Nightlife

There are various areas throughout Daejeon, and everyone is sure to find their “Cheers-esque” watering hole and fun places around their home or work. There are, however, three main areas where you can find foreigners: Dunsandong, Eunhaengdong and downtown, and Gungdong. The places listed below are either geared toward foreigners specifically, or they are very foreigner-friendly.

Dunsan dong: This area is also referred to as “new downtown.” It is one of the most expensive areas of the city to live in, and it is quite happening at night. The best landmark to use when talking to a taxi driver is “Dunsan dong, Galleria Time World.”

• Cocoon- Apparently one of the best places to go get your groove on.

• Crying Nut- Located above Cocoon, it’s the place to go for nightly bartending shows that would put Tom Cruise to shame and usually include fire.

• Ethnic – this hooka/shisha bar is one of the places in Daejeon that is wonderfully different. In one word, what makes it special is ambiance. The whole place is lit by candles, there are colorful tapestries everywhere, and they’re usually playing interesting music. Their menu includes cocktails, beer, and wine (all overpriced, but that’s what you get for the atmosphere) and they also offer soju cocktails and shishas. This is located one block behind Boobi Boobi. From Timeworld: go to the street behind Timeworld and turn left. Cross the main road that runs parallel, and Ethnic is the small stone/adobe entrance maybe 100 meters up on the right. Be careful, because the entrance is easy to miss.

• Jinny’s Pub– Directly above Lucky Strike, this is the kind of dive your mama warned you about.  A small bar with an owner/ bartender who tends to start giving away free drinks when he’s drunk.  You can play darts with your friends and request almost any music you want.  It’s the kind of place a group of friends can go to just hang out and get drunk together. Just remember that you might wind up being one of the numerous snapshots of  “foreigners acting stupid” that are plastered on the door and walls.

• Lucky Strike -This is the place to go if you want a decent cocktail in Dunsan-dong. Occasionally one might stumble onto an unsavory character, but all and all the place has a chill atmosphere and offers quality drinks. From Timeworld: turn onto the main street that runs perpendicular to the main drag. Make the first left. Lucky Strike is located two blocks up on the right.

• Mokoogi Soju Cafe: (042)472-5922 This is one of my favorite places to go in Dunsan dong. The owners of this place used to be the same people that owned N Bar in old downtown, but from what I understand it has since changed hands. Mokoogi is very foreigner-friendly, and it’s menu is quite nice. Large groups can sometimes expect nice little side dishes “service.” They also have nice soju cocktails and bamboo soju. They have quite a music selection in the back part of the restaurant, and they occasionally have DJs or take requests. I recommend it highly. From Bennigan’s: turn down the street that runs perpendicular to the main street. Follow it for three blocks. Mokoogi is on the left on the second floor. It has a wooden balcony with its name spelled out in Korean.




• Sponge- Whether this is just a resurrection of the same bar that used to be in Eunhaeng-dong circa 2003-2004 or it’s just a name in common, this very popular bar caters to a Western clientele.  Amenities include a free pool table and darts.

• Yellow Taxi- a new bar owned/operated by the former owner of “Cool Bar”.  The bar has pool and darts.  Music is mainly jazz, with live music on the weekends.  A good place to go and relax.  Located above Garten Bier.  From the Time World Galleria,  take the first side road to the left, past Sponge, Lucky Strike, etc.  At the end of the block, turn right and go one block.

Eunhaeng-dong: This area is also referred to as “old downtown.” It is the area around the train station, and is generally populated by younger people. The nice thing about it is that most of the streets are pedestrian only (or at least in theory), and it’s pretty easy to get around. The downside is it’s equally easy to forget which one of these streets the place you want to go is on. The easiest way to get to Eunhaeng-dong by taxi is to say “Eunhaeng dong, Mee-la-no.” Milano 21 is a large department store situated at the end of the main pedestrian street. Some people say “shi-ne-yo” or “downtown,” but the former direction always works for me. Koreans also say, “Ee an gyeong won” which is Lee’s Optical, and although there are probably dozens of glasses shops run by someone named “Lee,” there’s only one that taxi drivers think of and they will let you out in front of the Eunhaeng-dong Starbucks on the main pedestrian road.

• Brickhouse: (042)223-6515

• Cinderella Coffee shop:
  

• Cool Bar:

• J-Rock:

• Wa Bar:

• Watermelon Sugar:

Gung-dong: Gungdong is situated around Chungnam University, and I find it to be a little more bohemian (for Korea at least) than any other part of Daejeon. It’s easy to find little start-up places and some novelties that can’t be found elsewhere in the city. To get to Gung-dong, tell a taxi driver “gung-dong lotteria.” The Lotteria isn’t there anymore, but it still usually serves well as a landmark. An eyeglass shop stands where it once did. The Santa Claus Bar is below this store. [Kim says: You can also try "Gung-dong Pa Chul So," which is the little police box half a block down. The Lotteria is gone, but the police box probably isn't going anywhere.]

• The Crying Nut: Where DJs go after they finish at the clubs. This hidden gem hosts the afterparty every weekend for those who haven’t finished shaking their booties by 4am. Additionally, the bartenders are the type of that like spinning bottles through the air, lighting things on fire and making pretty girly cocktails in bright colors. On Rodeo Street, almost up to the street Santa’s is on.

• Lucky Strike: This pub has only about a dozen stools along the bar but it’s a comfortable environment with English-speaking staff and great music. This is a great place to go chill if you’re looking for an intimate environment that’s foreigner-friendly but not one of the haunts on the circuit.

• The Santa Claus Bar: This place has a menu ranging from quesadillas to a western-style breakfast. Mr. Ho’s computer has an enormous music library, and everyone more or less chooses their own music every night. They have comfortable chairs, and a pool table. Located under the Taegeuk glasses shop in Gung-dong. Tell the taxi driver “Goong dong, Lotteria.” The Lotteria is gone (Taegeuk glasses is there now), but the landmark still usually works.

• The Shisha House: This coffee shop and hooka/shisha lounge also offers a selection of snacks and light meals along with local and imported beer. The proprietor is please with the selection of the highest-quality tobacco from the Middle-East, and offers both hookas and tobacco for sale. Located on the same street as Santa Claus on the opposite side, about 200m down the road.

Gone:

• The Bad Apple
• Bubi Bubi
• Going Merry
• Jay’s Club
• Sponge Bar
• Gung-dong Watermelon Sugar
• The Zoo
• The New Zoo (Zoo II)