Saturday night at Yahwa, a packed solo drinking bar in Itaewon

Yahwa in Itaewon: a solo drinking bar with 20 minutes to spare

We had plans with two friends in Itaewon on a Saturday, and before catching our bus we had an awkward 20 minutes to kill. Sitting around waiting felt like a waste of time, but going somewhere new also felt like too much effort, so we decided to duck into Yahwa Itaewon nearby for a quick look.

The vibe was way more raucous than I expected, and being a Saturday evening, the place was packed — nearly full.

Table games, QR ordering and signature cocktails at Yahwa

Yahwa Itaewon has a pretty varied set of games at each table, so it's set up for more than just drinking — you can play around while you sip. Ordering through QR code was also handy.

Looking at the menu, the drink selection was bigger than I expected, and alongside regular alcohol there were signature cocktails too, so you could pick something to suit your taste. Also, there were way more women there than I anticipated..!!

Who drinks at Yahwa? The crowd seen through 30-something eyes

Yahwa Itaewon felt like it skewed toward a fairly young crowd. Lots of groups of women friends, and the overall vibe was young.

We only had about 20 minutes so we really went in just to try it out, and honestly, for us in our 30s it wasn't exactly super fun or exciting haha. The whole concept of playing games and mingling with strangers in a loud, high-energy setting just felt like it suited a younger crowd better.

That said, that's actually part of what made it interesting — there was something fun about just observing and thinking 'oh, bars like this exist these days~' haha.

I felt like this place would be especially fun for people in their early-to-mid 20s going with friends — doing more than just drinking, playing around, having a good time. If you want to drink casually while playing games and meeting new people, it seems worth a visit at least once!

The downside: men and women seated separately

There was one thing I personally found a bit disappointing though...ㅠㅠ The seating arrangement.

They seat women with women and men with men, and I imagine opinions on this really vary from person to person. Personally, it felt like it lacked a bit of tact, if I'm being honest(?)

The women seated in front of us were in their mid-20s, laughing a lot and seemed really fun, but they ended up only chatting among themselves and with us before leaving ㅠ

We only had that awkward gap of time before our bus, so it was really just a brief experience, but even 20 minutes of looking around was fun in its own way. Rather than expecting an amazing restaurant or a super stylish bar, I'd say go in with the mindset of 'oh, this kind of place exists?' and visit casually. Especially if you're younger and like hunting for new bars with friends, the games and lively vibe here would make for a fun time.

How Yahwa differs from other solo drinking bars in Seoul

A friend of mine who's been to a few solo bars said Yahwa Itaewon in particular has an especially loud, energetic atmosphere compared to other places. At other branches, the owner sometimes jumps in and leads the conversation, but at Yahwa there were enough customers with such an upbeat energy that guests could just talk among themselves..!

On the flip side, if your goal is a quiet chat over a drink, this place might not be quite the right fit. Still, judging by how packed it was on a Saturday, plenty of people seem to love this kind of atmosphere. If you want to try something a little different in Itaewon's bar scene, Yahwa Itaewon is worth a visit at least once!