Sookmyung Station bar with a Kopke port flight and hanger steak: B421

B421: a Sookmyung Station bar that pours port wine too

B421 is a bar and restaurant in Namyeong-dong, right by Sookmyung Women's University Station. I found it while looking for a nice-vibe bar near the station, and it turned out to be great — good prices, good atmosphere.

I love port wine, and their drinks list is so full — whisky, craft beer, and even minor stuff like port wine, all stocked in serious variety..?! That alone got me in the door.

How to get to B421 from Sookmyung Women's University Station

B421 is a cozy, compact bar right in front of Sookmyung Station.

It's been a while since I've been out for an evening drink, and the entrance alone got me excited about this Namyeong-dong bar! Rows of Kopke bottles by the door catch your eye right away. It's about a 3-5 minute walk from Exit 6, basically right there, so it's easy to find.

B421 hours and parking

• Hours: daily 17:00–01:00am
• Sunday 17:00–23:00pm
• Pets welcome
• No parking

What is the seating like inside B421?

This Namyeong-dong bar has two entrances — through the one I used, you get this layout. On this side, two-person tables line a long corridor-like space.

Each table has its own artwork and setting, and since I'd reserved ahead, they even left a welcome message on the wine bottle. The artwork at the next table was cute too, haha😮

This bar near Sookmyung is split into two spaces — my side had the two-person tables, and across the way there was bar seating and a big table, a great setup for groups too.

The bar side has great atmosphere too, so it'd be nice to sit there as well — each seating area has its own charm at this Namyeong-dong bar.

B421 menu and what we ordered

The menu ranges from meal-worthy dishes like goulash, hanger steak, or beef chili pasta, to clean bites made for drinking like prosciutto or plates — lots of variety and good prices. The duck steak had good reviews too. I ordered the gorgonzola pizza and the hanger steak.

When you order, this yogurt comes out first, like an appetizer. Soft yogurt with nuts in it — probably meant to settle your stomach so you're ready for another drink,,?

What is in the five-glass Kopke port wine sampler?

B421's port wine sampler came out first. We love port wine already, but tasting it as a sampler feels different somehow. You get a proper comparison, right?

This bar's port wine sampler near Sookmyung is five glasses: Kopke Red Ruby, 10y, and 10y Tawny, plus White regular and White 10y.

It's been over 10 years, but I have such a good memory of drinking at the Kopke winery in Porto, so I'd wanted to try it in Korea too — but before, only the entry-level Ruby was easy to find. Ruby is delicious, but of course things get better as you go up.🫶

This place stocks everything from Ruby to 10y, Tawny, all the way to the Reserva line, and even has a range of Whites, which is genuinely hard to find a chance to taste — a great opportunity.

If it's your first time with port, I'd really recommend trying the sampler at least once. It's best to go in order — Ruby, then 10y, then Tawny. They've labeled the wine names cleverly too, so it's easy to taste through.

As expected, it gets smoother and more balanced the further along you go — outstanding. And sharing notes on preferences with each other along the way! Fun, haha.

The end point of any sampler like this is that you end up ordering one more glass of the best grade🫣 So we ordered another Reserva, and yep — that smooth, hexagon-balanced flavor, even the aroma is a pleasure👏

Gorgonzola pizza at B421

Next up, the gorgonzola pizza we ordered. Wine and cheese — do I even need to say it?

Thin and clean, easy to eat, and the gorgonzola, which can be a little plain on its own, gets nuts and garlic added, making it great alongside wine. Cheese stretching allll the way~~~

With garlic aroma and nuts, plus savory cheese and honey, it's tasty even on its own, but it really shines as a clean pairing snack for wine.

Hanger steak in the 20,000 won range

Next, the hanger steak. Comes with tomato, broccoli, whole garlic, asparagus, whole grain mustard, and wasabi.

Bigger and thicker than expected. The garnish portion was just right too, good to eat alongside.

This Namyeong-dong bar's hanger steak pairs great with red wine, and it's pretty thick, right? Clean, mild flavor, priced in the ₩20,000s, and good for slowly eating alongside drinks. The garnishes were well-seasoned too, perfect as a side to go with it.

I thought B421 would be a small place, but being close to Sookmyung Station with a variety of table types inside plus bar seats, the atmosphere was really nice.

Is B421 worth a visit? Quick verdict

The prices across the board were kind, making it easy to have a full meal with wine without worrying about the bill, and there were plenty of light snack options for a second round too — that was B421, a bar near Sookmyung.