2 Best Bars in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul

Tucked inside a renovated hanok (traditional Korean home), this chill bar is the perfect marriage of new Korean aesthetics and a German menu that highlights sausages and beers. Its name is a play on words: In Korean, Dokil Jutaek translates to “German House” but in Hanja, a traditional writing system for Korean based on Chinese characters, it means “to drink alone.” In Korean culture, drinking is a highly social activity but here, enjoying a drink alone and mingling with others at the bar is encouraged. Whether or not you prefer to be a social butterfly, a visit is full of Instagrammable cheese and meat plates and an impressive imported beer list best enjoyed while relaxing in the courtyard.

Known for its swoon worthy design details and hip crowd, this small makgeolli (Korean rice wine) bar was created in collaboration with some of Korea’s finest design talents. The wood-panel interior, the custom made ceramics, the funky wooden tables and seats, and the music curation all contribute to this feast of the senses. Their makgeolli selection features hard-to-come-by brewers and a few bottles made in-house. The food menu consists of banchans (Korean side dishes) such as crispy gamja jeon (potato pancake);and anju (Korean drinking foods) that pair harmoniously with the drinks.