[FOOD COURT] Wine and dine at these trendy Seoul spots

Home > National > K-campus

print dictionary print

[FOOD COURT] Wine and dine at these trendy Seoul spots

Glasses are filled with champange at Geumnam Vin, where Korean food is served to pair with wine. [GEUMNAM VIN INSTAGRAM]

Glasses are filled with champange at Geumnam Vin, where Korean food is served to pair with wine. [GEUMNAM VIN INSTAGRAM]

 
After days of eating Korean food with soju, friends and family visiting from overseas may want to try something Korean mixed with something a little more international. And it isn’t just foreign travelers but also locals who want to mix things up as they look for new ways to enjoy their daily dose of hansik (Korean food).
 
Some of Seoul's growing number of wine bars offer food inspired by hansik to allure drinkers who want to pair their vino with something local. Some are even located close to traditional markets, so that visitors can see what raw ingredients are available and then see how that ingredients can be interpreted.
 
[GEUMNAM VIN INSTAGRAM]

[GEUMNAM VIN INSTAGRAM]



Geumnam-Vin


This bar prepares food made with ingredients bought from nearby Geumnam Market. Named after the market, the bar offers a variety of natural wine, which is wine made with minimal or no additives. Most of the food served here is slightly updated versions of classic Korean dishes, such as pumkin jeon (pancakes) with apple slices and mustard, bibim guksu (mixed noodles) with anchovies and abalone, and tteokokki made with soy sauce instead of the classic gochujang (hot pepper paste).
 
Fill up with some quality Korean food, then go downstairs to sister bar Pompette to get more wine while listening to music and cutting lose on the dance floor.  
 
@geumnam_vin
285 Dokseodang-ro, Seongdong District
 
 
Midolim


[MIDOLIM INSTAGRAM]

[MIDOLIM INSTAGRAM]

 
Calling itself a hansik tapas bar, Midolim offers smaller portions of a variety of Korean food. Diverging from something super classic, it mixes and matches Korean food with condiments and seasonings widely used in Japanese, Chinese, southeast Asian and even Western cuisine: Charcoal-grilled chicken is served with Thai-style som tam (papaya salad) or chicken breast filled with mozzarella cheese served in beef curry.
 
Alongside the wines it serves, it also has a variety of Japanese sake as well for those who want something a little stronger.  
 
@midolim_bar
 
108 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong District






[LEE SUN-MIN]

[LEE SUN-MIN]

 
Ryul
 
Located steps away from Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul’s Jongno District, this wine bar is good for those who want to get a drink after a relaxing walk around the historic neighborhood.  
 
Since the inside of the bar is modern with black-and-white tone furniture, it can offer a respite to those who want to put a temporary end to the influx of Korean heritage they were exposed to during a day spent in the area, visiting traditional buildings and museums.  
 
The view of giwa, roof of traditional Korean homes, out the Ryul's window [LEE SUN-MIN]

The view of giwa, roof of traditional Korean homes, out the Ryul's window [LEE SUN-MIN]

 
Its food is also more contemporary, with dishes like pasta with mussels and lemon butter, and chicken leg with cauliflower cream and sherry sauce, although the menu changes often. 
 
Again, the focus here is mostly on natural wine available here.  
 
While everything you find inside the bar is modern, it is possible to see some giwa, or traditional Korean tiles, used to make the roof, visibly outside the window of the bar.  
 
@ryul.official
45 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno District 
 
 
[SUL SUL 317 INSTAGRAM]

[SUL SUL 317 INSTAGRAM]



Sul Sul 317
 
You won’t see any food here, but you will see most of the wine drinkers eating all kinds of Korean food. That’s because this wine bar allows visitors to bring their own food bought at nearby Seoul Jungang Market. The focus on not serving food is clear, with a sign outside the bar even reading, “I never do anju,” referring to anju, the Korean term for foods eaten while drinking.  
 
Some of the most popular options people bring into the bar are bossam (steamed pork), jokbal (pig’s feet), hoe (raw fish slices) and grilled seafood, all of which are easily found at restaurants and stores inside the market.
 
Alongside wines, it also carries other options like soju and makgeolli (fermented rice drinks) and Scottish whisky.  
 
@sulsul317
 
85 Toegye-ro 85-gil, Jung District

BY LEE SUN-MIN [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)