Top 3 spots for solo drinks near Daerim Station

1. Daerim’s blessed high-quality izakaya 'Rakkugin' (Izakaya)
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In a neighborhood where good izakayas are rare, Rakkugin feels like a shaft of light. It’s fairly well known locally and you’ll often wait long without a reservation; weekdays (non-weekend evenings) have become a bit easier lately. While many new izakayas chase trends, Rakkugin keeps a distinct personality in its dishes you won’t see elsewhere. Another local advantage: although many places now serve only traditional liquor, sake, or wine, Rakkugin still welcomes the familiar green-bottle domestic soju alongside those options.

The menu at Rakkugin changes often with the seasons, and the printed menu can be hard to read — the descriptions are helpful but the text is small and dense, so you’ll want someone to walk you through it. Prices are generally reasonable, hovering around ₩20,000 for many plates, but portions aren’t large, so a relaxed ordering spree can add up. At most izakayas you find yourself defaulting to assorted sashimi (modum hoe), but at Rakkugin the other tempting small plates keep you from ordering that as often.

Standouts: yubu-maki (tofu-skin rolls) and the popular Uni Jinmi, a mix of minced fish, salmon roe, and uni that’s perfect with drinks. The katsu-sando—thick, satisfying cutlet in a sandwich—is reliably filling and great to order early. Scallop-and-uni combines grilled scallop, snow-crab meat, and uni—essentially more of what you already like, executed well.

Location: Gamaksan-ro 268, Guro District, Seoul
Hours: Daily 17:00–23:00, closed Sundays
Prices (examples): Today’s assorted sashimi ₩32,000; Uni Jinmi ₩18,000; Aori-ika makguksu (squid buckwheat noodles) ₩24,000

2. Five-flavor master, 40 years’ experience — great-value sushi 'Jeju-do Chobap' (Neighborhood sushi)
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Sushi omakase has been trending and can be fantastic, but even the cheaper omakase options usually cost several tens of thousands of won and aren’t something you eat every day. For a neighborhood-style sushi place that balances taste and price, Jeju-do Chobap is a good example. It felt like a hidden local master’s shop for years, and after appearing twice on the TV show Life’s Masters and being named a 'Five-flavor Master,' it’s become busier and often has a wait.

On my recent visit the menu had been simplified into mainly straightforward meal options. Sad to see were some of the old tapas-like items—assorted sashimi, seasoned raw fish salad, and tempura snacks—which have mostly disappeared. But there are still solid, reasonably priced sushi sets and a la carte pieces, plus meal bowls like tendon (tempura rice bowl), udon, and hwedupbap (sashimi bibimbap). The ₩12,000 assorted sushi set (10 pieces) and the ₩15,000 seasonal sushi (10 pieces) remain good value compared with many places. At those prices this feels like a shop locals would visit often; neighborhood regulars do come by frequently. I kept it simple this time and didn’t add extra a la carte pieces, but their oily fish and tuna are decent for a light drink with a meal.

Location: Gamaksan-ro 26-gil 23, Guro District, Seoul
Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (break 15:00–17:00), closed Mondays
Prices (examples): Assorted sushi (10 pcs) ₩12,000; Seasonal sushi (10 pcs) ₩15,000; Tendon ₩12,000

3. An oddly addictive hangover cure — 'Minsok Dolsot Seolleongtang' (Folk stone-pot seolleongtang)
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Minsok Dolsot Seolleongtang is a long-standing Daerim neighborhood classic, approaching 30 years now. The name already gives you pause—and the food does the same. Despite the name suggesting seolleongtang (milky beef-bone soup) as the main dish, the real star here is the place’s signature minsok-tang, a unique soup you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. They also serve seolleongtang, doganitang (ox-knee soup), and boiled pork slices, but the minsok-tang keeps its place as the house favorite.

The ingredient list reads like a small-world pot: New Zealand and Australian meat, plus supplies from Mexico, the U.S., China, and Korea—an Olympic table of origins. Order the mysterious minsok-tang and you’ll also get jangjorim (soy-braised beef) on the side, which is a welcome treat. Kimchi and kkakdugi arrive as usual, and the rice comes in a dolsot (stone pot), which is especially satisfying. The minsok-tang itself tastes like yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) blended with the richness of dogani and a touch of seolleongtang—spicy, meaty, and oddly addictive as a hangover cure. With stone-pot rice to finish, it’s a place where you can both sober up and nurse a drink; it’s known as a solid spot for soju.

Location: Gamaksan-ro 366-1, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul
Hours: Daily 10:00–22:00
Prices (examples): Minsok-tang ₩13,000; Seolleongtang ₩12,000; Oxtail soup ₩25,000