Korean pub near Hongdae with beef-bone dumpling hot pot: Hwanyeong

Hwanyeong is open daily from 17:00 to 01:00 the next day, with last order at 00:00.

A Korean pub in a Sangsu alley, found after a first round in Hongdae

Hwanyeong is a Korean pub I stumbled on after a fun first round in Hongdae, when I was strolling toward Sangsu looking for a second spot. It's a pretty space tucked between the alleys, with a soft, quiet mood.

I'd also highly recommend Hwanyeong as a date spot, since it's full of atmosphere. Trying it myself, the stylish interior and friendly service made for a really nice evening. I'll walk you through it with photos!

How to get to Hwanyeong, and parking

Hwanyeong's address is 28 Wausan-ro 15-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (1st floor). It's about 272 m from Exit 1 of Sangsu Station on Line 6, so you'll get there in 3–4 minutes on foot.

Directions tip: go into the alley opposite the Far East Broadcasting Company, walk straight in through the alley to the right of Eunhaenggol Hongdae main branch, and look for the first floor of the building with Ddobokgetji Tteokbokki (Kkantappia branch).

Hwanyeong has no dedicated parking, so I'd recommend using public transport or a nearby public car park.

What's the interior like?

Inside, Hwanyeong is cozy yet trendy. The tables are nicely spaced, which is great for chatting over a drink, and the soft lighting makes it good for photos too. The atmosphere is really lovely.

Reservations, corkage and birthday event

You can reserve ahead through Naver Reservation. Corkage is available only for alcohol not sold in the shop, and costs ₩30,000.

I hear that guests who visit Hwanyeong on their birthday get a carefully simmered seaweed soup (miyeokguk) as a free treat.

There's a pen and notebook in one corner of the shop where you can write freely, so I left a short note about my visit. It was a fun little touch! It'd be fun to come back and say, "I wrote something here last time!" and go looking for it, haha. And the owner's thoughtfulness really shows in the hair ties for women they've put out!!!

Hwanyeong menu and prices

Hwanyeong has a generous lineup of distinctive Korean dishes to go with drinks, all carefully prepared.

• Beef tripe hot pot (gopchang jeongol) ₩21,000 – domestic beef tripe, cleaned in-house and simmered with a seasoning paste
• Clam hand-pulled dough soup (bajirak sujebi) ₩16,000 – a refreshing broth made with clams and hard clams
• Brisket potato pancake (chadol gamjajeon) ₩18,000 – a crispy potato pancake with stir-fried beef brisket and garlic chives
• Pork jowl boiled pork & dropwort salad (handon hangjeong suyuk & minari muchim) ₩30,000
• Rockmandu dumpling hot pot (Rockmandu jeongol) ₩16,000

The complimentary side is cabbage salad

The basic side at Hwanyeong is a crunchy, refreshing cabbage salad. With just this, a highball goes down easy...

Second-round drinks: highball and Bohae bokbunja

We'd gone hard on soju in the first round, so at Hwanyeong we decided to go with highballs and bokbunja (black raspberry wine) for round two. It had been a while since I'd had Bohae bokbunja, and it was so good!

How does Hwanyeong's Rockmandu hot pot (₩16,000) taste?

Hwanyeong's Rockmandu hot pot (₩16,000) is a beef-bone-broth hot pot made with dumplings brought in directly from Rockmandu, a famous dumpling spot in Mangwon.

It arrives prettily presented, with a burner, so you can keep it bubbling hot to the very end.

Maybe because the dumplings come from a famous shop, their quality and savory depth were outstanding, and they felt packed full. The rich, nutty bone broth warmed me right up, and I thought there's no better soup to go with drinks.

The hot pot has plenty of generous dumplings plus springy glass noodles, so you get the fun of picking through it and a filling meal at the same time. Highly recommend the dumpling hot pot!!!!

Hwanyeong also has signature soupy dishes like the beef tripe hot pot and clam sujebi, which are great as a meal with a drink on the side. Next time I want to try the tripe hot pot!!

Verdict: a Korean pub in Hongdae and Sangsu that's great for a second round

Hwanyeong is closely connected to the Sangsu café street and the main Hongdae area, so moving over for a second round after dinner is very convenient. You get a great atmosphere, Korean hot pots and stews, and a variety of good-value side dishes, which makes it a popular Hongdae drinking spot for couples.

Hwanyeong in Hongdae is a Sangsu Station find where you can relax with a drink and carefully made Korean dishes in a quiet, warm mood. If you're looking for a Korean pub with a good atmosphere and tasty food near Hongdae or Sangsu, I'd recommend Hwanyeong!