This underground bar in Hongdae is an enclave for bohemian hipsters. To find the entrance you need to wind through some back alleys near the Buy the Way. It’s fairly easy to overlook the small black and white sign in Korean hanging outside of Nabi’s non-descript building. Go downstairs and pass through some drapey silk curtains and you'll be met with a concrete wall embellished with lines of poetry. You pass through more stage curtains, and mysteriously you arrive into an other-worldly space. Is it Morocco ? Mongolia ? Williamsburg , Brooklyn ? Is it the past, or the future? Wherever it is, it sure doesn’t feel like you’re in Seoul .
The dark cave-like space has a big rectangular pond with floating candles right in the middle of it. At one end is an elevated DJ booth flanked by hanging lanterns, oriental rugs and low tables. Lining the pond are small semi-private areas segregated by ethnic-ish columns and curtains. The place is decorated with stuff that looks like it came from Africa or the Middle East .
All around are neo-hippie artist types wearing “hard to understand” clothes and smoking hooka pipes. There’s also a big contingent of foreigners. If you're an artist type, Nabi is a great chill out space to come with a date or with a bunch of friends. People don’t really tend to circulate that much. However, the space is designed for people watching and you can move around and socialize when you go up to the bar for self-service drinks. There are only a few waiters, so expect to get the drinks yourself. This is not an Apku-type bar where people are ordering bottles of champange to show off, but you can definitely kick back with shots of Cheonan, a fruity soju like drink, or maybe just have some herbal tea. Apparently, the owner is an ex-performance artist who used to go around Hongdae doing shows. The entire idea for the bar was his and it’s ever so artsy indeed.
If you are at the Hongdae Buy the Way, go in the direction of Sangsu station and make a left on the first alley. Walk two alleys down and make a right at the alley of Halabuge. The entrance is across from a big blue neon-lit bar called Veronica. It’s in the basement. The bar is open from 6pm-3am . It gets crowded on weekends. 02) 338-4879






Back to Bars & Clubs in Seoul Main Menu