Guinness draft pub in Bangi-dong, Seoul: gizzards with mom at Hope So

Hope So (홉쏘) is a place in Bangi-dong I'd happily go back to for Guinness. Really tasty snacks and fresh draft beer!

Recommended as an Olympic Park date spot: at Hope So by Bangi Station, both the food and the draft beer are works of art.

Hope So hours and parking in Bangi-dong

Hope So's hours are listed as daily 16:00-01:00, and I hear it's closed on Sundays. You can drive there too: there's free parking in front of the shop, and a paid public lot on Wiryeseong-gil.

Why I came back to Hope So: well-kept draft beer

Let me tell you about a genuinely good beer pub in Bangi-dong: Hope So. I'd been before, and back then a friend who loves beer said the draft beer care here is outstanding and drank 5 glasses of Guinness.

It came to mind this time, so I visited once more. Since I came in summer, the folding doors open up and the whole place feels wide open? It's the best in summer. Please open all of these big folding doors!

Inside Hope So: high ceilings and second-floor seats

Hope So has really high ceilings, with first-floor seats and second-floor seats connected by stairs. As evening came on in summer, they opened the doors. The open feel is the best.

It feels like every guest is drinking at an outdoor street table? But it's not totally outside, so it's really cozy and has both indoor and outdoor vibes.

How was the Guinness draft at Hope So?

At Hope So you can enjoy cold draft beer. There's a really wide variety, and the beer is well looked after, so if you like Guinness, I recommend it!

The Guinness was very clean and went down smoothly, which I was happy about.

There's even a picture and lettering on top of the foam!! It's really dense and creamy.

The Kozel Cinnamon was sweet because of the cinnamon, but my mom enjoyed it a lot.

Guinness vs Kozel dark beer

Guinness is a smooth, creamy stout that goes down without any harshness in the throat. Kozel is a dark beer where you can feel the carbonation. I like a creamy texture more than fizz, so I'm absolutely on Team Guinness Draft!

Hope So is what you could call a holy ground for dark beer. If you like Kozel Cinnamon or Guinness, definitely visit!

Hope So wood-fired margherita mini (₩14,000)

The wood-fired margherita mini is ₩14,000, a wood-fired pizza with tomato, basil and cheese. Last time I came for a second round, so I couldn't eat pizza, but I heard Hope So's pizza is famous, so I ordered it!

The ingredients are really fresh and it's delicious. The dough is thin, and the cheese is thin too, like a salad? It felt like eating a salad pizza.

What I liked: I wanted to try several dishes, but a whole pizza would be too filling, so I ordered the mini. I think that's great. The small one comes with about 4 slices.

That said, having tried it, I think the mini and the full pizza probably taste a bit different. In photos the full pizza looks like it has thick dough and plenty of tomato sauce and cheese, but the mini is very thin. Next time I'll go for a full wood-fired pizza~

Hope So fried chicken gizzards + fries set (₩20,000)

The fried chicken gizzards + fries set is ₩20,000, a perfect menu item for when you want both gizzards and fries.

You can't have beer without fries, right? But I also wanted fried chicken and gizzards, so I picked this. It's fried to order, so crispy and piping hot! The gizzards can be hot enough to burn the roof of your mouth.

It was really good. The gizzards were lightly seasoned and the meat was plump and meaty. It was my style. I kept picking at them nonstop.

Hope So gambas pasta (₩19,000)

The recommended gambas pasta (shrimp and garlic oil pasta) at Hope So is ₩19,000. They seem to do pasta better than pizza, honestly?

It was a bit pricey, but I figured the pasta would be good too, so I ordered it. They describe it as the best oil pasta, harmonizing plump shrimp, garlic, extra virgin oil and fresh vegetables. Since it's gambas pasta it has shrimp, and they're plump and fresh.

The seasoning is just right and not salty. The noodles are cooked beautifully, too. I want to go back for the pasta.

The noodles don't go slack at all, they stay firm and sharp. Chewy? I guess (not quite) springy yet slipping down smoothly on the olive oil, that kind of oil pasta.

Hope So complimentary sides and self-service

Hope So serves crackers and pickles by default. They were fresh and tasty too, so I kept asking for refills haha.. There's water at the second-floor seats, so aprons and water are self-service!

Hope So menu and today's pasta

Hope So has a really wide menu. Whatever I ordered, it was all good with no misses.

I'll have to come back for the cream pasta and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) too. The pasta comes as a random "today's menu" and they say it's discounted, so today's pasta (₩14,900) is the economical choice.

Hope So as a Bangi-dong date after the Olympic Park Rose Festival

The flowers are in full bloom at Olympic Park's Rose Square. If you're looking for a Bangi-dong date course after the June Olympic Park Rose Festival, I recommend Hope So!

You'll get dishes that taste like honey, and draft beer that tastes even more like honey. For a Bangi-dong terrace beer and pizza restaurant, I recommend Hope So.