar?

You can see the menu by scanning the QR code on the table. There's a wide range, from Guerilla Honsulbar's own signature cocktails to classic cocktails, whisky and highballs, and even for cocktails not on the menu, they say that if you tell them your preferences (sweetness, sourness, strength, base spirit), they'll make something that fits perfectly.

Tasting the Guerilla Party and Ye, Sul-iya cocktails

I had the signature cocktail Guerilla Party, and my friend had Ye, Sul-iya ("Hey, it's alcohol"). I liked the sweet orange-and-ginger balance of the Guerilla Party. The blue Ye, Sul-iya, which reminds you of blue lemonade, is quite strong despite its pretty look, and my friend, who loves drinking, enjoyed it a lot.

They also serve snacks as the basic side: old-fashioned-style crackers, rustic but you keep reaching for more😋

Extra rounds: margarita and peach crush

We'd planned to have just one drink each and leave, but it had been a while since we'd met up and the mood was so good that we ordered more... Here are the fresh, tangy margarita (left) and the sweet-flavored peach crush (right).

Who goes to Guerilla Honsulbar, and what's the vibe?

After 30 minutes to an hour, the place filled up with customers (a hot spot is a hot spot, I guess), and the owner treated everyone to a free shot...! Since it's Hongdae, just up the road, I thought we'd be the oldest ones (okay, I was definitely the oldest🥹), but luckily most people were our age (early-to-mid 30s, mostly born in the 90s), so conversation flowed nicely>,<

Small-talk cards and games make time fly

On the tables there are small-talk cards like this, plus games, notepads and lots of other things, so using them one by one makes time fly...! It was my first solo-drinking bar as an extreme introvert, and I had so much fun that my worries felt silly, so I recommend it to anyone looking for a Hongdae solo bar☺️

After living the same day-in, day-out routine, it was nice to talk with new people about our outlooks on life and values, and I learned a lot(?) haha. If you're looking for a solo bar that won't drain your energy, Guerilla Honsulbar, rec-om-mend!