A taste of old Korea with a shot of style

The Suldabang bar offers an array of sojus with distinct flavors in an area of Seoul that fuses hip with grunge


In the hip, grungy neighborhood of Euljiro, Seoul, Suldabang sits on the second floor of a drab-looking building next to stores selling metals and tools. There is no clear sign of the bar on the building, except the kitschy sign of an old cafe (dabang), which stood there for decades before Suldabang replaced it in the fall of 2018.

The gray staircase leading up to the upscale bar is a poetic antithesis to the chic, warm interior, which still maintains some of the old cafe’s furniture. Inside is a world of Korean alcohol that will probably take more than one visit to explore.

Price: Definitely not the cheap green bottles in convenience stores, but reasonable when compared with other upscale bars in Seoul. Prices of soju mostly hover around 10,000 to 15,000 won per glass ($8.78 to $13.18). Cocktails, invented by Suldabang with diverse regional flavors range from 9,000 to 25,000 won ($7.91 to $21.96).

For non-drinkers, there is an interesting assortment of Korean beverages like moju (a mix of orange peels, ginger and cinnamon) at 7,000 won ($6.15). Side dishes, which include rice cakes, crackers, cheese plates and boiled pork slices, start at 7,000 won ($6.15).

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