Looking for the best jazz bars in Seoul to enjoy live music and have a drink? We’ve got you covered! From its origins in late 19th century New Orleans, jazz rose to become a popular and iconic form of music around the world by the mid-20th century. The multicultural genre has taken deep root in Seoul, and now piano, guitar, drums, cello, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and other instruments combine to create sophisticated melodies at live music venues across the city. If you want to hear live jazz music, check out our list of jazz bars in Seoul that are not only for those who have already fallen in love with jazz, but also for beginners who are looking to enjoy it live for the first time.
1. Jazz Society
A jazz performance at a brewery in Seongsu-dong, with professional musicians filling the stage! Seoul Brewery, a craft beer brewery, hosts “Jazz Society” every Wednesday through Saturday on the fifth floor of the building. You can enjoy the show while sipping on a freshly brewed beer from the underground brewery. When the show is over and you’re still dancing to the music, you can head downstairs to enjoy the rest of the beer and food options to round out your weekend evening. Jazz Society reservations can be made through Fever here.
📍 5F, 28-12 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul Brewery
Practical information
2. Dido Jazz Lounge
A newer venue, but one that has quickly gone viral and is as hard to get a reservation for on weekends as it is on weekdays, Dido Jazz Lounge offers live music that is both high quality and accessible. You can see the month’s lineup on their Instagram page ahead of time, so you can plan your visit. Table seats are by reservation only, but bar seating is available on a walk-in basis if you don’t have a reservation. One food and one alcohol order per table is required, and there is a performance fee of 1,000 won per person regardless of food or alcohol order. A jazz bar it may be, but the food is as good as any Italian restaurant in Seoul. Table reservations can be made here, and performances will take place every evening (except Monday) from 20:00 to 22:00 pm in one or two parts.
🕒 It’s closed on Mondays, but open every other day from 6:30pm-12am (on Saturdays, opening hours are 3pm-12am)
📍 56, Jayang-ro 18-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
🎧 Check out the Dido Jazz Lounge x Secret Seoul interview here (in Korean)
3. FLATNINE
With nine signature cocktails, FLATNINE is known as an atmospheric spot, and is a favourite for date nights and cocktails. It’s located a stone’s throw from Gangnam Station, so it’s easy to get to, and while it’s a cocktail bar, the food menu is known for its delicious sous vide filet mignon steaks, so it’s a great place for dinner and drinks. The operation is similar to other venues: table seats must be reserved here in advance, and bottles (including wine) are mandatory for front-of-the-stage seats (rows 1-2), for parties of 5 or more, and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The performance fee is 10,000 won per person; you can preview the menu and see the lineup on Instagram. Walk-ins are also available.
🕒 Open daily from 6pm-1am, but on Fridays it closes at 2pm. Saturday hours are 3:30pm-2am.
📍 5F, 10, Gangnam-daero 65-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
4. Yeonnam5701
Like a small concert venue, Yeonnam 5701 is a welcoming jazz bar in Hongdae, making it easy to experience live music even if you’re a jazz novice. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and we recommend heading to the front if you want to focus on the music, or to the back if you want to soak up the atmosphere with food. Reservations can be made here, and require a one-menu and one-drink order per person; meanwhile, the performance fee is 10,000 won per person. They have a set menu of foods that pair well with their bottled wines to help guide your choices, and they have a very extensive wine list that covers a wide range of prices and tastes. You can preview the month’s lineup on Instagram, and performances take place Wednesday through Sunday from 8-10pm.
🕒 Closed every Monday – Tuesday, open 6:30-11pm on other days.
📍 570-1 지하, Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
5. Positive Zero Lounge
Hotspot Positive Zero Lounge is a live jazz bar that makes Seongsu-dong even hotter. It can be visited without a reservation, but it can get a little crowded in the back, so it’s best to make a reservation if you want to have a good view. You can check out the upcoming lineups on Instagram, and the bar will mix and match shows with vocalists and instrumental only shows for some nice variety. There is a performance fee of 13,000 won per person and a mandatory drink per person.
🕒 Closed Monday & Tuesday, open 7pm – 12am every other day.
📍 B1F, 14-2 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
6. ‘For a Thousand Years’ (천년동안도 종각)
Since 1996, when the concept of a jazz bar was not widely spread in Korea, this place has been a favourite of live music lovers for a long time, and remains so today, into the millennium. Korean readers might recall it as the same place where MC Yoo Jae Suk transformed into a bouquet of flowers and played the drums in the past. It’s a small space, with room for only 40-50 people inside, but it’s the atmosphere that makes it so special. There are live performances every day, and they recently opened their second location and now have two venues, in Nagwon and Jonggak. You can find the performance schedule here, and to make a reservation, click here. Performances cost ₩13,000 on weekdays and ₩15,000 on weekends.
🕒 Jonggak is open every day except Sunday, Nagwon is open everyday.
📍 Nagwon: 2층, 94 Nagwon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
📍 Jonggak: B1F, 2F, 6 Samil-daero 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
7. Get Allright
Located in Cheongdam, Get Allright is a luxury live bar that starts a little later than other jazz bars and is usually a great place to grab a second drink and enjoy the music. the performances are divided into three time slots at 10pm, 11pm, and 12:10am. The ticket price is 20,000 won, which is a bit higher than other jazz bars around the city, but the performances are diverse and of high quality. Reservations can be made here, and show schedule information and menus can be found on Instagram. On weekends, alcohol can only be ordered by the bottle, and the minimum order varies depending on where you’re seated (table 30,000 won, group 60,000 won, VIP 80,000 won).
🕒 Open every day except Sunday (8pm-2am Thu, Fri, Sat, and from 7pm-2am Mon, Tue, Wed).
📍 89-5 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
8. Boogie Woogie
Boogie Woogie in Itaewon performs jazz every day of the week, 365 days a year, with no days off. Reservations can only be made via text to the phone number listed on Instagram (both a Korean and English line are available), and are confirmed by choosing from a variety of drink and food sets and making a prepayment. Performance fees start at $5 and are payable over the course of the performance, depending on your satisfaction, with 100% of the fees going to the artist. Depending on the season, there are often more special jazz performances, so keep an eye on their Instagram announcements!
🕒 Open daily from 5:30pm until 1am (closing time is 12am at Sunday).
📍 2F, 21 Hoenamae-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul