Tuesday jazz bar dinner with mom near Gangnam Station: Flat Nine

I want to introduce Flat Nine, a Gangnam Station jazz bar that's such a great spot for an anniversary date! I visited with my mom, and the vibe was amazing and the show was the best — I'd totally recommend it for an anniversary or a date. Let's get into my story of Flat Nine, which I'd recommend for Gangnam Station pasta and Sinnonhyeon date spots~

Where Flat Nine is and its opening hours

Flat Nine is on the 5th floor at 10 Gangnam-daero 65-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, a 6-minute walk from Exit 10 of Gangnam Station. Hours are Mon–Thu 18:00–23:00, Fri 18:00–24:00, Sat 15:00–24:00, and Sun 15:00–23:00.

Outside Flat Nine: the day's performance lineup at the entrance

The entrance has that day's performance lineup posted every day! I was worried since it's on the 5th floor, but there's an elevator, so my mom and I with our achy knees could happily ride up haha.

Right in front of the entrance, about a month's worth of performances are listed in advance! It's also detailed on their Instagram, so it's worth checking that too haha. You can see this monthly performance schedule in the updates section on Naver Maps too!

Looks like people do wait out front sometimes, but since we had a reservation plus it was Tuesday plus we did an open-run, there was no wait for us haha.

Inside Flat Nine: every seat faces the stage

Let me show you the inside~! It was dim and full of pretty lighting, very jazz-bar-like, and I loved it. The atmosphere was so, so good — the kind of place where even lost love might bloom again haha!

What surprised me was that almost all the seats aren't set facing each other, but arranged so you can watch the stage! Thanks to that, my mom and I sat side by side, chatted, and watched the show — it was really nice haha.

Table setting and the ₩82,000 classic course for two

The table starts out cleanly set, and once you order, they set the basics like this~!

If you visit during weekend daytime happy hour, you get perks like this — don't miss it!!

We ordered the classic course for two! We upgraded the pasta to white truffle for an extra ₩4,000, so we paid ₩82,000 total haha.

Aperitif and crispy dauphinoise potatoes

The first thing to arrive was the aperitif~ I'm on medication and my mom doesn't drink much, so we both went non-alcoholic! Having a non-alcoholic option felt like such a thoughtful, considerate touch. It wasn't too sweet, with a refreshing tartness that felt new, and even though it wasn't alcohol, it tasted like it had that delicious boozy flavor, which I loved haha.

Next up was the crispy dauphinoise potato! They gave us two pieces, so we each took one to eat.

It felt like thinly layered potato slices deep-fried, with lemon butter on top — very novel. If I had to describe the texture in one word, it's exactly like a spiral potato on a stick! But those are just made by machine easily, whereas this one — how on earth did they make it like this, that's some serious technique... The flavor might be somewhat predictable, but the texture and visual aren't something you see easily elsewhere, so it was refreshingly delicious.

Squid and Korean melon salad with focaccia

Next came the salad and bread!

The salad mixed squid with Korean melon — I wondered what kind of combo that even was, but the first bite was so novel, delicious, and appetite-whetting that I loved it haha. The chewy-yet-tender squid and the slightly crisp melon went so well together, and since I'm not a fan of sweet fruit, I was worried at first, but it wasn't very sweet at all and worked almost like a vegetable — so tasty!

The bread came as focaccia, served with olive oil and balsamic!

Was this focaccia just baked fresh?! My mom and I both loved this bread haha. The outside was slightly crisp while the inside was so moist and warm — I still think about that texture, so much that I've been googling focaccia at bakeries ever since haha.

White truffle lasagna (+₩4,000)

Next came the white truffle lasagna~! Every lasagna I've had before was layered bottom to top, but Flat Nine's was stood on its side, which made it so much easier for two people to share! We pulled it apart layer by layer, and the truffle aroma was everywhere haha. My mom said she'd never had truffle before..?! The truffle scent was quite generous, so I think it's worth paying the extra ₩4,000 for this one haha.

Jeju black pork steak

Next up was the Jeju black pork steak~!

The presentation was amazing, and with potatoes and mushrooms roasted beautifully as garnish, it really caught the eye haha.

The front part of the mushroom melted away in the mouth while the bottom part was chewy and so delicious. My mom and I worked hard on the whole potato too, and my mom went

"Ah, it would've been nice if there was some potato left~" ... "Oh wait, I ate it all"

which shows how magically it disappeared from our mouths...

The steak was so good too! The dense texture made me think it was tenderloin, and it seemed to be cooked sous-vide — no excess fat, just moist meat!

It went so well with the sauce that you have to dip generously haha. Can you see the moist cut of meat?! You can feel the texture just from the photo...

Dessert: order by calling a server over

Last up is dessert~! For dessert, you call staff over separately whenever you're ready, and they bring it out.

At first glance I thought it was just a light cake — soft chocolate bread with cream in between — but it turned out to be a dense, chocolate-packed cake that really felt like ganache-cream-ganache! The cream cheese was so smooth too, and the nuts were the perfect kick.

Can you tell how dense it is from how neatly it slices? Haha. If you're craving chocolate, this is exactly it~!

The jazz set and the ₩15,000 live charge per person

To watch the performance at Flat Nine, there's a separate live charge of ₩15,000 per person!! It was my mom's and my first-ever jazz show, but there's no need to worry — the staff standing by help you know exactly when to react or clap, so you can just follow along by watching them haha. At first I thought jazz was only that fluttery, delicate 'doo-be-doo-be-doo' kind of sound, but if I'd known that this kind of great tonal, well-played music was jazz too, I would've come more often haha.

Verdict: is Flat Nine worth it for an anniversary date near Gangnam Station?

For ₩39,000 per person, the course was surprisingly great value considering how upscale and delicious it felt. The vibe was great, the staff were so kind, and it's exactly the kind of place for an anniversary visit. The jazz show was substantial and so much fun! Aside from us, pretty much everyone else seemed to be couples or married pairs there for an anniversary (every single woman walked in holding a bouquet...).

The cocktail menu also looked so varied, pretty, and delicious that next time I'd love to come back just to enjoy the jazz bar casually with a cocktail!

• Location: 5F, 10 Gangnam-daero 65-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (6-min walk from Gangnam Station Exit 10)
• Hours: Mon–Thu 18:00–23:00 / Fri 18:00–24:00 / Sat 15:00–24:00 / Sun 15:00–23:00
• Naver Reservation available
• My rating: 4/5
• Vibe: upscale atmosphere, best for anniversary mood