Makgeolli and tofu kimchi in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul: Halmae Gireumjip

There are days when finishing dinner near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office and just heading home feels a little lacking! It was raining that day, too, so suddenly all I wanted was a warm, freshly fried jeon (Korean savory pancake).

On days like this there's no need to overthink it — makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and jeon just go together, so I looked for somewhere to go for round two and ended up at Halmae Gireumjip Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch.

There are plenty of bars around Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, but that day I specifically wanted somewhere with an actual jeon-pub atmosphere.

So that's where I ended up, and looking at the menu, there was a wide variety of jeon, making it a great choice for a second round — plus plenty of makgeolli options too, so it seemed like the perfect place if you're looking for a bar near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station serving makgeolli.

Where is Halmae Gireumjip Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch and how do you get there?

Halmae Gireumjip Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 or 5 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station. It sits right at the entrance of the food alley, so it's easy to find, and the sign says "Halmae Gireumjip" in big letters, so even first-timers won't have trouble locating it.

The big plus is how accessible it is on a rainy day when you're craving jeon. Being so close to the station, it's also a great spot for office workers nearby to swing by for round two after work.

The retro vibe catches your eye right from the exterior. True to its name, it has a homey feel that faintly recalls a grandmother's house, giving it that warm, nostalgic charm unique to jeon pubs. It's a different mood from the sleek, modern bars you see so often these days, and honestly, enjoying jeon and makgeolli in a space like this just felt right.

Inside Halmae Gireumjip: retro mood and seating

Stepping inside Halmae Gireumjip Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch, the seating is mostly 2-tops and 4-tops, which makes it good for small groups!

Rather than feeling too big or noisy, it has a comfortable atmosphere where you can chat with your table while having a drink, so it seemed well suited to dates, a second round with friends, or small gatherings.

The retro feel carries through consistently, so the exterior and interior atmospheres flow naturally into each other.

So rather than just going to eat jeon, this felt like a Yeongdeungpo-gu Office round-two jeon pub where you can also enjoy the atmosphere itself on a rainy day over a drink.

The menu: jeon, hot pots and desserts

As you'd expect from a jeon pub, the menu has a wide range of pancake dishes ready — bacon kimchi jeon, corn jeon, halmae meatballs, yukjeon (pan-fried beef), assorted jeon, whole potato jeon, and more. It's not just jeon either — there's also a variety of drinking snacks like tofu kimchi, mountain-high clam soup, whole squid jjamppong soup, and halmae tteokbokki, so there's plenty to choose from depending on your taste.

There are also set combos that let you pair jeon with other dishes, plus items like cheese rolled egg and scallop jjolmyeon salad, along with sides like chewy potato and sorbet — so choosing what to order for round two was genuinely fun.

There's a good variety of makgeolli too, along with a buy-one-get-one event running, which makgeolli fans might want to keep in mind. At lunch, they also run lunch specials like zucchini jjagalji, squid dooruchigi, and budae bokkeum, so it's a place you can use for lunch as well as dinner.

What we ordered at Halmae Gireumjip and what it cost

• Tofu kimchi — 20,000 won
• Chewy potato — 9,000 won
• Shine muscat sorbet — 7,900 won
• Saero — 5,000 won

As a basic side dish, tofu and stir-fried kimchi come out first, which was nice to pick at lightly before the main dishes arrived. The tofu itself was plain and clean-tasting, so eating it with the stir-fried kimchi really whetted the appetite.

Tofu kimchi, 20,000 won

First, tofu kimchi looks like a familiar classic drinking snack, but it turned out to be a better combination than I expected.

The tofu is pan-fried in perilla oil so the outside is lightly golden while the inside stays soft — crispy outside, tender inside, exactly how I like it.

Alongside it comes spicy stir-fried kimchi, and it's not just kimchi stir-fried alone — it's cooked together with meat, so the more you chew, the more savory and rich it tastes.

Eating the plain tofu together with the spicy stir-fried kimchi and meat made for a classic pairing that's exactly the kind of drinking snack you keep reaching for.

I came for the jeon but got drawn in by the tofu kimchi, and ordering it was a total win, haha.

Turns out this place might just be a tofu specialist, haha.

Chewy potato, 9,000 won

Chewy potato lives up to its name — the texture is the whole point! The outside is fried golden and crispy while the inside is chewy with cheese melted in, making it easy to just keep picking pieces off. Dipping it in the buldak-mayo sauce especially added a spicy, savory kick — a surprisingly addictive combo!

Shine muscat sorbet, 7,900 won

When you're a few rounds into jeon and side dishes, eventually you start craving something cold, so I ordered the shine muscat sorbet too.

It was cold and refreshing, cleansing the palate nicely, and there was something like shine muscat jelly inside as well, making it fun to chew on. Scooping a bit in between sips of a drink was a great palate cleanser.

Is Halmae Gireumjip a good round-two bar near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station?

Overall, Halmae Gireumjip Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch was a great spot for round two, since you can order not just jeon but a variety of drinking snacks alongside it. It especially seems like a place where the atmosphere would match perfectly on a rainy day when you're craving warm jeon and makgeolli.

It's close to Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station and the space is cozy, so next time I have dinner nearby and find myself wanting a second round, I think I'll come back here as my go-to Yeongdeungpo-gu Office round-two jeon pub.

The verdict in one line

A great place to enjoy jeon and makgeolli on a rainy day

Here's what I liked

• Close to Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, easy to reach for round two
• Wide variety of drinking snacks, from jeon to soups
• 2-top and 4-top seating suits small groups well
• Retro atmosphere makes it comfortable to chat
• Good makgeolli selection and an ongoing promotion to choose from