It is sort of given that all bars won’t have the capacity to enchant you the same way as it does to others. Each bar has its aura of infrastructure, interior, aesthetic and last but most importantly, drinks and cocktail recipes. In South Korea, you will find many fascinating bars worth visiting like Le Chamber, Mix and Malt, and many more. But few have reached the pinnacle of the strata; they are the best of their kind and some Korean bars even have managed to attain top ranks among Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
The top three South Korean Bars are Charles H, Bar Cham, and Alice in the list of Asia’s best bars. Charles H ranks 13th, Bar Cham on 34th, and Alice stands at 41st bar out of the top 50 Asian Bars. However, each is worth visiting, having a unique concept and drinks to offer. Their food is also matchless, and once you try them, it would be more explicable.
Here is some descriptive illustration of what you are going to experience once you visit these bars.
Charles H (Seoul, South Korea) (13th on the List)
Coming at number 13 of the list of Asia’s Best Bars, this South Korean bar is a great destination spot for people living or staying in South Korea. The entire setup gives you a unique backdrop of the Prohibited- era vibe. The ambiance is very luxurious without being overbearing.
The bar might feel exorbitant, but the reason behind it being the lavish details of the bar. This bar is high class in every possible way, from decoration to drink quality to exceptional hospitality. The bartenders are affable and engaging while remaining professional and responsive to drink requests.
Drinks at Charles H
The cocktails at Charles H are going to excite your taste buds. One of its renowned cocktails is Manhattan Flight. This quintessential American cocktail with the template of whiskey, vermouth, and bitter will bid good-bye to mid-week blues. Manhattan Flight at Charles H offers the original formulation, alongside the Irish whisky-based Tipperary variation and Red Hook, which swaps the marasca cherry for maraschino.
Bar Cham (Seoul, South Korea) (34th on the List)
Ranking 34th on the top 50 Asian Bars, tucked away is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seoul. ‘Cham’ means ‘oak’ in Korea, which is present in the décor of the intimate venue. It is popular for its traditional ambiance and record of history. It is located in a typical traditional Korean house in the ancient Jongno district. The bar setup is in a hanok, a traditional Korean house. The bar is Lim Byung-jin’s brainchild, an award-winning bartender, well respected and renowned figure in Seoul for his cocktail crafting skills. The unique and modern techniques approached by the bar make them “the true definition of a Korean bar in the modern-day.”
Drinks at Bar Cham
Their cocktails have regional flavors of Korea, Korean spirit, and modern techniques. They have original recipes, and the cocktails are made up of Korean alcohol. The products used here are from different provinces within South Korea. Their special ingredient is from crafting soju plus bitters made from local roots for their version of a subtly spiced Negroni. One such cocktails is a milk-clarified cocktail that uses (Korean grape spirit) as its base, combined with Nocino Liqueur, oloroso sherry, lime juice, absinthe, walnut bitters, and soda.
Alice (Seoul, South Korea) (41st on the List)
Alice is one of those unique bars which are worth visiting. The infrastructure is crafted with idiosyncratic Alice in the Wonderland theme. This mystical bar is named after the popular Korean drama “Cheongdam-dong Alice.” Just like the K-drama, which is centered around the luxurious neighborhood of Cheongdam district in Gangnam, the bar is located in the middle of the posh neighborhood of Cheongdam-dong. Apart from that, it has also attained an award for its overall performance as a bar. It has ranked among the top fifty bars in Asia, top five hundred bars in the world, and has been awarded the world’s best 50 bars award.
The entrance to the bar is led by stone steps surrounded by neatly trimmed green brush. It is a lounge-style bar, a space that mimics the air of an English Mansion with sofas to drown in and ceilings resembling a chocolate bar. At the top of the stairs, you will find a bunny poster from the classic “Alice in the Wonder Land.” The staircase looks like the hole from the film, which leads to a beautiful flower shop, from where you can purchase the flower. This then leads deeper into the secret room, where you can finally find the bar. Again, keeping the bar’s theme in mind, the bartenders can make the drinks appear on the table magically out of nowhere with a single touch button. Even the bathroom has mysterious camouflaged walls.
The bartenders are very friendly and hospitable with a motto to do the best they can and make people feel at home.
Drinks at Alice
They have seasonal drinks, various varieties in each season. Order the “Alice Boutique” from the signature cocktail list, and the bartender will whip up a gin tonic flavored with grapefruit juice, emitting a white cloud food-grade nitrogen gas. The cocktail comes served in a glass shaped like an elephant, in which the truck doubles as an attached straw. They also create their unique Hippity Hoppity cocktail of Absolut Elyx vodka, elderflower, and aloe vera. If you purchase it, you will realize that your visit to Alice’s rabbit hole is successful.
The bars mentioned here have their uniqueness. The drinks here are craved worldwide. So, if you ever get an opportunity to visit the place of wonders that is South Korea, do make sure to step onto such a worthwhile experience.
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