Birthday dinner with crab nabe and flower bream at Gatpo Karin

I was looking for good restaurants in Apgujeong Rodeo and found an izakaya with really nice vibes. This time I visited Gatpo Karin, located in Apgujeong Rodeo. I went for a birthday dinner, and the atmosphere was so upscale and the food quality so consistently good that it felt like a solid spot for a date or an anniversary.

"Karin" apparently means capturing a fragrant scent within robata dining. And honestly, the moment I walked in there was this subtle, pleasant scent in the air, so the first impression was already great.

Gatpo Karin location, hours, and parking

• 🍣 Gatpo Karin · Sinsa-dong 657-1, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Open daily 17:00 - 02:00 (last order 00:30)
• 🅿️ Valet parking available (use the Dosan Jeongyuk valet booth on the 1st floor) — ₩5,000 for the first 2 hours, ₩5,000 per hour after
• Reservations possible via Catch Table or Naver Reservation

Request the birthday event when you book

If you're visiting for a birthday or anniversary, make sure to request the 'birthday event' when reserving! Apparently if you request it, they prepare a birthday banner and even seaweed soup (miyeokguk). I booked same-day so I completely forgot to request it. T_T If you're planning a birthday or anniversary visit, I'd recommend requesting it ahead of time when you book.

The vibe and the bar table

Gatpo Karin has an overall dark, calm atmosphere that made it great for an evening visit. We sat at the bar table in particular, and personally I loved that seat. The kitchen is right in front, so you can watch the whole cooking process live.

From prepping the seafood and ingredients to the actual cooking, you get to watch it all up close, which really boosted my trust in the food. It's a quiet spot for eating and talking, so it also seemed like it'd fit well into an Apgujeong date course.

There's also regular table seating, so you can choose based on your preference.

Gatpo Karin menu and prices

The menu was much more varied than I expected. They serve everything from assorted sashimi to Jeju golden eye snapper (geumtae) grilled, Korean beef striploin gyukatsu sando, snow crab leg tempura, futomaki, nabe (hot pot), and more Japanese kappo dishes. With so many options, it seemed like a great spot for a group to order a variety and share.

We ordered the Geoje flower bream grilled ₩38,000, Karin futomaki ₩22,000, spicy seafood crab nabe ₩38,000, and Chamisul soju ₩8,000. Since it's an izakaya in Apgujeong Rodeo, the prices are a bit higher than a typical izakaya. But considering the food quality and the atmosphere, it felt like a good place to visit on a special occasion.

Geoje flower bream grilled, ₩38,000

The first dish we ordered: grilled Geoje flower bream! Apparently it's flower bream from Geoje, slow-grilled over charcoal.

The fish itself was a decent size, plumper than expected with plenty of meat to pick at. Thanks to the charcoal grilling, the outside had a subtle smoky char while the flesh inside stayed moist and tender.

Grilled fish can easily turn out dry, but this flower bream was mild and nutty at the same time, making it a great drinking snack. Personally, the salty flavor paired with that charcoal aroma made it a perfect match with soju 🍺

Karin futomaki, ₩22,000

And then the futomaki I'd been looking forward to! You could tell at a glance the fillings were packed in tight. There was so much sashimi inside that it was almost hard to eat in one bite haha. Since it had tuna in it, the more you chewed the richer and nuttier it tasted, and with so many different ingredients mixed in, it was fun how the flavor shifted slightly with every bite. It's a futomaki where the fillings clearly take center stage over the rice, which I personally loved. If you're a sashimi fan, this one will satisfy!

Spicy seafood crab nabe, ₩38,000

The last thing we ordered: spicy seafood crab nabe (hot pot). The broth is the real deal, highly recommend 👍 We got to watch this one being prepared right in front of us, and they cleaned and prepped the crab themselves before putting it in ❗️ Maybe that's why the broth had that clean, deep seafood flavor that really came through.

The crab meat was quite substantial, and the broth had that deep savory seafood richness that kept me going back for spoonful after spoonful. True to its name, the broth was spicy and hot, and it paired well with both the grilled flower bream and futomaki we'd had earlier.

A place that earns you praise for taking someone here on their birthday 🤍

Overall, Gatpo Karin was a place where you can enjoy not just the food but the whole atmosphere. The bar table in particular was fun because you could watch the food being made right there, and it was reassuring to actually see the fresh seafood being used.

Above all, the overall atmosphere was upscale and calm, so this felt more suited to a date, birthday, or anniversary than just a casual izakaya drink. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a nice-atmosphere izakaya in Apgujeong Rodeo for a special occasion. Next time I'd love to try other menu items like the sashimi or the golden eye snapper grill at Gatpo Karin.