Corkage-free izakaya in Gwanak, Seoul with Uljin sweet shrimp: Tomo
In short
Tomo is a room-style izakaya on Sharosu-gil in Gwanak, Seoul, on the second floor above Jongno Bindaetteok, a minute from Exit 3 of Seoul National Univ. Station. The two-person sashimi and amaebi set brought Uljin sweet shrimp, abalone and thick-cut salmon, and Tomo is corkage-free and even hands out glasses for your own bottle. For a quiet, private room to talk over sashimi, Tomo is the right pick.
Good to know
- Address
- 24 Gwanak-ro 15-gil, 2nd & 3rd floors, Gwanak-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- 17:00–02:00 (Fri–Sat 17:00–03:00)
- Parking
- Use nearby public parking lots
- Seating
- Room-style spaces on the 2nd and 3rd floors, several rooms along a corridor
- Corkage
- Corkage-free, glasses provided
- What we ordered
- Two-person sashimi + amaebi set
- Freebie
- Tako wasabi for writing a receipt review
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
A Seoul National University Station bar — who's this post for?👍
- Anyone looking for a bar near Seoul National Univ. Station
- Anyone heading to an izakaya near Seoul National Univ. Station
- Anyone looking for a private-room bar
I heard there was an izakaya near Seoul National Univ. Station with private rooms, perfect for talking quietly, so I went to check it out. Here's my real, honest review from tonight's delicious meal. Straight to the point, no filter — let's start. START!
Where is Tomo, and what are its hours near Seoul National Univ. Station?
Tomo is at 24 Gwanak-ro 15-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul — come out Exit 3 of Seoul National Univ. Station and it's on the 2nd floor above Jongno Bindaetteok. Hours are 17:00–02:00, extending to 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. You'll need to use a nearby public parking lot.
The entrance is narrow, so watch your step!
Inside Tomo's private rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors
The biggest reason I picked Tomo was the room setup. Tomo has room-style spaces on both the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Once inside, I found several separate rooms lined along a corridor.
A private space where you can talk quietly with your group — if you're after a room-style restaurant, this is exactly it.
Tomo's menu and corkage-free policy
Tomo is known for sashimi and amaebi (sweet shrimp), so I ordered it. They're sold à la carte too, not just as sets, and best of all, it's corkage-free — no extra charge if you bring your own drinks.
Everything is also available à la carte, not just as sets.
There are soup dishes too. The menu is put together with not-too-heavy side dishes for drinking.
Corkage-free. Most places charge extra if you bring in outside drinks, but here it's free — and they even give you glasses. Amazing.
Tasting the two-person sashimi and Uljin sweet shrimp amaebi set
What we ordered at Tomo was the two-person sashimi + amaebi set. From the edamame and cabbage that came as basic sides, it went on to Uljin sweet shrimp, abalone, and salmon.
Simple basic sides. The edamame is good for picking off one by one while drinking, and the cabbage was crisp and clean, nice for clearing your palate between bites of sashimi.
The two-person sashimi + amaebi set. The moment it arrived I went "wow" — the visual was just too pretty.
The shrimp heads came fried, and they were surprisingly crispy and delicious.
Amaebi (sweet shrimp). The shrimp was plump and firm, incredibly fresh. Apparently it's domestic sweet shrimp sashimi that comes up from Uljin.
They gave us gim (seaweed) and gamtae (seaweed) to wrap it in, which was a total delicacy.
Starting with the abalone, we settled into enjoying good drinks and sides.
The sashimi overall felt fresh enough that you could tell just by looking — plump and firm. It was cut on the thicker side, which I liked for the chewy bite.
With such a wide variety of ingredients, it was fun deciding which side dish to try next with each drink.
This is also a great spot for a special day, like an anniversary or birthday with friends. My favorite, the salmon, was nicely thick-cut. There seemed to be about 12 kinds of sashimi in total — honestly, just one piece per drink and you're already amazed.
Since none of the items overlap, every bite tastes different. It felt really refreshing and unique.
If you're looking for a private-room bar near Seoul National Univ. Station, this place should satisfy you quite a bit.
For me, the food being clean and fresh was the main draw.
I think it's one of the best izakayas near Seoul National University. I was worried at first because of the tiny entrance, but since it's room-style, my group and I could talk quietly without being overheard — great. The sweet shrimp was insanely plump and firm. Even eaten plain it's sweet.
The grown-up move of grabbing three pieces at a time.
Tako wasabi. They said writing a receipt review gets you tako wasabi, so I made sure to grab that too before leaving. Another izakaya near Seoul National University saved to my list!
Final verdict: why Tomo is worth a return visit
I visited Tomo, a room-style izakaya bar near Seoul National Univ. Station.
- Private individual rooms
- A varied sashimi lineup
- Beautiful plating
These were the things I remember most fondly about Tomo near Seoul National Univ. Station.
Where it is
24 Gwanak-ro 15-gil, 2nd & 3rd floor, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 관악구 관악로15길 24 2층, 3층
