Manseon Hof, Euljiro Nogari Alley

Nogari Alley grew out of a beer hall that opened near Euljiro 3-ga in 1980 and is listed as a Seoul Future Heritage food street. By day the surrounding lanes are printing shops and hardware wholesalers; by evening the beer halls fill up and the alley turns into one long, loud drinking room. Manseon Hof is the name you will see most: it has expanded into several neighbouring buildings, with indoor floors and a rooftop, and its signs cover much of the block. The order is simple. Get a jug or glasses of draught beer and a few pieces of nogari, small dried young pollack grilled until chewy and dipped in a spicy mayo sauce, then add sea snail salad, garlic fried chicken or a soupy tteokbokki if you are staying a while. It is cheap, crowded and noisy in the best way, and the mix of office workers, students and travellers is half the fun. Note that the district stopped issuing street-occupancy permits after 2022, so outdoor seating is not what it used to be.