Jongak Station craft beer pub with a 4-beer sampler: Sudowonui Bimil

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo (수도원의 비밀 저장고) — the No. 1 beer spot near Jongak Station that I wanted to keep all to myself.

A Jongak-area date spot I wanted to keep secret: Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo. The concept is on point and the food has no weak spots either — a dining pub that's great for pairing drinks and snacks. Let me introduce one of the top 3 unique bars you have to visit in Jongno!

Where is Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo and how do you get there?

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo is 189m from Exit 4 of Jongak Station, in the basement level at 47-1 Samil-daero 17-gil. With its medieval European monastery vibe and secret-space atmosphere, I stopped by while on a wedding-band shopping tour of Jongno : )

Inside the 70-seat basement: the monastery mood

Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo has 70 seats on the basement level, with room-style seating that's great for company dinners and group gatherings. The concept isn't just 'monastery' on paper — being underground makes the whole space feel like its own atmosphere. It has that mystical mood where you half-expect a hymn to start playing, with wood-toned tables and low lighting.

I heard the space and mood were personally scouted by a chef who used to work at the Hilton in New Zealand. I loved everything about it — the arched medieval-monastery structure and the vintage touches.

A Master Beer venue: the craft beer lineup

This Jongak-area spot is a certified Master Beer venue, meaning it's mastered draft beer quality control. There's a big lineup of unusual craft and bottled beers too, and I got to fully enjoy monastery beer of a quality better than anywhere else.

Why the menu names are half the fun

Even the snack menu to go with the drinks is styled with a lot of flair. Instead of plain names, dishes carry nicknames like 'Dead of Night,' 'Dawn,' 'Monastery Garden,' and 'Permitted After Confession' — those names alone were a highlight of the menu 😌✨

Chalice Tasting Sampler, four beers for 18,900 won

Tasting the stout and the Silent IPA

The Chalice Tasting Sampler is ₩18,900 and features the pub's four house craft beers: a stout, a pale ale, a witbier and an IPA. Scorch of the Sanctuary (stout), Silent IPA, Garden of the Saint Ale (pale ale), and White Cup of the Monastery (wit ale) — four beers, a really satisfying lineup ⭐

A stout that coats your mouth like coffee, with dark chocolate notes and incredible flavor — that's the one appropriately named Scorch of the Sanctuary ✨ And Silent IPA is a low-ABV IPA with citrus notes that pairs perfectly!

Tasting the pale ale and the monastery witbier

If the first two beers were extreme intensity and a bitter kind of calm, the next two — the pale ale and the wit ale — are lower in bitterness and easy for anyone to enjoy. White Cup of the Monastery in particular was my boyfriend's favorite pick! This European-style wheat beer didn't skimp on bright fruit aroma, and the smooth, natural finish typical of wit ale made it so likable that you'd want to order another round 👍🏻

Called the Chalice Tasting — 200cc per glass, 800cc for all four. It was such a balanced lineup and such a properly brewed set of beers that I regretted showing up so late; I just wanted to stay here longer..✨

Bravas Secret Potato, 11,900 won

Bravas Secret Potato is ₩11,900. It tasted a bit unusual at first, but distinctly delicious — Spanish-style bravas sauce with crispy fried potatoes. In the back, there was also an arugula jambon wood-fired pizza.

There's a base seasoning throughout that reminds me of Chinese cumin sauce, and dipping generously into the bravas sauce made it even better 🧡 Crispy, generous portion, perfect for a full meal (❁´◡`❁)

Monastery-garden arugula wood-fired pizza

The arugula was scattered fresh on top, hence the name 'Monastery Garden Arugula.' The saltiness of the jambon and the grassy(?) bite of the arugula tamed any guilty-pleasure feeling, and the tomato-sauce base of the wood-fired pizza was so tasty — a well-ordered dish 🙌🏻

Which gatherings suit Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo?

My favorite Jongno pick — this excellent Jongak-area spot, Sudowonui Bimil Jeojanggo. Out of all the group-gathering options, if you're looking for a place for a wedding-invite meetup, or a spot no one else knows about, I'd highly recommend this monastery-vibe beer pub 🥹🤍

A place that nails the concept, the taste, and the overall composition.

Visit information: address and hours

• Address: 47-1 Samil-daero 17-gil, B1, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 5 PM–11 PM (last order 10:30 PM)
• Seating: 70 seats, room seating available