Hongdae bar that allows outside birthday cake: Doran Honsul Bar
In short
Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch is a solo-drinking cocktail bar with an L-shaped bar table near Exit 1 of Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer carried in a cake bought at a café for a friend's birthday, and the staff welcomed the outside food and even brought forks for the candle-blowing, over the signature Yadoran, a Cassis Orange and a Godfather. For a birthday drink where you can bring your own cake, Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch is the answer.
Good to know
- Hours
- Mon–Wed 20:00–4:00 the next day, Thu–Sun 19:00–4:00 the next day
- Location
- Near Exit 1 of Sangsu Station, on the half floor (0.5F) of the building
- Drinks lineup
- About 40 cocktails and 50 whiskies (as listed by the bar)
- What we drank
- Yadoran (signature), Long Island Iced Tea, Cassis Orange, Godfather
- Complimentary snack
- Chicken-drumstick-shaped crackers
- Seating
- Solo seats, couple seats, bar table, L-shaped bar table
- Good to know
- Outside food allowed, groups welcome, waiting area, birthday perks, no-kids zone, pets allowed, no parking
as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026
Where is Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch?
Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch is near Exit 1 of Sangsu Station, close to the Hapjeong-dong café street, so it's really easy to get to! It was my friend's birthday, and after buying a cake at a café we were wondering where to cut it open... and that's how we ended up visiting Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch!!
Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch isn't on the 2nd floor... it's more like a 0.5 floor! Just go up half a flight~
These posters greet you at the entrance!!! Leave your worry of 'won't it be awkward going alone?' at the door — once you step in, just like the name suggests, strangers gather and chat 'doran-doran' (softly, cozily), and sometimes stay completely to themselves lost in thought. It's a flexible kind of space!
The L-shaped bar table you can sit at alone
The inside of Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch has an L-shaped table bar! My friend and I went early, but there was already someone else there?! It's popular,,!! The later it gets, the hotter it gets~
Couldn't resist a mirror shot so I snapped one haha
Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch had a huge stock of drinks, an overwhelming lineup meant to satisfy everyone from beginners to enthusiasts!! They say they've got a lineup of about 40 cocktails and 50 whiskies! Of course there's cold beer too, and even if you can't drink, there's a variety of non-alcoholic menu options so you can still enjoy the vibe — plenty of fun choices to make.
Haha haha haha your alcohol tolerance is all about attitude. Facts~~
Hahaha this one's funny too — instead of within 3 days, can't it be within 6 months..?,,,★
Card games and board games at the bar
On the tables there are several card games to break the ice~~ but honestly we were too busy talking to even use them 😂
There were tons of fun games on the wall near the restroom too!! Perfect board games for drinking games!!
The basic snack is chicken-leg-shaped crackers
What does the signature cocktail Yadoran taste like?
Left: Long Island Iced Tea, Right: Yadoran (signature menu). Yadoran is delicious!!! Highly recommend!!
Bringing in an outside cake for a birthday at Doran Honsul Bar
Since it was my friend's birthday, we got to blow out candles on the cake! Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch was even better because outside food is allowed! (They even gave us forks, so,,, so thoughtful 🖤)
A stranger and the owner sang the birthday song together with us! Hahahahaha
We even toasted with a stranger~~ and chatted away 'doran-doran'!
Cassis Orange: the pick for light drinkers
The Yadoran cocktail was so good it disappeared quickly, so I ordered a cocktail called Cassis Orange! The Cassis Orange cocktail is
- ✔️ Sweet berry notes of cassis + tangy-sweet orange juice flavor
- ✔️ Sweet at first, then the orange's tartness comes through toward the finish
- ✔️ Smooth and light to drink, like juice
- ✔️ Sweet yet fragrant flavor
- ✔️ A pretty cocktail with a red-to-orange color gradient
I recommend this for people who can't drink!!🍊🧡
A sip of the Wildflower cocktail
This one was ordered by the person next to us, and I stole a sip haha. It's a cocktail called Wildflower, and just like its name, the subtle spreading aroma was its charm. The first taste comes in fragrant and smooth, but at 23% ABV, the weight of the alcohol builds up subtly the more you drink. Rather than just being sweet, it balanced fragrant flavor and alcohol nicely — a cocktail good for sipping slowly.
Finishing the night with a Godfather
Lastly I tried a Godfather! The Godfather's characteristic is a sweet yet heavy flavor!!
Who should visit Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch?
That's it for my Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch review~ ~
- ✔️ You're bored alone and need conversation
- ✔️ You're craving a drink in Hongdae!
- ✔️ You had drinks with friends but it wasn't enough!
- ✔️ Looking for a Hapjeong solo-drinking bar
- ✔️ Seoul solo-drinking bar, Hongik Univ. Station bar, Sangsu Station bar
Give Doran Honsul Bar Hongdae Branch a try~
Where it is
99-5 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 양화로6길 99-5 1층
