Hongdae whisky bar tasting Yamazaki, Hibiki, Balvenie neat: Bitters

A bar my boyfriend and I really, really love!!! I've honestly lost count of how many times we've been haha. Here's an honest review from our date at Bitters, a quiet, great-vibe cocktail bar in Hongdae.

Bitters location and hours

• Location | 3-30 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1, 440m from Hongik University Station Exit 9
• Hours | Daily 19:00–02:00 (last order 01:30)
• No parking on site; nearest public street parking is in Hapjeong, about a 10-minute walk away

Bitters is right near Hongik University Station, so it's perfect for a second stop after wandering around Hongdae and grabbing a good dinner. It's in the basement, so just look for the building with this standing sign out front.

An entrance through a bookshelf automatic door

Take the elevator right when you walk into the building down to B1, and you're right at the entrance of Bitters!

The entrance at Bitters is fun every single time. Unlike a typical storefront, it looks like a secret bookshop — you press a button and the bookshelf door slides open to reveal the bright interior inside! Walking in already sets such a good, fun mood, it puts me in a good mood every time I visit haha.

The wall of whiskies on display looks almost majestic, and it's all arranged so neatly that it was fun to browse with my whisky-obsessed boyfriend!

The bar table and group table seating

The dark mood and clean, atmospheric lighting are the highlight — it's the perfect spot for a date. It's also more than fit for a group hangout, since they have table seating for larger groups. It's also a great vibe for solo drinking in Hongdae~~ My boyfriend and I prefer the bar table, so that's where we sat haha. The bar seats here are comfortable, not cramped at all, so we always end up sitting there whenever we come!

People visiting in groups seem to mostly sit at the tables! I'm definitely planning to come back with my friends next time haha.

The cocktail and whisky menu at Bitters

Last time we mostly looked at the signature cocktails, so this time we tackled the classic cocktail and whisky menu instead. My boyfriend, who's been really into whisky lately, and I talked through all the whiskies we'd been curious about, and fired off a ton of questions at the always-kind bartender lol.

One glass each of Yamazaki and Hibiki

We ordered a glass of Yamazaki, which we'd been curious about, and Hibiki, which we already love! At a whisky bar, it's so fun to taste one glass of whatever you've been curious about and figure out what goes on your next wishlist!!!

We like drinking neat, so even though you can choose on the rocks or neat, we asked for everything neat!

They also gave us chocolate that pairs perfectly with whisky — such a nice touch... You all know how insanely good chocolate is with whisky, right?! We even started buying some online to eat together whenever we drink whisky at home lol.

The bartender's explanations for beginner questions

We're still beginners who don't know much about whisky but have a ton of questions lol, and no matter what we asked, the bartender explained everything so kindly and in such detail — drinking with actual understanding made it so much better! Just like they described the aroma and taste, the flavors really did come through richer once we knew what to look for. It was such a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for solo drinking in Hongdae too.

Comparing Balvenie and Macallan

Next up, we tried a glass each of Balvenie and Macallan! My boyfriend really liked the spicy finish on the Balvenie lol. Macallan is more my style, so we happily shared a glass of each!

Somehow we ended up trying a glass of just about every type of whisky lol... This was our honest review of Bitters, such a great spot for a whisky date! Dinner at a Hongdae restaurant followed by whisky at Bitters is a perfect date course — highly recommend!