Coley — Restaurant in Seoul

A bar right on the main drag in Gyeongnidan, which is the far western edge of Itaewon, a 4 minute walk from the Noksapyeong subway station and right across the street from the HBC street entrance. It’s next to the Itaewon Post Office.

The couple that runs it is there every night except for Monday I think. They’re there from 19:30ish till the last customer stops ordering drinks. A good mix of locals and expats hang out here, whenever I’m visiting my friends in Seoul that live north of the river I tend to hang out here quite a bit.

They have a couple of Kabrew beers on tap, but Cole specializes in making cocktails, he’s always experimenting and coming up with new stuff, it can be interesting to ask him to pick a cocktail, it’s always something new.

Downstairs can get somewhat packed, but there’s usually plenty of room upstairs. They have pizza, which is made from scratch. I got really hungry one night and ate 1.5 pizzas by myself, and gave the rest away to others in the bar. All in all a good time,...

The pizza does not disappoint! Crispy crust, savory sauce. Most pizza places in Korea have sweet sauces and the crust is limp, but not here. This is how pizza should be. The dough is apparently made by the owner and he knows what he's doing. It's sprinkled with parm and a green drizzle that hits just right.

But pizza aside, the overall vibe is relaxed. Cozy. The music helps: mix of reggae, motown, 70s, and easier stuff like Macy Gray and Lauren Hill. Not trying to be a high energy place with angry rock or...ugh...pop.

Drink selection seemed good, but admittedly I'm a beer guy and didn't dive into the other options. Decent quality bourbon and scotch from what I saw.

Finally, and this will sound strange, but I appreciated the clean bathroom! If you've been in Seoul before you know what I'm talking about. Most places are filthy and barely functional but this place takes care of theirs.

If you live in the area, I suggest becoming a regular here. And if you're just visiting, be sure to add this stop...

This is hands down my favorite spot to go in Seoul. The owners/bartenders are absolute beauties and their skills and knowledge of cocktails and spirits is impressive. There is no set menu per see as the owners will take the time to get to know your tastes and what you’re craving and whip something up to match. High quality ingredients, great atmosphere and a great location close to the subway and Itaewon. I’ll return to Seoul for no other reason but to pop in there for an “Uncle Peter”. Great...