찰스 H Charles H.

Atmosphere: 9/10 Located beneath the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun district, Charles H. opens with a hidden, speakeasy-style entrance down a discreet stairwell — setting the tone for the upscale experience that follows. Inside, the bar channels a Gatsby-esque elegance with brass accents, arched ceilings, and plush leather seating. The massive backbar glows with indirect lighting and is beautifully stocked. Funky music at a mid-loud volume keeps the energy alive without drowning conversation. Drinks: 9/10 Recommended drink: Manhattan Flight The menu is stunning — high-quality photos, storytelling for each cocktail, and thoughtful layout. The Manhattan Flight offers three takes on the classic, all well-balanced. Coasters and glassware are premium, and garnishes are tailored to each drink’s narrative. Some cocktails push bold flavors, but overall execution is refined. Service: 10/10 Flawless service. Water, warm towels, snacks, and even a complimentary champagne pour with an amuse-bouche on arrival. Immediate refills, highly professional team, and smooth pacing throughout. Prices are well above average for Seoul — but the full experience delivers true premium value. This bar is ranked #95 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024. Personally, I think it deserves a way higher spot — I’d easily place it in my top 20 bars in all of Asia.

Such a welcome respite from the hot muggy busy streets of Seoul. The bartenders are friendly and really know their craft. They guided us to a number of their delicious cocktails. The bar bites were tasty fresh grapes and salty chips and we enjoyed the fried chicken and beef tartare!

Charles H is an upscale speakeasy hidden behind an unscripted door in the basement of the Four Seasons Seoul. Its decor is reminiscent of Prohibition-era with its Art Deco facades, opulent polished marble, backlit bar and grainy leather booths. Charles H was once on the renowned World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021 and 2022, at which point their head bartender Keith Motsi left to open Virtu Tokyo. Regardless of its ranking, it is still one of the top bars in Seoul. The elaborate menu reads like a tour guide. The name of the bar is an homage to the explorer, author of “The Gentleman’s Companion”, connoisseur and one of the world’s pioneering mixologists, Charles H. Baker. Once the Prohibition began in the United States, Charles traveled the world in search of fine foods and unique liquor. We were brought Amuse Bouche, a spoon of sashimi in a citrus oil sauce and potato chips. The first cocktail me and one of my colleagues tried was called the “Mojito Colada”. It is the fusion of the classic Mojito and Piña Colada. The herbal freshness of the mint and the subtle union of lime, rum and creamy coconut milk was a delightful drink. The second drink I ordered is called “Black & White,” which contains whisky, Oloroso sherry, milk tea, roasted almond, candied rose and a whole egg. I’ll have to say that the egg overpowered every other ingredient and actually made me kind of nauseous. I’m getting a little queasy thinking about it now, even weeks later. With the milk tea, I think the cocktail would’ve worked without the egg. Whipped eggs tend to work better in more spirit forward drinks. I don’t think it worked at all in this concoction. Overall, the first visit was a great experience apart from the aforementioned egg-forward cocktail. For a follow up visit, I discovered that the cocktail menu had completely changed since my last visit in February apart from the Velvet Martini. The menu now has cocktails that are themed after different countries around the world. The first cocktail I had was a sublime Riviera Martini made with Stoli Vodka and features Herbs de Provence. For appetizers we ordered the Hanwoo Beef Tartare and fried chicken. For the second cocktail, the bartender recommended the Love from Lima, which is a twist on a Pisco Sour, with passionfruit curd and a foam made from vanilla-corn espuma instead of a conventional egg white. It was bright, creamy and delicious. We also decided to order the house burger, which had the bold seasoning of chipotle sauce that I never expected to taste in Korea. Finally, I ordered the Margherita-Margarita, which is a very creative concept by the head bartender Odd Strandbakken, featuring Altos Plata Tequila, San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, basil, with a streak of fresh whey and toasted salt to provide a crust-like flavor along the rim of the glass. Somehow it works remarkably well, kudos to Odd and the entire staff at Charles H on the newly reinvented cocktail menu.

The drinks were decent not the best, but, we all know it’s Charles H. Service was… friendly-ish? Let’s just say it had its moments. That said, I still enjoy coming here from time to time. The atmosphere is always unique and the bar has its charm. Thanks again, see you soon.

This bar is located on level B1 of the Four Seasons Hotel. It has a gorgeous speakeasy atmosphere and it is lovely for a relaxing drink before or after dinner. Of you can even get a snack and eat there. The staff was outstanding during every visit and they catered to every single request we had. They make a mean skinny margarita, one of the best I have ever drank outside of Mexico.

One of the best bars I've been. Cocktails are great and they pair perfectly with the food. Prices are aligned with the high quality of f&b products, worth it. (Might even look cheap if you are from Europe/US) The atmosphere makes everything even more special. Great place to visit if you're in Seoul.

This speakeasy is in the lower basement floor of the Four Season Hotel. It's truly an amazing bar. The cost is quite high comparable to SF and NYC price, but they tag on bunch of extra snack, chips, nuts, and even champaign. The drinks are obviously very delicious. And both the service and atmosphere are just perfect. I would come back if I visit Seoul again.

To be honest this was a very nice experience. The bar is hard to find due to the fact it is following a speakeasy concept and we only got in after asking 3 different people but were lead into the bar immediately. It is important to know that there is a 10’000 ₩ entrance fee which includes a small glass of champagne and a small amuse bouche. The cocktails are also on the pricier side and they are good but not extraordinary. We had for two people 2 cocktails each and a charcuterie board and paid 207’000 ₩ which is on the upper end. Also important to know the bar is on place 96 of Asias Best Bars by San Pellegrino.