Warehouse-style whiskey bar in Jumunjin, Gangneung: Jumunjin Blues

On our first night in Gangneung, it felt like a waste to just stay in at the accommodation, so I went looking for a bar with good atmosphere nearby and heard there was an atmospheric whiskey bar in Jumunjin. So I went to Jumunjin Blues. From the entrance alone it was a warehouse bar full of character. It already had great vibes from outside, and inside it was even more of an atmospheric bar. Let me tell you about Jumunjin Blues.

Where Jumunjin Blues is and when it opens

• Location: 53 Jumun-ro, Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, Unit 102 (the entrance is behind the building)
• Hours: Daily 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM
• Parking: Parking available near the bar

An atmospheric whiskey bar in Gangneung, a real find for vibes. Jumunjin Blues is right in the heart of Jumunjin. It's in the building with the Baskin Robbins, between Jumunjin Memory Hotel and SL Hotel Gangneung, and the entrance is around the back of the building!!

Finding the entrance behind the Baskin Robbins building

Head around the back of the Baskin Robbins building and you'll see a glowing blue sign. At first I wondered if I was in the right place, but as soon as I headed behind the Baskin Robbins building, I thought, ah, this must be Jumunjin Blues. Jumunjin Blues is a warehouse-style bar with tons of character.

Go further in and you'll reach the entrance of Jumunjin Blues, where the owner personally opens the door when you ring the bell.

What the inside of Jumunjin Blues feels like

The moment we stepped inside, I fell right into the atmosphere. All kinds of lighting, props, tables, chairs, plants, even a motorcycle — the vibe was seriously so good!! Honestly, we'd been debating just hanging out at the accommodation and going to bed, but I would have regretted it forever if we hadn't come!! There was a part with a sunset effect that I almost thought was real, haha. And we even heard crackling firewood sounds, so we briefly wondered if it was actually a real fire, haha.

Further inside there were couples, groups of friends, tourists, and especially a lot of regulars. And you know what it means when there are a lot of regulars?! It means the place is legit good. Even while we were eating, couples kept coming in, and regulars kept walking in and greeting the owner.

The menu: whiskey, gin and tonic and pepperoni pizza

The menu itself was full of character too. Along with a variety of whiskeys, wines, and beers, there are food options to pair with them like pepperoni pizza, bulgogi pizza, a jamón & cheese platter, homemade sausage, hamburg steak, and smoked oysters. We had pepperoni pizza with whiskey. We tried a glass of whatever whiskeys we were curious about, and had a gin tonic too.

As a basic snack, we got pretzels and chocolate that pairs well with whiskey.

The pepperoni pizza came out pretty quickly too.

The pepperoni pizza had cheese that stretched so much. Good enough that you'd believe it's a pizza place, not a bar!! Lots of cheese, pepperoni, and the sauce was so good!! We were busy chatting so the pizza cooled a bit, but even then it was still delicious. If we hadn't already eaten somewhere first, we might have ordered another whole pizza, haha. I saw in reviews that the sausage is good too and wanted to try it, but I'll save that for next time, haha. Enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the whiskey, enjoying the taste of Gangneung — it was a genuinely happy time.

If you're looking for an atmospheric bar, a place with real character, or a whiskey bar in Gangneung, give the whiskey and the vibe at Jumunjin Blues a try~~