Jung-gu cocktail bar with zodiac drinks and cake: Ju Sindang

Sindang is seriously hot these days, right? There are so many places to go, from great restaurants to drinking spots, that it seems to be a popular date-course neighborhood too. This time, I visited Ju Sindang (주신당), one of Sindang’s especially famous and unusual cocktail bars!

Meet the zodiac cocktails at Ju Sindang

This is a place for cocktails themed around the Chinese zodiac, so it had a completely different feel from an ordinary bar! The entrance was distinctive and the interior atmosphere was special too—I immediately understood why it is such a well-known Sindang hot spot.

The space behind the tiny door

Ju Sindang was truly distinctive from the entrance onward. First-time visitors go through such a small door that you may wonder, “Is this the right place?” It felt like entering a secret space. There are lots of bars in Sindang, but this kind of concept is uncommon, so my anticipation was already building before I went in.

Open this very door and an incredible world unfolds. At first, I was wandering around because I had no idea where to enter, haha.

Once inside: dim lighting and a dreamlike atmosphere! Another thing I loved was being able to watch the cocktail-making process right from the bar seats 😆 It was so fun watching the bartenders carefully make each drink.

The goldfish tank on the ceiling was especially striking. It made me feel as though I had entered another world. Along with the soft lighting, the tank became the focal point and made the atmosphere even more special 🐠🐟🐡

Ordering the Monkey, Tiger, and Dragon cocktails

Ju Sindang’s biggest draw is definitely its Chinese-zodiac cocktail concept. Each zodiac sign comes with different ingredients and a story, making the menu fun to choose from. I visited with my family and ordered three: the 🐒 Monkey, 🐯 Tiger, and 🐉 Dragon.

They also have old-fashioned snacks for nibbling. The jeonbyeong (thin crispy wafer rolls) were so good—it had been ages since I last had them. I even wondered whether I should buy some on the way home, haha. Even as I write this, I want jeonbyeong as finger food, hehe.

Monkey, Tiger, and Dragon cocktails plus cake all at once at Ju Sindang, haha. The presentation and atmosphere were both perfect, so I ended up taking photos for ages first 🍸✨

Black sesame cake that paired beautifully with cocktails

I was happy with the cake we ordered too. Its cute look made it great for photos, and its lightly sweet flavor paired easily with cocktails. It felt not only like a place to drink, but also a dessert bar with a lovely atmosphere!

What does the Monkey cocktail taste like?

🐒 The Monkey is a cocktail with an appealing fresh fruit aroma. Its fragrant flavor came through from the first sip, making it relatively easy to enjoy. The balance of sweetness and brightness was good, so I think cocktail beginners would like this one too!!

The Dragon cocktail can be made non-alcoholic

🐉 The Dragon was personally the most fascinating menu item. It can be changed to non-alcoholic, so people who cannot drink can still enjoy the full atmosphere. I loved that even if one person cannot drink when visiting with family or a partner, everyone can enjoy it together. The visual was incredibly glamorous too—perfect for photos!

The full-bodied, distinctive Tiger cocktail

🐯 The Tiger had a full-bodied, strongly distinctive style. Its aroma had a real presence from the start, and I could feel its charm with every sip. It was one of the drinks that conveyed Ju Sindang’s unique concept best!

A surprise: red bean paste was hidden inside the cake! And there was raspberry jam inside the tiny jar. Raspberry and red bean went together so well 🥰 And then there was the black-sesame cake base too. If I come back to Ju Sindang, I definitely want to order this cake again! You should absolutely order the cocktails and cake together~

The fun of finding and choosing your zodiac sign

What impressed me was that Ju Sindang did not simply give cocktails zodiac names; each animal had its own story and personality. It is fun to find and order your own sign, and it is also fun for friends or couples to order different signs and compare them. That is probably why it is so popular as a date spot.

If you are looking for a special bar in Sindang

• If you are looking for a slightly special bar in Sindang, Ju Sindang is absolutely worth visiting at least once.
• A unique experience that begins the moment you open the tiny door.
• A dreamlike atmosphere with a goldfish tank on the ceiling.
• Distinctive Chinese-zodiac cocktails and the fun of watching them made right in front of you.
• I would recommend it for a Sindang date or a special gathering 🍸✨