Zaneuk Casual Bar (Wine & Dining) — Restaurant in Incheon

I took my group to Zaneuk Casual Bar more for the interesting food and less for the wine. Either way, we were not disappointed. Point in fact, we had one of our best evenings in Incheon visiting this establishment.

The place is quite small. It is minimalist in its décor, but in a way that seems reflective of putting the emphasis on service, food, and drink. Done wrong, this would be a disaster. But in the capable hands of the owner and his staff, the setting actually highlights what is placed in front of you.

There were some initial stumbles re: language that were a result of us, not them. Our server actually called the owner and put him on the phone with us (before he arrived at the location a bit later). It was a great solution that made sure that we, as customers, were well taken care of and that our requests, which included a need for at least two vegan options, were noted. They went out of their way to make sure that we felt at home, even going so far as to offer some suggestion about choices and/or substitutions. I should also add that the owner went out of his way to arrange our reservation in advance, understanding that foreigners occasionally have issues with using more local options like Naver and CatchTable.

My group included some experienced wine drinkers and some complete newbies. As a result, I opted for a mid- to lower-tier Tempranillo that was reasonably priced (but also initially considered a varietal from Puglia). I’ve noticed that the prices of wines in Korea are quite high, so I factored that in when reviewing what is a fairly extensive and wide-ranging wine list. Taken as a whole, the list offers something for more tastes and price points. I enjoyed our choice, as did the rest of the group.

The food was, quite simply, amazing. Each dish was distinct and well plated and portioned for the price. Flavors were pronounced and spicy dishes (like the chicken) were, indeed, spicy! The potato pancakes were a simple dish done well. The steak tartar was a revelation, mixing a traditional texture with some novel nods to the fusion take of the overall menu. One noodle dish suggests Italian flavors while it leaned on more local vegetables. The seafood with pasta, while abundant with a variety of shellfish, had far too many closed ones and a slight lack of punch (compared to the other dishes). However, a cream-based pasta dish was awash in flavor and generous amounts of tender mushrooms. A dessert—an upscale take on street food pancakes with Biscoff cookies and a Biscoff cookie sauce—was the perfect end to a near perfect experience.

Sure, you are in Korea. You can have BBQ. You can have fried chicken. You can also have a range of other types of food. But I don’t really think you can find a place as unique as Zaneuk Casual Bar. They work very hard to provide you an exceptional dining and drinking experience.

Highly recommended. My group will not soon forget our dinner...

Favorite meal and memory in South Korea was at Zaneuk. The crispy pancake/jeon is nicely salted and fun to eat/share; make sure you order more, because we were all fighting for the last piece. Kookmalyi/steamed scallop stew with noodles is light and delicious, generous with the seafood. The spicy deulchan cream pasta (can be non-spicy as well) with perilla is amazing. We finished every crumb and drop of food. The house wines and tableware were nice, as were the kind staff/owner. Keep in mind that Zaneuk is closed Mondays. Opens at 5pm. This was my first time at a wine bar and my last. I went to the best. Thank you, Danny and Zaneuk. Highly...

My mom and I went to Zanuek last night and it was such an amazing experience. The staff were very kind and attentive and the food was incredible. I work in the wine industry in Paso Robles, California and was very impressed on the knowledge of wine that the staff and owner has. We wanted to try something unique and they brought out different options of Makgeolli and described the differences between them. They also did a fantastic job with the small space they're in - there is attention to detail everywhere you look. They even ordered a taxi for us to get back to our hotel! We will definitely be coming back the next time we...