Quiet Seat Guest · 78 stories

A Quiet Bar Seat

I write about unhurried evenings at bars around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Things to do

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae gukbap spot after shopping: brass-bowl beef jeon soup, Yukjeon

Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch (육전국밥 서교점) is a 24-hour gukbap (Korean rice soup) restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, about 280 m from Exit 1 of Hongik Univ. Station. After shopping in Hongdae, the writer ordered the beef jeon gukbap (₩15,000): a spicy, nutty broth topped with thin slices of beef and egg-battered beef jeon (pan-fried beef), which made for a filling meal. Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch is a good stop for an easy bowl of hot soup after shopping in Hongdae.

Written Nov 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seongsu Station gyukatsu, Friday dinner with Isigny butter: Gyuen Dang

Gyuen Dang Seongsu Main Branch (규엔당 성수본점) is a Japanese gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building in an alley near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station in Seoul. The writer booked a Friday dinner seat through Naver, grilled striploin gyukatsu (₩19,000) on a personal grill with Isigny butter, and added a hamburg omurice (₩17,000) that you slice open yourself and a ramune soda (₩4,000). Gyuen Dang is a clean-tasting pick if you want gyukatsu and omurice in one meal in Seongsu.

Written Nov 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Euljiro night-view date bar: blood sausage and Sapporo draft, Refine

Refine Euljiro Myeongdong is a fusion Korean dining bar on the 2nd floor of 67 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno, Seoul, serving modern reinterpretations of Korean dishes. On an evening date in Euljiro, the writer ordered grilled pi-sundae (Korean blood sausage, 22,900 won), arancini and cream sujebi (hand-torn dough in cream, 21,900 won), with Sapporo draft beer and a non-alcoholic Galvanina orange drink. Refine Euljiro Myeongdong is a good date spot for unusual fusion Korean food with a night view of Euljiro through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulThings to do

Perfume class near Gyeongbokgung: tangerine-fig & ink-oud, Muhwawon

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop (무화원) is a perfume-making studio on Yulgok-ro 6-gil in Jongno, Seoul, between Bukchon and Gyeongbokgung, where a 50ml make-your-own perfume class runs for 1 hour 30 minutes. The writer visited Muhwawon one evening with her husband. After a tablet theory video, a scent survey, smelling tests and ratio adjustments with a perfumer, she made a fresh perfume built on green tangerine, yuzu, fig and osmanthus, and he made a men's scent built on grapefruit, wild grape, ink and oud. Even if you know little about perfume, Muhwawon's class lets you finish a 50ml perfume that suits your taste for ₩49,000, with a perfumer's help.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Noryangjin ramen shop with Tokyo street video: dinner for two at Chome

Chome is a Japanese ramen shop on Manyang-ro 14-gil near Noryangjin Station in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. For dinner, two people shared Chome's dinner set for two (cho ramen, mazesoba, half a futomaki roll and a draft beer), added nori and soft-boiled egg toppings plus a Sangaria melon soda, and paid ₩34,500 in total, while a projector played Japanese street footage across the dining room. If you want Japanese ramen for two in Noryangjin instead of the fish market, Chome's dinner set for two is a filling, good-value choice.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hongdae chocolate dessert café: halved Valrhona soufflé, Think Fruit

Think Fruit is a strawberry and fruit soufflé café on Wausan-ro 29-gil in Mapo, Seoul, near Exit 7 of Hongik Univ. Station. From a window seat, the writer ordered the Strawberry Valrhona Choco Soufflé (₩23,000) and an Americano. The writer cut the chocolate-drenched soufflé in half to reveal its fluffy inside and ate it with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and Lotus and Oreo crumble. For chocolate dessert lovers, Think Fruit's Strawberry Valrhona Choco Soufflé is well worth a look.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong rice bowl restaurant: piled-high katsudon at Ontjeong

Ontjeong (온정) is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant in a basement off Donggyo-ro, between Hongik Univ. Station and Yeonnam-dong in Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered the salmon yellowtail bowl (19,000 won), topped with thick slices of salmon and yellowtail sashimi, and the katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl, 15,000 won), topped with a mountain of pork cutlet. Both portions were generous, and rice, soup and side dishes are refilled for free. With bar seating and an open kitchen, Ontjeong is a filling choice in Yeonnam-dong for a solo meal or a casual date.

Written Nov 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Galleria Gwanggyo dessert café: Shine Muscat fig slice, Café Diaz

Café Diaz Galleria Gwanggyo (카페디아즈 갤러리아 광교점) is a takeout dessert café specialising in fresh-fruit whipped cream cake, located on the B1 floor of Galleria Gwanggyo in Suwon, Gyeonggi. While shopping, the writer bought a fruit slice cake (11,900 won), a Häagen-Dazs ice cream latte and a hot nut cream latte (6,900 won each) and ate them at seating nearby; the generous fruit and rich, high-quality cream stood out. Café Diaz Galleria Gwanggyo is a good stop when a sweet craving hits during a Galleria Gwanggyo shopping trip.

Written Nov 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Italian restaurant at Sanghyeon Station: ₩80,000 lunch for 4, Romaro

Romaro Trattoria Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station branch is an Italian restaurant serving Roman-style pizza and traditional pasta, right outside Exit 2 of Sanghyeon Station on the Shinbundang Line in Yongin, Gyeonggi. Four people shared the weekday lunch set for four (80,000 won): Carbonara Original, Frutti di Mare pasta, Romaro pizza and a 300g chuck flap steak. With pasta, pizza and steak in one order, the Romaro Trattoria set suits family meals and get-togethers with friends.

Written Nov 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Gwangjang Market choco pie shop a dessert-shy husband loved: Ssuk's

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a takeout-only handmade choco pie shop in Jongno, Seoul, next to Gwangjang Market's South Gate 1 near Jongno 5-ga Station, filling its pies with fresh cream instead of marshmallow. A 6-pie set (₩24,800) was taken home, and the Gwangju Real Choco and Geomundo Sea-Breeze Mugwort pies were cut in half to taste; even a husband with no interest in desserts liked them. At Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul, Gwangju Real Choco is the pick for rich chocolate lovers and Geomundo Sea-Breeze Mugwort for fans of mugwort flavor.

Written Nov 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Gwanggyo Korean dessert café: royal blue CSAT gift, Haenggung Daol

Haenggung Daol is a premium Korean dessert café in the Forena Gwanggyo shopping arcade in Gwanggyo, Suwon, selling Gaeseong juak (fried sweet rice cakes), jeonggwa (candied fruit and roots), yakgwa (honey cookies), dasik (pressed tea cakes) and bojagi-wrapped gift sets. On the owner's recommendation, the writer bought the 10-piece Daol No. 3 A set (₩44,000) wrapped in a royal blue bojagi (Korean wrapping cloth) as a gift and was pleased with the individual cases and the elegant wrapping. With gift sets starting in the ₩10,000 range, Haenggung Daol is an easy place to match any budget, from CSAT exam good-luck gifts to wedding favors and holiday presents.

Written Nov 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Gongdeok izakaya: conger eel yuringi and mackerel sushi, Orot Silbi

Orot Silbi (오롯실비) is a Japanese-style izakaya on the 3rd floor of a building, a 1-minute walk from Exit 10 of Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a weeknight evening the writer ordered mackerel bo-sushi (rod-shaped mackerel sushi), grilled offal, anago yuringi (crispy fried conger eel) and Ebisu draft beer; the thick mackerel bo-sushi and the conger eel yuringi, crisp outside and moist inside, stood out most. For unusual bar snacks with draft beer near Gongdeok Station, Orot Silbi is worth adding to the list.

Written Nov 5, 2026Sponsored