Pub 210 – Seohyeon

Wednesday is wing night for me and my excuse to overeat my favorite bar food. The anticipation of the binge is the best way I’ve found to get through the first half of the week.

My favorite spot to grab my hump day celebratory reward is Pub 210 – it’s a small, English-friendly bar located on the third floor on the main walking street of Seohyeon near AK Plaza. They have darts and pool, and for all you crazy kids, a beer pong table. For my fellow nerds, they have Monday showings of Game of Thrones. During the week, it’s an unassuming atmosphere where you can relax, watch some hockey and chat with the friendly staff. On the weekend, it can be loud and packed and fun. In short, it’s a nice neighborhood spot.

Creamy Buffalo

These wings are crispy, fresh, and piping hot. Done in a variation of the classic bar style you’d expect from an American or Canadian pub, they easily leave your hands sticky and your appetite satiated. A small (around 8) and a large (around 16) order is usually enough for Eric and me. If you can’t pick just one flavor, a large order can be split between two sauces for a small fee. The creamy buffalo is the most delicious, but all the sauces I’ve tried have been pretty tasty.

Spicy Barbecue and Thai Chili

In addition to wing Wednesdays, they also have 10,000W burger Thursdays. This particular Thursday, it was two nicely seasoned patties, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato on a soft bun served with a side of steaming hot potato wedges.

Their regular menu also features a bunch of finger food to keep you upright while you take advantage of every day happy hour or the Wednesday night bottomless draft. Pepperoni fries, pulled pork sandwiches, and other offerings make good snacking to share while playing pool or darts. Word is, they’re also coming out with a brand new menu that is supposed to widen their offerings.

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Robin’s Square – Hongdae

It’s common to find cocktails in Seoul. It’s less common to find well crafted concoctions and original recipes that stray beyond shots or bombs. It doesn’t look very sophisticated from the graffiti at entrance or the basement door, but when you walk inside Robin’s Square you are confronted with the sharply dressed bartenders and rows of shelves stocked with almost anything you can think of. It’s the kind of dimly lit and comfortable bar that I could easily peg as a Friday night favorite. If I lived just a bit closer, I could see spending quite a few nights of conversation while working my way through the list of signature cocktails.

The leather booths tucked away into corners were relatively free when we entered around eight, but by the time we left, the bar was filled. Even at capacity, Robin’s isn’t one of those places that turns annoyingly loud after dark – instead, the funk kept playing at a reasonable volume and you could still hear each other over the din. I think that’s most likely my favorite thing about the place. Below is a list of the cocktails we sampled. The full list of drinks is too big to post, and besides, I wouldn’t want to take away the fun of perusing such a varied menu.

Porma Dolce – I still have no idea what was in this, but it tasted like a lightly flavored orange flan in alcoholic drink form. It was my favorite of the night.

Grapefruit Mojito – Not bitter like you’d expect, this version is very refreshing, incredibly heavy on mint

Honey Hemingway – One of their signature cocktails – mellow with a lot of lime

Caipirinha – Classic relaxation drink, a bit like a mojito, Cachaça is the main component

Old Fashioned – One of the better versions we’ve tried in the city, complete with a fresh cherry instead of its sad Maraschino cousin

Frozen Margarita – Standard margarita, well blended

Strawberry Mojito – Made with the local strawberries that have been so sweet and delicious this season

Collection of brie, sweet, smoky and pub cheeses, grapes, apples, crackers, salami, honeydew melon and prosciutto – not the most amazing meat or cheese, but varied enough to make a great nibble between sips