Cocktail bar with big screen for solo drinking in Daejeon: Ondo

Looking for a slightly different kind of solo-drinking bar in Bongmyeong-dong, I this time made my way to 'Ondo' in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

With sleek, modern-feeling interiors, a large screen playing videos, and music you can enjoy alongside the visuals, the vibe here is quite different from your typical quiet bar. I was especially struck by how comfortable it felt to visit alone — sitting at the bar with a drink, you can naturally mingle with other guests, giving the place a free, club-like energy.

Where to find Ondo, a solo-drinking bar in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon

Ondo Honsulbar Bongmyeong 21-4, Oncheonbuk-ro 33beon-gil, 2nd floor, Unit 204, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea An atmospheric bar with music and visuals together Cocktails & whiskey A great vibe for drinking solo

The mood of 'Ondo' hits you from the entrance

Dim lighting, concrete-textured walls, bottles placed here and there, and the large screen on top of it all. The overall hip yet emotional atmosphere really comes through. On one side, a variety of liquors are on display, and at the bar you can watch the bartender mixing cocktails. Personally, I love spaces like this — dim lighting with music and visuals running together — so I liked it quite a bit.

Not just a bar for drinking

The most fun part of Ondo has to be the large screen and the music. The visuals filling the wall keep changing, shaping the mood of the space together with the music. Even just sitting still with a drink in hand, I felt like I was at a show or in a club. The sound is great!

Even solo visitors don't get the feeling of spending time alone so much as naturally mingling with the people around them. I thought this felt like a new style of solo-drinking bar that's been popping up a lot lately.

Menu / Ondo's signature cocktails

This time I ordered a few different cocktails.

① 36.5-do

A signature cocktail that's fun from the name alone. It's centered around rich chocolate and cacao notes, sweet yet deeply flavorful, so it was nice to enjoy almost like a dessert. Worth ordering if you like chocolate or cacao flavors. The name '36.5-do' (body temperature) is pretty amusing too.

② 100-do

Second up was 100-do (100 degrees). Personally, it reminded me of something in the godfather cocktail family. The base spirit wasn't bourbon, turns out. (I'm partial to a Lagavulin 16 base myself, haha.) It's actually a method I enjoy at home too, haha. And it uses the same smoking gun I use — funny to see that here.

Where the 36.5-do was sweet and smooth, 100-do was a bit heavier, with the alcohol making its presence known. It was fun comparing the two side by side.

③ Malibu cocktail

Last was the Malibu cocktail. After the richer cocktails before it, switching things up with a style like this was nice too. Pretty to look at in the glass, sweet and light to drink — the kind of style that women or cocktail beginners would likely enjoy.

A Bongmyeong-dong bar that's fun to visit alone too

When people think of a solo-drinking bar, they usually picture a quiet space to drink alone, but Ondo is a bit different. It's a place that works well whether you come with a friend, drop by for a second round on a date, or visit alone for a cocktail or whiskey.

It might be easier to understand if I say it feels like somewhere between a quiet whiskey bar and a club.

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for a place to drink solo in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon
• Anyone looking for a cocktail bar with great atmosphere
• Anyone who wants to enjoy music and visuals together
• Anyone looking for a bar that doesn't feel awkward to visit alone
• Anyone who likes a hip, modern-feeling bar
• Anyone who wants to enjoy whiskey and cocktails together

There are quite a few good solo-drinking bars in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon, so it's a nice area to hop around as a second-round course.

A new style of solo-drinking bar found in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon

Ondo, which I visited this time, felt less like a space just for having a drink and more like a place where music, visuals, cocktails, and meeting people all come together. If drinking quietly alone at a bar sometimes feels a bit dull, this style of solo-drinking bar is worth trying. If you're looking for a cocktail bar with great atmosphere in Bongmyeong-dong, and somewhere comfortable to enjoy alone, I recommend visiting 'Ondo.'