Solo drinking bar in Gangnam, Seoul with face-to-face bar seats: Yahwa

What is Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon like?

Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon is a solo-drinking bar on the basement level of Gangnam-daero 122-gil near Nonhyeon Station, serving a wide range of gin tonics, whiskies, and cocktails. My first visit to Yahwa, the solo-drinking bar in Nonhyeon — so nervous, haha. The face-to-face seating structure gives off that vibe where you're bound to meet someone new.

Do you like natural meetups? I do.

The "prince and princess" house rules at Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon

• 01. Sit down first and wait
• 02. Give a light greeting when you sit down
• 03. Ask a light question first

For introverts like me, it's hard to be the one throwing out the first light question, but plenty of people started conversations with me, so I ended up having a fun time at this Nonhyeon solo bar.

Noah's Mill, 19,000 won: for readers who already drink whisky

The first drink I ordered at Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon was Noah's Mill for 19,000 won. Princes and princesses, you have to try this whisky. It's one of my favorites.

It has a damp-newspaper kind of aroma and tastes really good. I'd say it's a better fit for people who already enjoy whisky a bit rather than as an introductory pour.

I visited late on a weekday, so there weren't many customers, but I still got to spend a good time with the few who were there.

The bathroom is unisex, and there is no soap

For reference, the bathroom door code is written next to the exit door. It's unisex and there's no soap. Toilet paper is set out next to the door, so grab a few sheets before you go in.

Gin and tonic, 11,000 won: the cheapest way to drink well here

The gin tonic at Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon is a reasonably priced 11,000 won, so I ordered one on top. Gin tonic, the cocktail of nostalgia... I have memories of getting wrecked on several of these when I was younger.

If you're low on cash, ordering the cheap gin tonic and getting your money's worth is one of the charms of a Nonhyeon solo bar. There's nothing quite like a solo-drinking bar for a crowd of twenty- and thirty-somethings chatting away and getting to know new people. Natural meetup, possible? Haha.

Dart machine and card games: a layout built for meeting people

They even have a dart machine, which I love. If you make a new friend at this Nonhyeon solo bar and then play darts together, you could seriously make a real friend.

Yahwa has several branches around the country, and I visited the Nonhyeon location. Nearby branches include Gangnam Station, Sadang-Isu, Seoul National University Station, and Seoul Sillim.

The Nonhyeon branch was also running a review event offering a one-cocktail coupon, so make sure to search 'Yahwa Honsul Bar Seoul Nonhyeon' on Naver Place and grab it.

Glen Grant 15, 20,000 won: a whisky that works as a highball

Glen Grant 15, 20,000 won. For my second whisky, I ordered Glen Grant 15. It's a whisky that tastes great mixed with sparkling water into a highball too.

After drinking two of my personal favorite whiskies, my mood fortunately improved.

Outlets under the bar seats and a self-serve water station

Under the bar seats at Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon there are outlets, so you can charge your phone while chatting. In this day and age, phone charging really matters, and this kind of thoughtfulness stands out at Yahwa.

You can scoop your own water in paper cups from the self-serve bar. I tend to drink a lot of water when I drink, so I personally asked for a bigger cup, and they happily gave me one — such a nice, kind gesture.

With the dim lighting on top of the dark atmosphere, there's no better vibe for a drink. Every seat has card games or the alligator teeth game set out, so it's built for meeting new people and getting close while playing games together.

Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon opening hours

Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon opened on April 2 this year, and hours are 19:00 to 04:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Weekdays run 20:00 to 03:00. They close right at 03:00, so make sure to wrap up before then.

The snack: pineapple sherbet

I needed a snack, so while looking at the menu I ended up ordering pineapple sherbet. When you drink a lot, this kind of snack really hits the spot. Am I the only one? Cold ice cream or jelly makes a perfect drinking snack too.

Personally, I think the top three convenience-store drinking snacks are lunch boxes, ice cream, and jelly. Jelly has good texture, lunch boxes come with lots of side dishes (snacks), and ice cream — well, need I say more? Haha, you've had it before, right?

It was about time to get going.

Aside from the lack of soap in the bathroom, I had a satisfying time.

The gin tonic came out looking pretty too.

How to get to Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon from Nonhyeon Station

Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon is located near Nonhyeon Elementary School, close to Humun Pocha and Jjogari Pocha.

The GS25 right near Yahwa Honsul Bar Nonhyeon doesn't sell cigarettes, by the way.

So bring your own smokes ahead of time.