Tomato spinach pizza and injeolmi ice cream, Paju pub Long Time No See

If you're in Paju looking for dinner and a cold beer while still wanting a bit of atmosphere, Long Time No See Yadang Branch, a well-known spot near Yadang Station, turned out to be a pretty fun choice.

Unlike a regular hof (beer bar), this place lets you pour 15 kinds of cold-aged craft beer yourself from self-taps, choosing whatever type and amount you want — so beer lovers will already have their eyes darting around the moment they walk in. On top of that, there's handmade pizza and around 30 other dishes to go with your drinks, making it an easy one-stop spot for both food and drinks whether you're looking for a Paju bar or a bar near Yadang Station.

• Address: 1074 Gyeongui-ro, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 2nd floor, South Korea
• Hours: 5 PM–12 AM (Friday and Saturday until 2 AM)
• Closed: None
• Parking: Available in the building's underground lot

Where is Long Time No See Yadang Branch, and what is the Paju pub like?

Long Time No See Yadang Branch sits right in the busy strip around Yadang Station, so it's really easy to get to. Walking in, the cute characters and lighting catch your eye first. Overall it has a casual feel while still keeping that distinct pub atmosphere — perfect for a relaxed drink with friends.

Above all, the window seats were the real draw. Looking out at the lights of Yadang Station and the surrounding street while holding a glass of beer made an ordinary evening feel a little special. Sipping a cold beer with the Yadang Station night view in front of me, the day's tiredness slowly started to melt away.

Free popcorn and the self-tap wristband you get at the table

Once you sit down at a table at Long Time No See Yadang Branch, you also get some easy-to-snack-on popcorn. Before the pizza even arrives, you pour yourself a beer from the self-tap, grab a piece of popcorn, take a sip — repeat! It sounds like nothing much, but somehow my hand kept reaching back for more. The drinking mood was already set before the main dishes even showed up. We also got a wristband for using the self-tap... reading the instructions, it wasn't difficult at all.

Ordering at Long Time No See: table tablet and about 30 bar dishes

You order through a tablet set up at the table. No need to call a staff member over — you can take your time browsing photos and menu descriptions, which was convenient.

Pizza is the signature item, but it's far from the only option. Along with handmade pizza, there are around 30 different dishes that go well with beer, making this a spot flexible enough for a full first-round meal or a laid-back second-round drink session. With so many options, you might get a little decision paralysis — but that's a happy problem, haha.

How the self-tap wall of 15 cold-aged craft beers works

The biggest highlight of Long Time No See Yadang Branch is definitely the self-tap. Your eyes get pulled straight to the long row of beer taps lining one wall! With five cold-aged craft beers on offer (out of the full lineup of 15), you're not stuck picking just one — you can pour a little of whatever beer catches your curiosity, and go back for a generous pour of whichever one you liked best.

Even if everyone in your group has different taste in beer, each person can just choose what they want, which makes it easy for group visits too. It's not just ordering a glass and being done with it — the actual act of pouring your own beer is part of the fun, which would also make this a decent date spot near Yadang Station.

After rinsing your glass, you tap your wristband against the beer you want, tilt the glass, hold it close to the tap, and pour away.

Half-and-half pizza: combination on one side, tomato spinach on the other

Combination + tomato spinach pizza. The main dish we chose that day at Long Time No See Yadang Branch was the half-and-half pizza! Ordering one pizza that lets you enjoy two flavors at once was perfect when we were stuck between menu options. We went with a combination of combination pizza and tomato spinach pizza.

The pizza looked great the moment it arrived. Especially when you lift a slice — the cheese stretches endlessly! I picked it up to take a photo and the cheese just kept stretching and stretching, and we burst out laughing. Isn't that exactly what makes eating handmade pizza fun?

The combination pizza had a familiar but generous combination of toppings and savory cheese, making it a can't-fail choice as a beer snack. After that salty, rich flavor, a sip of cold beer hit perfectly.

On the other side, the tomato spinach pizza looked completely different, with plenty of vibrant green spinach piled on top. The fresh taste of tomato, the spinach, and the savory cheese combined for a charm all its own, distinct from the combination side. Alternating between the two flavors on one pizza meant there was no chance of getting bored, even down to the last slice.

Injeolmi (sweet rice cake) ice cream to finish

After thoroughly enjoying the pizza and beer, it would've been a shame to just stop there. For dessert, we ordered injeolmi (sweet rice cake) ice cream! A generous scoop of ice cream topped with savory injeolmi powder looked delicious right off the bat. The cold, sweet ice cream combined with the nutty bean powder made for the perfect sweet finish after pizza and beer. I kept saying I was full, yet my spoon wouldn't stop moving... turns out the saying that there's always room for dessert really is true, haha.

Who is Long Time No See Yadang Branch best for?

Having visited in person, Long Time No See Yadang Branch felt less like a simple bar for just drinking beer and more like a place with a real 'fun of choosing your own drink' factor. Enjoying as much as I wanted from 15 kinds of cold-aged craft beer at the self-tap, paired with a half-and-half pizza combining two flavors on one pie, made for a satisfying combination. Sitting by the window and drinking while looking out at the Yadang Station night view especially added to the atmosphere.

Beyond the handmade pizza, there are around 30 other dishes available, making this a versatile Paju bar for everything from a quick beer to a get-together with friends, a date, or a second-round drinking spot.

If you're looking for a good spot near Yadang Station where you want to eat a proper meal and also try a little bit of several different beers, give the half-and-half pizza and self-tap combo at Long Time No See Yadang Branch a try.