Seochon wine bar window seats for a 2nd-round dinner: Wine Stein

Wanted a light glass of wine after dinner in Seochon, so I headed to Wine Stein 🍷 During the day it runs as a Seochon café where you can grab coffee, and in the evening it becomes a Seochon wine bar with plenty of food to pair with wine — so the vibe really changes depending on the time of day, which I loved!

Wine Stein's location and hours

📍 Wine Stein / 서울특별시 종로구 필운대로 9-2 3층 ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–23:00, Sun 11:00–18:00 (café operates until 5:00 PM only)

Wine Stein is on the 3rd floor of the building, so just follow the stairs up from the entrance 😁

The 3rd-floor interior and seating

At first I figured the space would be small since you can't really see inside from the street, but once I went up I was a little surprised at how much bigger it was than expected 😲 It's mostly white tones mixed with wood furniture, and the lighting isn't too bright, so it's just the right mood for wine in the evening. The seating varied too — round tables, larger group tables, and bar seats facing the window.

The window seats especially are floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can sip wine while looking down at the Seochon streets — loved that! Great for a quiet conversation for two, and there's also enough space for a bigger group, so it seemed like a solid option not just for people hunting for good Seochon restaurants but also for renting out as a gathering spot.

The wine display area and little goods

Further inside the store there's also a space lined with wine bottles.

The variety of wine was bigger than I expected, and off to one side they also sell small goods and items, so it felt less like a place that just serves wine and more like a natural blend of wine shop and little goods shop. Browsing the wines was fun too, so I looked around while waiting for our order.

The menu lineup

The menu also had plenty of dishes that go well as wine snacks. There were lighter dishes to share, like gambas, hanchi sundae (squid stuffed with noodles), sausage platter and cheese platter, as well as pizza, pasta and salad — so it works whether you're just popping by for a light second round or want to make it a full dinner too haha.

Gambas at ₩22,000 and white wine Totara

We ordered the gambas for ₩22,000 that day. And to go with the gambas, we also picked a bottle of white wine Totara.

It came chilled, so we could drink it cool from start to finish — and sure enough, white wine paired perfectly with the gambas. Tried the wine on its own first, and it wasn't too heavy, clean and easy to drink, so I was happy from the very first sip.

After a bit of a wait, the gambas arrived still sizzling. Even from the photo you can tell there was a generous amount of shrimp, plus plenty of whole garlic cloves. With plump shrimp and garlic piled into hot oil, the aroma alone was amazing.

The shrimp was nice and plump, and the garlic had soaked up so much oil that it was rich and savory to eat together. One sip of white wine, one bite of gambas — the combo was just right. Gambas ordered as a wine snack can sometimes come in smaller portions than expected, but here there was plenty of shrimp and garlic, good for two people to share slowly.

We had bread alongside it too — you know how dipping it lightly into the gambas oil is a whole separate treat, right?

With shrimp and garlic piled on, our glass of wine disappeared fast. Looking at the menu, you can add spaghetti or baguette to the gambas, so if you want something more filling, adding one of those seems like a good call.

How is it for dates, work dinners, or renting out the space?

Personally, when I go to a wine bar, the food matters but I also really pay attention to the space's atmosphere — and Wine Stein delivered on both. It's not a wine bar that's so dark and quiet you feel awkward talking, but it's also not a rowdy bar vibe either, so it was comfortable to sit and chat.

So it works well as a date spot, but it also seemed well suited for office dinners or small group gatherings with several people. Since the space itself is on the larger side, it's worth checking out if you're looking for a venue to rent for events or gatherings.

The fun part of Wine Stein is that you can enjoy it as a Seochon café during the day and a great-atmosphere Seochon wine bar in the evening. If you're having a dinner date around Gyeongbokgung or Seochon and looking for a second-round spot, or hunting for a Gyeongbokgung restaurant where you can eat simply while drinking wine, it's a solid choice. If you want a glass of wine in a spacious, comfortable spot in Seochon, why not try Wine Stein, which has both a Seochon café and a Seochon wine bar mood in one place? 😁