Gangnam jazz bar with my daughter: front-row Hagyeong Band, Flat Nine

It had been a while since my daughter and I had dinner somewhere with a nice atmosphere, so we went to Flat Nine (FLATNINE), near Gangnam Station. Flat Nine is a dining bar with live jazz by Korean and international musicians every night.

Where is Flat Nine, and what are the hours and parking?

Flat Nine is at 10 Gangnam-daero 65-gil, 5th floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 342m from Gangnam Station Exit 10 and a 5-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 7. Hours are Mon-Thu 18:00-23:00 (last order 22:30), Fri 18:00-24:00 (last order 23:30), Sat 15:00-24:00 (break 17:40-18:00 / last order 23:30), and Sun 15:00-23:00 (break 17:40-18:00 / last order 22:30).

• Parking: The bar has no parking of its own.
• Nearby paid lot: The Gyeongdong paid parking lot (26 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul), about 80m from the bar, is the convenient option.
• Tip: Roads around Gangnam Station are congested, so public transport (Gangnam Station Exit 10 or Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 7) is recommended.

Flat Nine sits between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's easy to find. It's 342m from Gangnam Station Exit 10 and a 5-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 7.

Where can you check the Flat Nine live jazz lineup?

A board by the entrance stairs shows the lineup for the next two weeks. On Sunday, July 26, when we visited, Haeilup Duo played at 16:00 and Hakyung Band at 19:00.

I think knowing who's playing before you go makes the jazz even more fun.

Flat Nine interior and seating

Stepping inside felt like a classic movie scene. The stage and the seats are very close, so you feel the resonance of the playing right in front of you, which was a big plus.

There's a group room too.

How much is the Flat Nine performance fee?

On top of the meal, Flat Nine charges a separate performance fee of ₩15,000 per person. Considering the quality of the show and the atmosphere, I was glad I came with my daughter.

Flat Nine Classic Course (₩78,000 for 2)

We ordered the Flat Nine Classic Course (₩78,000 for 2). It comes out neatly in order, from the aperitif to dessert.

APERITIF

A fresh sparkling aperitif with cranberry, raspberry, mint and lemon that wakes up your appetite. It left my mouth feeling clean before the food.

AMUSE BOUCHE

Crispy dauphinoise: thinly sliced potatoes layered and fried until crunchy, topped with lemon butter, shiso and chervil. The ingredients are ordinary, but it was my first time trying crispy potato like this.

BREAD

Fresh-from-the-oven focaccia comes with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. It was warm and mild.

SEASONAL SALAD: Squid and Korean melon carpaccio

While eating I wondered, what dish is this? Then I read the description on the tablet ordering pad at the table: a carpaccio of thinly sliced smoked squid, Korean melon (chamoe) and pickled radish with a charred paprika sauce. A dish made with Korean melon was unique and fresh.

PASTA: Mille-feuille lasagna + truffle cream

Ragù, béchamel and cheese are layered between sheets of fresh pasta and baked twice, in a pan and in the oven, as a mille-feuille lasagna. I added truffle cream as an option for ₩4,000.

With every dish there was that "what is this?" curiosity, and then, cutting into it, "wow, so that's what it was! And it tastes good too..." My daughter and I ended up talking about each dish as it came out, haha.

STEAK: Jeju black pork tenderloin steak

The main is dry-aged Jeju black pork tenderloin grilled over binchotan (white charcoal), paired with mango purée, pepper jus and grilled green onion.

Would a pork steak be good? I hesitated when choosing the course, but the fire and smoke flavor came through strongly, and it was tasty, tender and mild. I thought we chose well.

We sat in the very front row watching the jazz, enjoying the music and the food with each dish that came out.

DESSERT

The course ends with a seasonal cake made with homemade chocolate, cream cheese and nuts.

How was Flat Nine with my daughter?

The stage is so close to the seats that the ₩15,000 per person performance fee didn't feel wasteful, and it was easy to get lost in the jazz. The course was generous from aperitif to dessert, and it was a satisfying time listening to live music and talking with my daughter.

If you want a stylish meal with live music near Gangnam, I recommend reserving a seat in advance through Naver reservations.

A Gangnam Station dining bar where close-up jazz and a generous course made a special memory with my daughter.