Room bar in Wangsimni open until 5am with spicy braised chicken

A spacious, large-format bar that's perfect for a Wangsimni drinking get-together — a room bar in the Haengdang Market food alley open until 5am. An open, airy spot that's a hidden gem for dakdoritang (another name for spicy braised chicken) as a drinking snack. 120+ seats, a big screen, floor-to-ceiling window views, and even an indoor smoking room.

I visited this spacious, open Rainbow Pocha room bar on a weekend early morning when I was hungry and wanted a drink. I went on a local's recommendation that the dakdoritang here is delicious — and true to what my friend said, it came out hearty and great value.

I really loved how open and spacious the place felt. Unless you're going for a quiet, moody bar vibe, the noise of a big, lively space actually makes the drinking experience better in a pocha (Korean street-style pub) atmosphere, I think. It's different from the stuffy noise of a cramped space — in a big place, the crowd noise adds to the drinking mood almost like club music.

Even at this early-morning hour, the place was packed with people, which made the drinks taste even better somehow. Let me review Rainbow Pocha, a great spot for a Wangsimni bar get-together.

Where is Rainbow Pocha?

Rainbow Pocha is located in an alley inside Haengdang Market, halfway between Wangsimni Station and Haengdang Station. It's on the 2nd floor of the building that houses Ttangko Charcoal Grill, famous for pork neck. I've been to Ttangko so many times — how did I never notice this place before? haha

Location & business info

• 🎈 2nd floor, 292-34 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
• ⏰️ Daily 16:00–05:00
• 5-minute walk from Exit 10, Wangsimni Station

Since it's open every day until 5am, I could drink without watching the clock, which was great. It's also just a 5-minute walk from Exit 10 of Wangsimni Station, so it's convenient by public transit too.

Parking at Rainbow Pocha

There's a Dongnam Parking Lot inside the Haengdang Market food alley, charging ₩1,000 per 10 minutes. Since you're heading to a bar anyway, it's probably best to leave the car at home, right? haha

What's the atmosphere like inside?

Since it's on the 2nd floor above Ttangko Charcoal Grill, you spot it right after climbing the stairs.

A giant mirror lit with color-changing bunny lights greeted us as soon as we pushed the door open. It gave off a very hip Wangsimni bar vibe.

There was also something like a big arcade machine. A claw machine maybe? Not sure haha

Three private rooms

Along the inner wall, there were three private rooms lined up in a row. By the time we arrived, they were already all full. It's a room bar, so it seems popular — I'd recommend booking a private room in advance. It also looked like a great spot for a Wangsimni work dinner.

Because the interior is so spacious, the open layout, flashy lighting, and lively noise all combined to create real energy inside. Even though it was early morning, the place was packed with customers, which made it easy to forget what time it actually was.

I quickly snapped a photo of the inside of a private room while it was briefly empty. Instead of chairs, there were long bar stools on both sides, so it looked like it could accommodate various group sizes.

What did we order?

• Dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken) ₩27,900
• Add-ons (2 fried eggs, potato, udon noodles) ₩4,500
• Watermelon sherbet ₩12,900
• Terra beer ₩5,500
• Total: ₩50,800

You can order comfortably right at the table by looking at the photo menu.

Crunchy, crispy potato chip-like snacks came out as a starter. I personally prefer ppeongtwigi (puffed rice snack) more, haha.

Pickles came out too, which went really well with the dakdoritang. I love pickles 😀

Dakbokkeumtang

It came out in a jar-like earthenware pot. The staff told us to let it simmer for 5 minutes before eating.

Since it was our first visit and we didn't know the portion size, we added potato, udon noodles, and 2 fried eggs on top. I'm not sure how much potato comes standard, but the fried egg is a must-order — and the udon noodles honestly didn't need to be added, the dish was already hearty enough. Glass noodles also come standard, by the way.

Because it's shaped like a jar, it's hard to judge the portion from the outside. But when we pulled out the udon noodles worried they'd soak up all the sauce, we found the contents packed underneath were incredibly generous. My friend, who was most worried about a gamey smell, ended up saying it was delicious with no gamey taste at all, and ate happily.

Whether fried or boiled, definitely add an egg — eggs go perfectly with dakbokkeumtang. I can handle spicy food fine, so I ordered the mild-spicy level for my spice-sensitive friend. I didn't find it spicy at all, but for someone who can't handle spice, I think that mild level probably still counts as spicy^^ My spice-sensitive friend was sweating but said it was deliciously spicy, hah.

They said to simmer it for just 5 minutes, but it felt more like we simmered it over 10 minutes. It's not a sweet-and-salty type of dakdoritang, so if you like bold flavors, you could ask for the sauce to be made stronger. I only like the meat, so I ate the breast meat, while my friend was thrilled to eat both drumsticks himself. It's nice that we like different parts of the dish.

Watermelon sherbet

We ordered watermelon sherbet as a snack, and I loved that it came out frozen solid. I scraped at it carefully with a spoon. The sweet watermelon sherbet paired really well with the dakbokkeumtang. Sherbet isn't great for your health, so I only had a little and left the rest, haha. Cut back on sweet snacks for your health, everyone.

Final thoughts on Rainbow Pocha, a Wangsimni bar for a get-together

This was my review of Rainbow Pocha, a great spot for casual, lively drinking until 5am every day and a solid choice for a Wangsimni bar get-together. Even at that late hour, there were plenty of people there both to fill up on food and to drink, and I liked the energy over the quiet you'd expect that late. Rainbow Pocha in Wangsimni felt like a place that makes you forget the time, as if it's still early evening.

With three private rooms available, I'd recommend booking one if you prefer a quieter drinking session. Since it's a large bar inside the Haengdang Market food alley in Wangsimni, it also seemed like a great spot for work dinners or gatherings without worrying about closing time. I highly recommend the hearty dakbokkeumtang, their signature dish.

As someone who goes for the food more than the drinks, I did wish there were more variety in healthier snack options — things like vegetable sticks or steamed squid, for example. Overall, Rainbow Pocha was a great late-night Wangsimni bar to visit when you're hungry in the wee hours.