Jongno cocktail bar after dinner: ssanghwatang-like drink at Hanuk

A cocktail bar in Jongno for a second round after dinner: Hanuk

Hanuk (하눅, HA NOOK) is a traditional-feeling cocktail bar in the basement on Samil-daero 19-gil, near Jonggak Station. After finishing dinner in Jongno, I was looking for somewhere to have a casual drink, and that's how I ended up at Hanuk 🍸

It sits a little away from Jonggak, which is packed with pubs in the evening, and felt quiet and cozy. If you're looking for a Jonggak bar with an unusual atmosphere and special cocktails, I'd recommend it. The mood is lovely, so it's also a perfect Jongno date spot for couples.

• Address: B1, 18 Samil-daero 19-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 17:00 - 02:00 (next day)

You can feel the Korean vibe from the entrance, so I was already excited to see what kind of space was waiting inside.

What's the atmosphere inside Hanuk?

Unlike the bustling Jonggak outside, the inside of Hanuk is calm and cozy. You can try unusual drinks in a quiet, stylish setting, which makes it appealing for a date or just a special evening.

Traditional props are tastefully placed all around. 🤭 Traditional charm and modern polish blend naturally, giving the place an upscale yet cozy feel. The soft mood made it great for enjoying a date. 🍸

This floor seating looked like a good spot for photos, too.

A menu shaped like a hanok door, and the whisky shelves

Even the menu is designed like a hanok (traditional Korean house) door, which I found so stylish. 🤭 You can tell they cared about every detail! Maybe because the space plays up its traditional feel, there were quite a few foreign guests, too.

Bottles of whisky are displayed beautifully, giving the room a luxurious feel. The traditional interior and the showy rows of liquor go together really well. Traditional sensibility mixed with a refined mood made Hanuk all the more charming! ❤️

What comes as the welcome tea at Hanuk?

After you order and wait, Hanuk brings out sujeonggwa (cinnamon and persimmon punch) and yakgwa (traditional honey cookie) as a welcome tea. ☕️ The gently sweet sujeonggwa and yakgwa suit the traditional atmosphere well. It wasn't too sweet, so it was easy to enjoy, and the yakgwa was honestly really good, so I ate it happily. 🤎

A cocktail that tastes like coffee, or maybe ssanghwatang

My first cocktail at Hanuk was a special glass that looked beautifully Korean-traditional right from the presentation. Tasting it, it reminded me of coffee, and somehow of ssanghwatang (a warming herbal tonic tea) too. It's clearly different from the cocktails you usually see, so it was fun just to look at. It felt like Hanuk's own charm, a traditional sensibility reinterpreted in a modern way! 😊

Tofu crisps and dried persimmon as bar snacks

The bar snacks were crispy fried tofu crisps and sweet gotgam (dried persimmon). 🤎 Nutty, crunchy tofu crisps paired with chewy, gently sweet dried persimmon! Having traditional sweets alongside made Hanuk's Korean sensibility come through even more. It was a fun, different way to enjoy cocktails. 🍸

A cocktail scented with smoke, performance style

My second drink at Hanuk had the sweet flavor of a traditional Korean liquor. I don't remember the exact name, but this one suited my taste better. 🍸🤎 Most impressive of all was the performance of scenting the cocktail with aroma!

They add fragrance to the cocktail with softly rising smoke, and it was special because it was fun to watch, too. You get to enjoy aroma and atmosphere, not just drinking, and that's when Hanuk's charm really came through.

Sitting at the bar counter, I could also watch the bartenders' skilled, flashy cocktail-making up close, which made it even more fun.

The kind manager even gave us a hangover remedy, haha

Why I recommend Hanuk for a Jongno date

I spent a quiet, relaxed time at Hanuk (HA NOOK), an unusual cocktail bar that reinterprets Korean style in a modern way. Many unique menu items put a fresh spin on traditional charm, so even browsing the menu was a lot of fun. If you're looking for a atmospheric traditional liquor bar or cocktail bar in Jongno or Jonggak, I'd recommend it as a date course, too. ❤️