Pork kimchi somyeon and hongcho soju at Moknal, a Gwangalli pub

Walking along Busan's Gwangalli Beach, sometimes just watching the night sea isn't enough. Once the lights of Gwangan Bridge switch on, the whole date mood changes. I wanted to soak up a bit more of Busan's night sea that day, so I headed to Moknal. The fact that it's a Korean bar right in front of Gwangalli Beach was what drew me in first.

Once Gwangan Bridge unfolds beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, you immediately get why this place is a view spot. On a date, food matters, but so does a bar with good atmosphere. Let me introduce Moknal, a great place to linger late into the night by Gwangalli Beach in Busan.

• Address: 197-16 Gwangan-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Weekdays 17:00–05:00 / Weekends 16:00–05:00

Where is Moknal? Third floor, right on Gwangalli Beach

Moknal sits on the third floor of a building at 191 Gwangan Haebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan.

Being right in front of Gwangalli Beach made it easy to move to during a date. Strolling the beach slowly and then grabbing a drink at Moknal sounded like a solid course.

Once you're in Busan, you want to soak up the Gwangan Bridge night view a little longer, right?

Moknal was exactly the kind of Gwangalli Beach view spot that fills that wish. On weekdays it opens at 5pm, and on weekends it starts at 4pm.

It stays open until 5am the next day, so it's good for finding a bar late at night too. On nights when you're deciding on a second stop after a date, Moknal seemed like a solid choice.

Being close to Gwangalli Beach also makes it convenient to visit during a Busan trip. You can enjoy the Gwangan Bridge night view fully and then move on to this Korean bar.

Memorable for days you're looking for a bar to enjoy leisurely late into the night.

Inside Moknal: floor-to-ceiling ocean view and a retro mood

The first thing you see stepping into Moknal is the huge floor-to-ceiling ocean view window.

The moment Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge unfold in one sweep, your eyes just stop there.

Views like this make you understand why people go out of their way to find view spots.

Window seats are the popular pick, but the inner tables aren't lacking much either. Since it's built as one continuous glass wall, Gwangan Bridge is still plenty visible.

When I go to a bar like this, I end up looking at the window before the food. At Moknal too, I found myself briefly lost in the Busan night view. It felt like the night atmosphere of Gwangalli Beach was flowing right into the Korean bar.

Moknal has more of a comfortable, retro feel than a flashy new-style bar.

I actually preferred that. It's good for long conversations on a date, and comfortable to visit with friends too. There was real fun in sipping a drink while watching the lights of Gwangan Bridge.

If you're looking for a Busan bar that pairs a great view with a comfortable atmosphere, Moknal felt like a fitting choice.

Where to park near Moknal in Gwangalli

Nothing in Moknal's visit details mentioned a dedicated parking lot, and I couldn't find any information about separate parking support either. Driving to the Gwangalli Beach area often means parking becomes a headache from the start. On weekend evenings especially, Gwangalli in Busan tends to get crowded with cars. If you're planning a date by car, it's worth looking up nearby parking in advance.

Parking near Gwangalli Beach and walking the rest of the way also seems like a good option. If you're planning to enjoy the Gwangan Bridge night view anyway, there's fun in a slow walk too. Personally, I'd stroll along Busan's night sea and walk the rest of the way to Moknal.

If you're planning to drink at the Korean bar, taking public transit is also a convenient choice. It's a course where you enjoy a date at Gwangalli Beach and walk straight on to the bar, which made the night atmosphere even better.

Moknal menu: stews, skewers and highballs

Looking slowly through Moknal's menu, there's a genuinely wide range of small dishes. Being a proper Korean bar, they've got everything from hearty mains to lighter bites.

There are warming soups like assorted fish cake soup and pollack roe-and-clam soup. There's also grilled squid, stir-fried chicken gizzard with vegetables, fried shrimp, and whelk salad. With dishes like bulgogi mushroom hot pot on the menu too, it's a fine choice as a first stop.

If you've already had dinner on your date, simple skewers are a fine option too. There's beef heart, garlic, ginkgo nut, king oyster mushroom, plus chicken skin and chicken wing varieties. Pork belly-wrapped skewers are on there too, so it's easy to pick something to your taste.

Soju and beer are the basics, and sake and highballs are available too. Visiting with a group by Gwangalli Beach in Busan, there's little to fuss over on the menu. It's great that this Gwangan Bridge view spot also has such a wide menu selection.

Good for a light drink on a date, and good as a second-stop Korean bar too. Something to remember when looking for a bar around Gwangalli Beach late at night.

How is the pork kimchi somyeon? Three bundles of noodles, filling on its own

The dish worth properly talking about this time is the pork kimchi stir-fried somyeon (thin wheat noodles).

The name alone made me curious about the combination. It's pork kimchi stir-fry served not with rice but with somyeon.

Taking a bite, the two actually went together really well. There were about three bundles of noodles, so the portion felt pretty generous. The pork was surprisingly plentiful too, making it filling enough as a single dish.

The kimchi had that fully-fermented depth and a clear tangy edge. Between the savory pork, the sourness of the kimchi cut right through.

Loosening the noodles into the mix let the seasoning soak in naturally. Scooping up the noodles together with everything else brought out a whole different appeal. Normally, eating pork kimchi stir-fry makes me naturally crave rice.

But at Moknal, the somyeon made it pretty filling even without rice. The more I ate, the more it felt like a dish that truly belonged at a Korean bar.

Does hongcho soju go with pork kimchi somyeon?

The drink I had alongside it was hongcho soju (vinegar-soju cocktail), pretty from its color alone. The distinct tang of hongcho meeting soju gave it a different kind of charm. It was nice that it felt brighter and more refreshing than regular soju.

After the pork kimchi noodles, I took a sip of the hongcho soju. It felt like it cleared out the rich kimchi stir-fry seasoning lingering in my mouth with a bright tang. So naturally my chopsticks headed back to the pork kimchi noodles again. Best of all was sipping hongcho soju while looking out at Gwangan Bridge. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, the Gwangalli Beach night view and the food on the table were visible together.

Even an ordinary drink felt a little special that day. If you're on a date at Gwangalli Beach in Busan and looking for an atmospheric view spot, Moknal's floor-to-ceiling window fits the bill. Staying open late also made it comfortable to linger without rushing. Between the Gwangan Bridge night view, the Korean bar snacks, and the hongcho soju, the end of my Busan date stayed pleasantly memorable.