Godfather cocktail and melon jamón plate at Bitters, a Hongdae bar

Today's story is about Bitters, my go-to spot in Hongdae for a good solo drink!

• Address: 서울 마포구 홍익로 3-30 B1 (3-30 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea)
• Hours: Daily 19:00–02:00 (last order 01:30)
• Private room available, up to 15 people
• Parking available, but calling ahead is recommended

Basement level near Hongdae Station, hard to find but packed

I met up with my sister in Hongdae after a while apart :) Being a Friday night, Hongdae Station was absolutely packed ,,, Bitters, the cocktail bar near Hongdae Station, is on the basement level!

My first impression was wow, this is great....!!! and I found myself wondering how everyone even found this place — it's tucked away somewhere pretty hard to spot, yet full of people. Foreign tourists kept walking in too, so it's clearly already well known ,,,

The complimentary snack is a pretzel

The complimentary snack is a light, easy-to-eat pretzel! Savory and salty, I kept reaching for more. I'm always a fan of places that give you a proper starter snack like this ,,,

Order prepaid via kiosk, ask the bartender for recommendations

Ordering is prepaid, and you can easily order through the kiosk!! The menu has clear photos and descriptions, so it was easy to choose, and if you want a recommendation, you can call staff over and ask the bartenders directly :) There were three bartenders on when I went, and all of them were kind.

Here's the drinks menu, including Bitters' signature cocktails :) One thing that really gave me confidence in this place was how many signature cocktails they have and how well-managed the menu is — you can tell the owner is serious about drinks. My sister, who'd never had a cocktail before, asked for a recommendation based on her taste, and the bartender explained everything in real detail. The best.....!!!!

Apparently any glass pour or bottle can be turned into a highball, for an extra ₩2,000 per glass! There are also non-alcoholic cocktails, which is great for anyone who doesn't drink.

Five snack options, and what we ordered

Half my photos are covered in shadow........ I promise my photography skills will improve ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The food menu to pair with drinks has five options: gambas, ragù pasta, the melon jamón plate, plus simpler bites like tortilla chips and honey cream cheese crackers! We ordered two cocktails and the melon jamón plate.

• Fox's Grape ₩22,000
• Godfather ₩22,000
• Melon jamón plate ₩23,000

Loved this coaster!! I have something similar at home — I should use it next time I make a highball .....

Bitters' Earl Grey-infused take on the Godfather

My Godfather came out first. It's not the classic Godfather flavor you'd expect — it's Bitters' own reinterpretation. There's a hint of Earl Grey mixed in, which gives it a slightly sweet note. Even as someone who likes strong drinks, I had no problem enjoying this one! My usual order is a Kamikaze, but since that wasn't on the menu, I went with my second favorite, the Godfather, and it was really satisfying :)

Instead of the usual cinnamon stick, the Godfather came with almond chocolate on top, which I actually loved even more. Strong liquor + hard alcohol is love ,,,,, And this melon jamón plate is genuinely gorgeous and delicious. My favorite snack of the night ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The melon jamón plate: the answer to sweet-and-salty

Thin slices of jamón are draped over big chunks of melon, topped with cheese and a drizzle of balsamic. Since it was my first time trying this combo, I honestly wondered before tasting it — will this even work...? But after one bite, I totally got why people pair fruit with jamón and why it's on the menu at all ...... You really can't know until you try it ......

It comes with cheese crackers, nuts, and olives on the side. Honestly, the quality felt like such a good deal for the price !!!

Funny story — I bit into the almond chocolate and half of it went flying off the table ..... I grabbed a tissue and rescued it right away ... still ate what was left, and it paired great with the cocktail.

Fox's Grape, recommended for cocktail beginners

This is Fox's Grape, which the bartender recommended for my sister! She wanted something with a moderate alcohol taste but on the sweeter side, and this was basically like green grape juice with a subtle hint of alcohol — really delicious. The kind of drink you keep stealing sips of....^^

We'd already eaten a ton at our first stop, but the melon was so sweet and good that I kept eating more ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I really recommend this cocktail bar ,,, all the staff can speak English too, so foreign visitors won't have any trouble at all! If a foreign friend of mine came to Korea, I'd bring them here or tell them to go.

Why does fruit and ham go together so well....? The sweet-and-salty combo was so good it made the drinks taste even better. I wanted to order another glass of wine ,,, but it was getting late, so we said we'd come back another time and headed out ㅠㅠ

Restrooms by the stairs, separated by gender

The restrooms are separated by gender and kept spotlessly clean — I was really satisfied! No need to go outside, since they're right by the stairs you came down, so it was easy to use :) The women's restroom even had cotton swabs and disposable mouthwash, thoughtful little touches you can use when needed — it really made me feel how detail-oriented this place is.

Great for solo drinks or a date

I stumbled onto Bitters, this Hongdae cocktail bar, completely by chance, and I was so happy with the atmosphere, the service, and the taste. Every cocktail and whiskey they serve clearly has the owner's care poured into it, which made me want to stay even longer at this Hongdae spot :) There were quite a few people there drinking solo too. I recommend it as a Hongdae cocktail bar for solo drinks and as a great date spot!! I would absolutely come back haha ,,,