Visit the Hey Jude Bar for a speakeasy experience in Seoul

The Hey Jude bar in Seoul strikes me as a perfect hideout from the hustle and bustle of Seoul, in particular Hongdae. It’s a pretty hipster and arty place. But the best part of it all is the drinks – the cocktails are well-crafted, a concoction of delicate flavours put together. Here’s why you should visit the Hey Jude Bar for a speakeasy experience in Seoul.

A friend recommended me this hideout which was a recommendation from her friend. When Friend H and I were there, we did not see any tourists – I must say that we were pretty lucky to experience this bar, like a local. Before I go further, if you’re wondering what’s behind the name, here’s a MV of Hey Jude from the Beatles. I really love the song because the lyrics and tune are so simple, but meaningful at the same time.

Getting there

Take exit 1 from the Sangsu subway station, and walk straight till you see a burger shop called star burger. Hey Jude is located on the second floor of the same building.  You know you have arrived when you locate the door, which leads to a staircase like this one:

Decor

My favourite was the shelf of Hendricks Gin bottles which were well-arranged behind me. For some reason, the Hendricks bottle is art in and of itself, and placing several of them together makes for an appealing visual.

Drinks

To be honest, cocktails are not my preferred drink. I tend to think that most of them are just sweet, but in recent years I have refined my palate to appreciate the delicate flavours. In this case, it was gin, earl grey and a touch of orange – which was really good.

Friend H had an earl grey gin which she really enjoyed. I had a negroni, which was stated under the ‘old classics’ in the menu. Now it was my first time ordering one, and I was taken aback by the sophistication put forth by this drink. At the first taste, you may be taken aback. It shocks you in the sense that it’s bitter in the first place, but when you have a bit more of it reveals a complex interaction of bitter flavours and sweetness as well.

The Travelling Squid’s Take

We paid a total of SGD50 (40,000 won) for three drinks – it was pretty affordable. As there were only two girls manning the bar, the service was a tad slower, but I didn’t mind. Do go early! There were people who came a bit later and they had to be turned away as the bar was full.

Hongdae is a cool area – but this bar strikes me as one like no other. A big thanks to Friend V for her recommendation : )