Kahlua Milk at a Dongmyeong-dong bar with window bar seats: Chomyeon

I was looking for a cocktail spot in Dongmyeong-dong and ended up here... I was surprised how many people were drinking solo!

I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and at some point we naturally decided to grab a drink haha. One of my friends really loves cocktails, so while figuring out where to go, we headed to Chomyeon in Gwangju's Dongmyeong-dong location. I'm honestly not much of a drinker and don't reach for cocktails often, but I do love this kind of moody vibe, so I tagged along. Turns out it's the same building where I once went to Gosari Café on the 3rd floor~ Since it was a familiar spot, we went right in!

Chomyeon in Dongmyeong-dong: hours, location and what to know

Chomyeon is a cocktail bar on the 2nd floor of a building at 8-1 Dongmyeong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju. Hours run Monday to Thursday 20:00 to 3:00 the next day, and Friday to Sunday 19:00 to 4:00 the next day.

• Hours: Mon–Thu 20:00–3:00 / Fri–Sun 19:00–4:00
• Menu: Cocktails, whisky, highballs, etc.
• Ordered: Signature Chomyeon / Midori Sour / Kahlua Milk / Today's Cocktail
• Food: Iced shine muscat / salsa nachos
• Entertainment: Card game, crocodile game, etc.
• Atmosphere: Dim lighting + bar-style seating + floor-to-ceiling windows + screen
• Notable: Great for solo visits, also good for cocktails with friends or a date
• Ordering: Table QR order
• Parking: Not available

Floor-to-ceiling windows set the mood at this Dongmyeong-dong bar

Going up to the 2nd floor, the atmosphere was way better than I expected.

Soft lighting filled the dark space, and the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out gave it an open feel instead of a cramped one. Seats were split into bar-style sections, so you could keep a comfortable distance from the people next to you too.

It was easy to chat with my friend, and I noticed quite a few people who'd clearly come alone for a quiet drink. It seemed like a lot of people looking for a solo-drinking bar in Gwangju come here too. There's even a screen in the back that, combined with the lighting, really elevated the mood. Great for hanging out and chatting with friends, and just as good for a quiet drink for two!

QR ordering and table games make the wait at Chomyeon fun

At Chomyeon, you scan the QR code on the table once seated and can check the menu and order right away. As we browsed, my friend kept saying she wanted to try this and was curious about that, so we ended up ordering way too many drinks lol.

We ordered: 🍸 Signature Chomyeon 🍈 Midori Sour 🥛 Kahlua Milk 💙 Today's Cocktail 🍇 Iced Shine Muscat 🌮 Salsa Nachos.

While waiting, we tried the card game and the crocodile game that were on the table.

The crocodile game was more tense than I expected, which made it pretty fun lol.

On top of that, we kept grabbing pieces of the complimentary pretzels, so our hands never really stopped moving even before the food arrived.

The Dongmyeong-dong cocktails that catch your eye by color alone

After a short wait, our cocktails and food all came out at once, and the colors were honestly ridiculous lol.

Midori Sour at Chomyeon

First up was the Midori Sour. It looks like a pretty melon-green color, and when you actually drink it, the sweet melon flavor with added fizz felt refreshing and unique.

The signature Chomyeon cocktail

Next, the signature menu I was curious about — the Chomyeon! It had pretty strong carbonation, with apple and pear-like fruit notes, and a burst of yuzu at the end. The strong fizz actually made it feel cleaner, and even someone who doesn't know much about cocktails like me could enjoy it without hesitation.

Cocktail of the day

Next was Today's Cocktail, whose name alone made me curious. It seems like the drink changes daily, so I was a little excited even before ordering — and that day we got a cocktail with a cool blue visual. Just looking at the color felt like being at the sea, and the taste had a refreshing soda-like quality too, great for a cool sip.

Kahlua Milk: the easy one if you can't drink much

And my personal pick — the Kahlua Milk! This genuinely tastes like coffee milk lol. Rather than a strong alcohol taste, it was smooth and sweet, so I kept sipping it.

I nearly ordered another one lol. For someone who can't drink much like me, this was the easiest to enjoy out of everything we ordered that day.

Iced shine muscat and salsa nachos to go with the cocktails

Drinking alone felt a bit lacking, so we ordered food too. First, the iced shine muscat! Both my friend and I love shine muscat, so we were happy to see it, and being iced, it was genuinely cold lol.

It was so cold at first that it made my teeth ache. After letting it thaw a bit, the sweetness came through much better and it tasted even nicer!

And since we're both nacho people, the salsa nachos we ordered exceeded expectations too.

It wasn't just plain nachos — vegetables like tomato, onion and bell pepper were piled on top, adding a fresh, tangy kick. A sip of cocktail followed by a bite of nachos was a really good combo!

Chomyeon works for a night with friends or drinking solo

Visiting this time, I could see why this Dongmyeong-dong bar carries the name solo-drinking bar. You can come with a friend, share several cocktails, play games and have fun — but I also saw people who genuinely came alone to sit at the bar seats and enjoy a solo drink. The atmosphere was great too, with the outside view through the floor-to-ceiling windows, soft lighting, and the screen adding to it all.

Since I'm not much of a drinker, I tend to enjoy the space's atmosphere more than the alcohol itself, and that day, surrounded by people out for a Dongmyeong-dong cocktail solo drink, I felt pretty comfortable too. It's a good spot to catch up with a friend after a while, and also fine if you just want a light drink on your own. Next time I'd like to try some of the other cocktails I didn't get to this time!