Speakeasy bar in Jongno, Seoul with off-menu cocktails: Gak Seoul

Looking for a cocktail bar around Jongno-gak, I kept running into places that were either way too loud, or had great vibes but pretty average cocktails. Gak Seoul is somewhere I'd actually been three or four times before, and after a long gap, I finally made it back.

Gak Seoul has that speakeasy feel, so it's not the kind of place you'd spot right off the street — it feels more like somewhere only people in the know go looking for. Honestly, I liked it even more for that.

Where is Gak Seoul, and what are its hours?

• Address: 1 Samil-daero 15-gil, B1, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• About 462m from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station
• Hours: Daily 19:00–02:00 (next day)
• Last order: 01:30
• Group seating available, Wi-Fi available

It's a fairly convenient spot for a second round after dinner around Jonggak-gak or Cheonggyecheon.

Finding the hidden entrance to this Jongno speakeasy

You could easily walk right past Gak Seoul the first time. It has that classic speakeasy air of being slightly hidden, so it's not the kind of flashy storefront that screams 'bar' at first glance.

I remember thinking 'is this really it?' the very first time I came, and even on this visit after a long break, that same feeling was still there. If anything, it made the place feel even more like a spot only insiders find.

Inside Gak Seoul: low lighting and a long bar counter

The moment you step through the door, the mood completely shifts — I still remember that faintly luxurious scent that hits you as you walk into Gak Seoul. The lighting is low, the wood tones set the mood, and the bar seating stretches out long, giving the whole space a calm, moody feel.

I felt this before too, but somehow this place makes you lower your voice a little without even meaning to. Honestly, if you've got someone you're trying to win over, I feel like bringing them here would work wonders lol.

It's not blatantly a 'date spot' kind of place, but the mood is subtly good, making it perfect for two people just to talk.

Ordering off-menu: Faust and Long Island Iced Tea

This time, instead of ordering off the actual menu, I asked for a Faust and a Long Island Iced Tea. Neither was listed on the menu, but when I mentioned them to the owner, he just made them up right away.

This is what real skill looks like, I thought. I remembered the cocktail quality being solid on my past visits too, and seeing him whip up exactly what I wanted even after all this time confirmed I hadn't been coming back here for nothing.

< Faust > < Long Island Iced Tea >

A Long Island Iced Tea especially is a cocktail that mixes several spirits, so if the balance is off, it can end up just tasting harsh — I've had that happen at other places. Here, though, I felt like I could just tell the owner what I liked and trust him to handle it, no worries.

Gak Seoul is the kind of bar that grows on you more once you know it, rather than one that hooks you on the first visit.

Honest verdict: who should visit Gak Seoul?

I'd been three or four times before and finally made it back after a long while, and everything I liked back then — the hidden entrance, that scent the moment you walk in, the low lighting and bar atmosphere — was all still exactly the same.

Watching the owner make the Faust and Long Island Iced Tea on the spot, even though neither was on the menu, reminded me all over again how skilled he is. If you're looking for a good-atmosphere cocktail bar near Jonggak Station or Cheonggyecheon, or a quiet second-round spot for a date or a low-key chat rather than drinking solo, this place fits well.

And honestly... if you've got someone you're into, bring them here once lol. The mood does half the work for you.