136-6 Itaewon 1, Dong Young-San Gu (see map), 3785-0834, 011-9256-7361, email. A beautifully designed gay chill-out bar in the thick of Itaewon's nightlife zone. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then turn left at the next intersection. You'll see a sign for Almaz on the right side of this uphill lane about half a block up. Walk along the stone path to the entrance. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. Large picture windows open onto a pleasure garden of granite formations with charming rock pagodas below willowy trees. The former owner, who was looking to open a gay bar, beheld this snow-dusted garden and decided to open Almaz, which means "the treasure" in Arabic. The current owner, Micky, has built a wooden deck and furnished it with tables and chairs. Now it's quite likely the best place in Itaewon to enjoy the night air. The interior features cushy black leather sofas and decor in natural hues. The music is fresh and funky, with the volume kept at conversation-friendly levels. This comfortable and welcoming bar is a casual, cool space to chill. 용산구, 이태원 1동, 136-6

See map, 798-0578, 017-216-1140, email. A cozy modern bar next to Queen and across from Soho and Why Not?. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for Always Homme on the left side of this uphill lane about half a block up. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. A popular pre/post club meeting place. Super friendly staff speak English and some German and Japanese. Barman Sean and waiter Moon can provide helpful info on the local scene. Owner, Paul, also runs Why Not?. Exceptional selection of fine wines, spirits, fresh juices, and quality coffees. Crowd is a combination of expats, tourists, and young locals. Open nightly from 8pm-ish until dawn, and afternoons on Sat and Sun. Utopia Member Discount

Bar Bliss 72-32 Itaewon, Yongsan (see map), 749-7738, email. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #4 and walk straight ahead to the 2nd alley and stairway on your left. You'll see a sign for Bar Bliss above the stairway. Go down the stairs to street level and Bar Bliss is on the right. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a right, then follow the same directions. Originally called California Café, the oldest openly gay bar in Itaewon has been reincarnated as a plush and elegant wine bar. Decor is Asian modern. The crowd is a handsome mix of well-clad gays and down-to-earth locals looking to escape the drama, noise and voyeurism of nearby Homo Hill. On offer are 70+ wines and cocktails. Large French windows, large sofas and beautiful artwork set along a bar that invites you to engage new friends around you. There's an airy, serene terrace for summer nights. Eclectic music is never overpowering. Owner, Ted Park, is a long-time sage of Seoul's evolving gay community. Ask about Happy Hour specials and a free gay bar map of Itaewon. Free wireless Internet access. Open daily from 6pm-ish until the wee hours. 주소 : 서울시 용산구 이태원동 72- 32 Utopia Member Discount

B/F 130-4 Yongsan-Gu Itaewon 1-Dong (see map), 795-2080. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and walk straight down the hill and take the first right turn. Fu is half a block down this lane, on the left side. You will see a small square red sign hung off of a parking garage that says Fu. Take the stairway at the back of this garage down to Fu. A sexy, elegant club with bar and lounge seating in three areas. The design is a modern take on an exotic Asian den, with red walls glowing in flickering candlelight and recessed lighting in alcoves filled with Asia-modern objet. Educated, well-dressed patrons. Though mostly Korean it is welcoming to foreigners. Very smoky though. 용산구, 이태원 1동, 130-4

See map. From the Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and keep walking with your back to the Hamilton quite a ways until you get to a major 3-way intersection. Hanabi is on the left at the intersection. Friendly staff and nice place to chill out.

Comments from Utopians:

"Hanabi is a very pleasant, but small, bar. Follow the directions from the Hamilton Hotel to the three way stop light, where the road continues straight or goes right. There's a Kashmir Restaurant and a Buy the Way store on one corner, the Hye Sun Gallery and a Motel sign on the other corner. Hanabi is across the street between a Real Estate Office and the Hamilton Store. Go in the doorway between the buildings and take the steps upstairs to 2/F. While the staff was nice and accommodating, they didn't speak English very well during my visits, so you may want to bring a Korean friend." -- BeGentle100, Jul 16, 2007

Located next to Always Homme (see map) and across the street from Soho. Quite small with half of the space occupied by a bar with bar seating. Against the wall opposite the bar is a long wall shelf with more stools. It is nicely decorated, with friendly bartenders. A good place for a drink for singles or couples, but not great for groups since there is no table seating.

132-16 Itaewon Dong (see map), Yongsan-gu, 749-3370. Upscale gay bar and lounge with table and bar seating. Fairly spacious by Korean standards. The design is your basic box space with a U-shaped seating arrangement. As you enter, to the left is a raised platform area with plush couches and stools around coffee tables, and to the back is more such seating at a lower level, as well as standard bar seating to your right. The area in the middle of the U is open and large enough to accommodate dancers. The interior is elegant with a touch of funk: red, gold and purple, two large chandeliers, and a mirror ball. A large screen displays music videos and concerts. The menu is fairly large including whole bottle sales of white and red wine and champagne, plus the usual cocktails, bottled beers and a good coffee and juice selection.

Comments from Utopians:

"Pulse has become a new after-hours hot spot for dancing and drinking. It gets quite crowded around 3-4am. At that time one of the owners pumps up the music for patrons to dance. If you go earlier (11pm-1am), you can have a nice drink and relax to quieter tunes. It's a nice preclubbing spot for a drink and conversation before hitting Homo Hill and then returning here later to do some more dancing if you still have the energy. The owners are two Koreans, Kevin and Brandon (Kevin was actually the original owner of Why Not back in 2002 and Brandon had been manager at Always Homme and Why Not recently). Both are quite friendly and speak English." -- Specter, Jan 26, 2008

Located on Homo Hill between Trance and Always Homme (see map), 793-1290, email. Everyone is welcome at this trendy gay club managed by Keith, an effervescent Aussie. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for Queen on the left side of this uphill lane about half a block up. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. Queen emphasizes cool, funky pizzazz and the decor is exactly that. Large windows look out over Homo Hill and a strip of glittery bubble chairs line the patio for good weather front row seating. Bar and lounge seating inside. Crowd is 20-45, international and friendly. Gets busy after 10pm and crazy packed on weekends.

Comments from Utopians:

"Last night I went to enjoy a few drinks at Queen. I've been a customer for six years. I even had my birthday party there in 2006. But last night I was informed that I could not enter without a 'membership.' I was shocked. Queen has always been part of the free flow queer block party that is Homo Hill. A female staff member explained that certain men had been harassing female customers and that there had also been thefts. She was defensive and unapologetic at my suggestion that I had been a victim of racial profiling. She physically turned me around to show me the diversity in the bar: Koreans, caucasians and people of African descent. Middle Eastern people however were conspicuously absent. I told her I understood that she must protect her customers as well as the general safety of her bar, but that I didn't understand why the security guard singled me out. What was there in my appearance that set off alarms? She would not say what I knew to be the answer: that I looked like an Arab. I left the bar upset and deflated by the racial profiling directed against me. A little later on I ran into other friends, South African queers who are active in the queer international community here in Seoul. It turns out they have also been racially profiled at Queen in recent weeks. As a result, we have struck Queen off our personal queer geographies. It is a very sad day indeed when discrimination infiltrates the only safe spaces we have in this world as queers of color. Keep a vigilant eye out for instances of such exclusion and speak up in solidarity for all of our queer brothers and sisters." -- themeanest, Jul 29, 2007

3/F, 130-34 Itaewon Dong (see map), 3785-2197. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and keep walking with Hamilton at your back. Rose is 1 1/2 blocks down on the right. Confusingly the signage has not changed and still says "Annies", the old name of the bar. Nice, quiet, elegant bar. Recently under gay ownership. Attracts a transgender crowd.

Comments from Utopians:

"Rose is a very nice, gay-owned bar. The inside design creates a great atmoshere. The owner is an extremely warm and nice guy, but his English is limited. They do have employees who speak English. It gets crowded on weekends. A nice place to have a drink, some conservation, or unwind and relax. There is also a transgender Bbar in B/F of the building." -- BeGentle100, Jul 16, 2007

See map, 797-2280, (019) 357-3235, email. Adjacent to Why Not? and opposite Always Homme. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for Soho on the right side of this uphill lane about half a block up. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. Friendly, international bar. English speaking staff. Quieter atmosphere attracts a 30-40s mixed crowd.

Comments from Utopians:

"Soho was remodeled a couple months back. It is much nicer and newer looking inside, with a pool table and several small TV screens. Overall, the new look has added some much needed funkiness to the place." -- Specter, Jul 13, 2007

B/F 136-42 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-Gu (see map), 797-3410. On Homo Hill, next to Queen and opposite Why Not?. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for Trance on the left side of this uphill lane about half a block up. Take the stairway down to the basement. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. Good music and dancing. Packed late at night and on Fri and Sat nights when they have a drag show. Friendly staff, English speaking. Cruisy. Local and foreign patrons. Lots of grabbing when it gets crowded. 용산구 이태원동 136-42

137-4 Yongsan-Ku (see map), 795-8193, email. From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for Why Not? on the right side of this uphill lane about half a block up. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. House music draws the dance crowd after midnight until dawn. Upscale local/foreign crowd with higher ranking soldiers, embassy workers, foreign English and educated, well-dressed Koreans. Very nice staff who make conversation with everyone and seem to be having a genuinely good time. The club plays American pop remixes, techno and some house. Open late. Highly recommended for visitors. Some lesbian patrons as well. 용산구 이태원 137-4

Comments from Utopians:

"Why Not has got its groove back now on Sat nights. It is busiest bewteen 12:30-2:30am. DJ Young Paul is the best in the area for your typical gay club dance tunes as well as a few underground gems. There were even some muscle guys who took off their shirts and danced on the bar and stage. Entry on Fri nights is W$5,000 with one drink included. On Sat it is W$10,000 with one drinks." -- Specter, Mar 16, 2008

Comments from Utopians:

JONGNO / NAGWON DONG

Jongno, 3672-0940, email. Jongno-3 Ga Subway Station exit #3 or #8. Coming out of either exit, you can easily spot the Barcode sign, at the corner of intersection. Friendly bar welcomes visitors from around the world. Staff speaks English very well and are pleased to fill you in on the gay scene. Reasonable prices on many kinds of wine, whiskey, beer, and cocktails.

Comments from Utopians:

"Barcode is a nice, western style bar with a clean interior and good drink prices. The owner is quite friendly and offers one free refill on coffee, unheard of at other places I've been to. I went on a Sun and the patrons were all 'pandas', so if you are into Asian bears, I'd highly recommend it. Also, the Barcode sign says 'membership club' but no membership is needed to enter--a little misleading as most membership clubs in Seoul are gay host bars." -- Specter, Dec 15, 2007

"I've been to Itaewon and, while there is much to do there, it seems that there is a lack of attention to some of the treasures elsewhere. I truly enjoy the Jongno district, and Barcode is not only beautiful, but the barman spoke better English than most I've met in Itaewon. The atmosphere is clean, the prices are fair, and we need to do our part to help the gay scene grow--it's not just in Itaewon anymore." -- FloridaBoy, Dec 9, 2007

132-2 Ikseon-dong, Jongro-gu, 747-8591, 010-7164-3405. Gay bar serving wine, beer, and cocktails.

745-5238. A small, upmarket gay lounge with a strong link to cinema. It seats around 20 and provides a quieter, comfortable atmosphere. Prices are reasonable. Take a taxi to the English Language Studies (ELS) building in Chongno 3 Ga (a well known landmark). Walk along the cross road opposite the ELS building. Cross to the first lane on the right. Walk along past a few shops on your left and take the first set of open stairs. Turn left at the top to enter Cine City.

765-2101. Next to Tapgol Park.

Jong Ro 3 Ga, 764-5640, email. Western style shot bar for big and middle-aged men.

B/F of a yogwan (motel) near the Jongo 3-Ga station, 3673-4200.

Jongno Nakwon Dong, 02-743-5090, email. Near the Jongno 3-Ga Subway Station, Lane 5. An elegant, modern cocktail bar where you may enjoy beer, a selection of good wines, spirits, fresh juices or coffee. Open from 7pm-2am weekdays and until 4am on weekends.

Comments from Utopians:

"I went to a couple of lovely bars in Jongno. One is called Valentinos. This bar has been around for many years. Also there is a new bar called Wallpaper. Very young crowd, beautifully decorated and reasonable prices." -- bigozibear, Apr 9, 2007

SINCHON

332-5753. Reported to be popular with locals and expats. Latin music and snacks.

B/F Cheongeun Bld 137-8 (see map). From the Itaewon subway station, take exit #3 and walk straight ahead one block and make a right, then take the 2nd left. You'll see a sign for reBall on the right side at the start of this uphill lane. Take the stairway down to the basement. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and make a left, then follow the same directions. reBall is a fairly spacious gay dance club that has a minimalist industrial interior. Inside, you will find a large lounge area to your right enclosed by a wall of glass. The dance floor is large by Korean standards. The DJ booth is located on a raised platform with a glittery silver mural behind it. A few long narrow tables/dance platforms are scattered throughout the club as well as a couple of round dance platforms. The music is mostly House and Deep House with some retro 80s music. The crowd is about 90% Korean and 10% western, mostly macho/musclemen and those in their 30s with a few straight women.

Comments from Utopians:

"Reball is is now reopened and costs W$15,000 with 1 free drink ticket. It is busiest (packed) between 1:30-3:30am. They have go-go dancers (always from Japan) and also host guest DJs from Taiwan and Tokyo about once every 1-2 months. A top quality sound and light system has been installed. The coat check (W$2,000) is located at the entrance. Opens 10pm and closes at 6am." -- Specter, Mar 15, 2008

"I was very very impressed. I had the best time out in many years at reBall. I party a lot and DJ Jun's spinning was certainly world class. I didn't expect so much from Seoul but the venue, the music and the crowd was better than anything I've seen in Singapore, Paris or San Franciso in the past year." -- David from SF, Sep 2, 2006

3785-0939. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and keep walking with Hamilton at your back. Tsunami is quite a ways down on the left in a small alley just before Hanabi and the 3-way intersection.

790-0391. From Hamilton Hotel, cross the street and keep walking with Hamilton at your back. W is 2 blocks down on the left.

JONGNO / NAGWON DONG

3675-9251. Behind Tapgol Park.

4/F Sky Lounge Bld (behind Tapgol Park), 744-0833.

742-5055. 30m from exit #5 of the Jongo 5-Ga subway station.

744-6997. Near exit #5 of the Jongo 5-Ga subway station.

Sky Lounge Bld (behind Tapgol Park), 3672-7874.

764-2406. Near exit #5 of the Jongo 3-Ga subway station.