Designer bags and seafood stalls. Seoul pretends it's not trying.
Why APGUJEONGRODEO, why now
Apgujeong Rodeo is in the middle of a well-documented 2026 revival: a fair-rent policy that started around 2020 pulled independent cafe owners and young creatives into its back alleys, and by May 2026 Visit Seoul published a dedicated guide titled 'Apgujeong Rodeo Street Guide 2026: From Orange Tribe to K-Culture Hub,' while Esquire Korea and a Careet Z-generation survey both flag it as one of Seoul's currently hottest neighborhoods.
1. Sarangho Susan Pocha Apgujeong
- Seoul, Gangnam District, Dosan-daero 51-gil, 39 1층
- 4.7 · 38 reviews · 포차
Sarangho Susan opens the course because a pocha gives you somewhere to land first. The kind of place that holds the night open a little longer, lets you settle in before deciding what comes next. Apgujeong after dark needs a first stop that doesn't ask too much, and this one sits right in the middle of the strip's new energy.
Crew's note
I ordered everything. Just try the octopus first.
What visitors say
I went to Apgujeong Rodeo with my friends yesterday. It looked like a newly opened ripen sashimi restaurant, and the nice interior led my st…
It's a place with colorful interior design and a lot of beautiful women in Apgujeong, Korea, so I was really happy to enjoy drinking. Apguje…
2. Pine & Co
- 33 지하 Seolleung-ro 157-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul
- 4.7 · 140 reviews · 와인바
Pine & Co closes the course because a wine bar is where the night slows down on purpose. After the pocha, this is the room that doesn't rush you toward last train. It's the last stop because it's meant to be, the place you stay until you're ready to leave Apgujeong behind.
Crew's note
Weeknights here. Before the crowd shows up.
What visitors say
My home bar in Seoul! Fantastic cocktails, sophisticated atmosphere! And the most important, superb staff and friendly staff that always wan…
An amazing, intimate cocktail bar in the Gangnam district! We found this bar online and I’m so glad we checked it out because it had such a…
The walk between
The walk between them threads through the back alleys Visit Seoul's 2026 guide credits with drawing young creatives in. You'll pass storefronts that opened in the last year or two, the kind of lighting that makes the strip feel like it just woke up.
- Start at the pocha while the tables are still filling. The wine bar works better as the second stop, after you've already eaten.
- Weeknights feel different here. The course holds its shape better when the neighborhood isn't trying to prove anything.
FAQ
- Does this course work if I'm coming alone?
- Both stops hold solo visitors well. The wine bar in particular has a bar-seat layout and staff that one review described as wanting everyone to have a good time, which usually signals solo-friendly pacing.
- How should I think about budget for these two stops?
- The pocha is the more accessible of the two, standard Seoul pocha pricing. The wine bar will ask more, especially if you're ordering cocktails, but the 140-review average suggests it's not pricing people out of repeat visits.
Ask Charles
Busan
