Jonggak whisky bar for round two after Gyeongbokgung at night: Hanuk

If you want to slow down and soak up some Korean atmosphere in the middle of noisy Jongno, Hanuk is the spot.

Where Hanuk is, opening hours and how to book

Hanuk is a Korean-style traditional liquor and whisky cocktail bar in the basement at 18 Samil-daero 19-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's open daily 19:00–26:00, has no parking, welcomes groups, and takes reservations through Catch Table.

I'd seen Hanuk on Instagram ages ago and finally made it there! I went after the Gyeongbokgung night opening, and somehow the two felt connected.

The entrance alone sets the mood, right?! Coming down into the basement from the bustling, noisy streets of Jongno felt like stepping into a completely different world — like I'd suddenly been transported to the Joseon era, haha.

Inside Hanuk: bar seats and table seats in a Jongno basement

Right when you walk into Hanuk there's bar seating, and further in are the table seats. The vibe was neither too loud nor too quiet — just right for conversation.

The interior, a mix of tradition and modernity, was striking. The staff were all in full dress too, so it felt like being at a proper upscale bar. It was my first time at a Korean-style whisky bar, so everything felt fresh and fun. You could tell every corner had been thought through carefully.

Look at the detail on the menu. Look at the lighting detail. I fell for this place all over again here.

Hanuk's QR menu: Korean traditional liquor and whisky in one bar

Hanuk's menu is viewable via QR code. Apparently that's because the menu updates often, which tells you how much thought goes into developing Hanuk's own lineup. The biggest draw of Hanuk is that you can experience both traditional liquor and whisky here! And a lot of the drinks are ones you can only find at this bar, which made it feel really unique.

This is the welcome drink and welcome food! Simple, but so cute, right, haha. With the table lighting, anything placed on it looked full of atmosphere.

What we ordered at Hanuk and what it cost

• Jujeonburi (snacks) ₩8,900
• Chusu ₩23,000
• Jaehoe ₩22,000

Snack plate, 8,900 won: dried persimmon, honeyed walnuts, sesame jeonggwa

First up, the snacks! It comes with dried persimmon strips, honey-glazed walnuts, and nutty sesame jeonggwa (candied sesame). We'd already eaten and came here as our second round, so we ordered something light — the dried persimmon strips were chewy and really delicious.

Chusu, 23,000 won: soy-jang depth with yuja and nurungji

Chusu is a whisky-based cocktail meant to capture the abundance of an autumn harvest. It's said to combine the deep flavor of jang (fermented sauce) with the brightness of yuja (citron), evoking Korean autumn.

Maybe because it's whisky-based, you could really taste the alcohol, and it comes with nurungji (scorched rice) to eat alongside — the combination of whisky and something sweet was so good.

Jaehoe, 22,000 won: omija, cream and vetiver in a dessert cocktail

Jaehoe is a soft, sweet, dessert-style cocktail. Its flower language means "see you again," made with omija (five-flavor berry), the softness of cream, and the faint earthiness of vetiver — said to express a harmony of East and West.

This was my pick and it was genuinely delicious. It carried makgeolli flavor with a nutty finish — so good... I drank it down to the very last drop.

Can you see how clear the ice is? That's another detail they clearly put real care into.

Who is Hanuk best for — dates, blind dates or solo drinks?

Hanuk has such a distinctly Korean atmosphere that it'd be great to bring a foreign friend along. It'd work well as a date spot, a second-round venue after a blind date, or a place to enjoy a drink solo! It felt like being pulled into another world and coming back out — so refreshing and lovely. Definitely worth a visit, I highly recommend it.