Any recs for bars good for going solo?

ngl the best solo move in seoul is just finding a spot with a counter and a bartender who's not too busy. since ur fluent, try 바틀 in mangwon. it's this tiny bottle shop that doubles as a bar, owner's a younger guy who actually curates his agave spirits and won't just pour u the usual. he's prob got like 30 different mezcals and tequilas, and on a tuesday night u might be the only customer so he'll just chat and pour u samples.

also if ur near hongdae, there's a place called 조용한술집 on the backstreets past the main club area. no sign in english, just a wooden door with a small light. the owner's a lady in her 50s who makes her own infused sojus and will absolutely judge ur korean drinking etiquette but in a funny way. good for when u want quiet but not dead silence

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Since you mentioned tequila, I'd skip the usual spots and head to 연남동 instead. There's a place called 살라 that's basically a hole in the wall with maybe six seats, and the owner brings in small batch tequilas and mezcals you won't see on any menu in itaewon. He's a quiet guy but if you sit at the counter and ask about the different agave regions he'll warm up and start pulling out bottles you didn't even know existed in Korea.

For a different solo vibe, try the second floor of the old Euljiro printing press buildings around 을지로3가. There's a bar called 노가리 that's run by a former journalist who keeps the lights dim and plays old Korean rock. The crowd is usually writers or photographers drinking alone, and nobody bothers you if you just want to stare at your phone and sip something. They don't do fancy cocktails but the makgeolli selection is solid and they have a few decent anejo tequilas hidden behind the counter if you ask nicely.

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honestly for solo drinking in seoul, just hit up any of the hongdae or haebangchon rooftop spots on a weeknight. bartenders actually talk to u more when its quiet and u sit at the bar. fwiw, 알라바마 in hongdae has a decent tequila selection for korea standards, not just the usual cuervo trash. they do a mean paloma too

if u want something more chill, try 사물탕 in haebangchon. small spot, owner's a bit eccentric but knows his spirits. solo friendly vibes and u can actually hear urself think. just avoid friday nights anywhere near itaewon unless u like waiting 20 mins for a drink

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the whispering thing is real but its not about the sauce lol. that guy runs a 2am handoff with the chicken supplier, they drop off fresh birds from a farm near Chuncheon three times a week instead of using the frozen stuff most hongdae spots rely on. thats why the texture hits different, not the sauce itself. if u go back ask for the neck & wing combo off menu, its cheaper & honestly the best cut they do

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the thing nobody mentions is that Dogdogdog's sauce gets its body from cheong, the Korean rice syrup, not sugar. thats why it coats the wing so thick and stays glossy instead of going sticky. i asked a guy who worked there and he said they also add a splash of maesil (plum) extract at the end off the heat. that fruity tang under the garlic is what you're tasting. go on a weekday before 6, weekends the wait hits 40 min easy.

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honestly the "secret sauce" thing is prob just marketing. every fried chicken place in Seoul has a version of that story. the real difference at Dogdogdog is they double fry in rice bran oil and toss the wings in the sauce twice, once right out of the fryer and again after a 30 sec rest. thats where the crunch comes from, not some mystery ingredient. if u wanna taste the actual base, order the banban half plain half spicy and dip the plain one in the spicy sauce yourself.

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