Songpa izakaya with private rooms: skewer grill and gambas at Sangkai

This is J, who loves drinks and good food. There are so many bars and restaurants in Bangi-dong's restaurant alley that whenever I make dinner plans there, I end up stuck wondering, 'where should we go today?' This time, while I was deciding, I found a place that seemed like it could solve the 'I want to eat this AND that' problem all at once, so I paid it a visit.

That place is Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch, right in the Bangi-dong restaurant alley. They have sashimi, skewers, and dish-style menu items like gambas, so it felt like a great option for a day when you don't want to settle on just one thing. More than anything, the atmosphere inside was much nicer than I expected, so it's a great fit for a night when you want good food and good vibes together.

Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch: address, hours and seating

• Address: 30 Olympic-ro 32-gil, 2nd & 3rd floor, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 16:00 – 05:00 (next day)
• Other: Group-friendly, reservations available, room available

Finding Sangkai Izakaya in the Bangi-dong restaurant alley

Sangkai Bangi Branch stood out even within the busy Bangi-dong alley, and once inside, it didn't feel like a small izakaya with just a few tables crammed in — the space itself was genuinely spacious. I visited in the early evening when it was quiet at first, but as time went on, way more people showed up than I expected.

The open, airy feel meant it never felt cramped, and with sightlines opening up toward the windows, it was a comfortable spot to chat over drinks. At a lot of bars, tables are packed so close you can hear the neighboring table's whole conversation, but here there was enough breathing room that it wasn't an issue. I actually saw quite a few group tables, and staff rearranging the seating so bigger parties could sit together.

So beyond just going with friends, it seemed like a solid option for a Bangi-dong company dinner or group gathering too.

Inside Sangkai Izakaya: 2nd-floor seating and a 3rd-floor private room

Sangkai Bangi Branch is split across the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the 3rd floor in particular has a room-style private space, which looked great for more private gatherings. I liked that you can pick your space depending on the occasion — from a quiet two-person chat to a bigger group of friends, or a large company-dinner-sized crowd.

When you're looking for a bar in Bangi-dong, the food matters, but honestly, when you're meeting up with a group, how comfortable the seats are and how the space is laid out matters a ton too. On that front, this felt like a pretty practical space.

What to order from the Sangkai Izakaya menu

Looking over the menu, there was so much variety I had to think for a while. From sashimi to skewers, fried dishes, stir-fries, and full plated dishes — it's built so someone craving meat and someone craving raw fish can come together without fighting over the menu. For someone like me who wants this AND that, this kind of lineup is honestly a relief.

After a lot of deliberation, we ordered gambas and assorted skewers. Both pair well with drinks but are different enough in character that we weren't leaning too heavily one way.

The complimentary octopus salad starter

While waiting for our order, the complimentary starter came out, and the octopus salad was more impressive than I expected. The chewy texture of the octopus combined with a bright, tangy flavor that felt like it cleared the palate. When you're drinking, you tend to keep eating greasy or salty snacks, so having something this refreshing thrown into the mix was great for resetting your taste buds. A nice, light way to start off a drink.

Gambas at Sangkai Izakaya: shrimp enough for a full dish

Then the gambas arrived. My first reaction was surprise at just how big the portion was. When you think 'gambas,' you usually picture a simple bar snack of shrimp, garlic, and oil, but this one looked like a proper dish from the moment it hit the table.

It was loaded with shrimp, and the garlic and oil flavors worked so well together that it felt almost a shame to eat it purely as a drinking snack. Paired with bread or another side, it was great for enjoying the oil's flavor, and above all, it genuinely felt like a dish you'd get at a pasta restaurant, which I loved. The shrimp had a nice springy texture, and the garlic aroma came through subtly — I kept reaching for more the whole time we were drinking. A single dish like this is enough to really lift the mood of a night out.

Assorted skewers served with a personal charcoal grill

Next up, the assorted skewers. They came out along with a personal charcoal grill, and the whole mood shifted the moment that arrived. Compared to skewers just plated and served cold-ish, being able to keep them warm right in front of you genuinely adds to the fun of drinking. Each skewer was neatly shaped, and the textures varied by ingredient, so it was fun picking through them one by one. The subtle charcoal aroma in particular made them perfect as a drinking snack.

Eating this, it struck me that this place is less a spot for just drinking and more a Japanese-style pub where you can actually enjoy proper dishes. The plating was quite polished, and every dish felt like it had real care put into it, which I appreciated.

Yurinchi: less spicy than expected

At first, I only planned on the gambas and skewers, but partway through, I started craving something spicy. I figured a drinking table always needs a spicy dish thrown in, so we ordered an extra one — but honestly, my personal take is they could've dropped the word 'spicy' from the name. It wasn't nearly as spicy as I expected, which was a bit disappointing.

We initially ordered wanting to try a bit of everything, but once it was all laid out, each dish turned out to have a pretty generous portion — order a few and you could easily make a full meal out of it.

What Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch does well

The portions were quite satisfying overall. When choosing a bar in Bangi-dong, what you want on the menu really depends on who you're going with — someone wants sashimi, someone wants meat or skewers, and someone else wants a proper cooked dish.

The biggest strength of Sangkai Bangi Branch is that its wide menu selection makes it easy to satisfy everyone's tastes in one place. On top of that, the space is spacious, the atmosphere is nice, and with a room on the 3rd floor, it's great for group gatherings or company dinners too.

It's also a great spot for a daytime drink with a floor-to-ceiling window view. You can show up in the early evening and start a relaxed meal, and since they're open every day from 4pm to 5am the next day, it's convenient for keeping the drinks going late into the night. It's also a solid option if you want to start early with a daytime drink, have dinner and a drink, then carry on to a second and third round all in one place.

Check the review event before you visit

At the time of my visit, they were also running a review event, so if you're interested, it's worth checking the in-store signage. Since you're already there for the good food, might as well check out the event too.

Final thoughts on Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch

Visiting Sangkai Bangi Branch, what struck me was that it's a great fit for a night in Bangi-dong when you want good food, good atmosphere, and generous space all at once. If you're trying to decide where to go in the Bangi-dong restaurant alley on a day when you're meeting people with different food preferences, this kind of varied setup makes it pretty easy to pick a bit of everything from one spot. Order a bunch of good snacks, get talking, and before you know it hours have passed. If you're looking for a place for drinks in Bangi-dong, it's worth checking out both the menu and the space before deciding.