8 Best Bars, Live Music, and Nightclubs in Busan

Monk, a jazz club, is located on the streets near Kyungsung University in Daeyeon-dong, Busan, where jazz lovers gather when the sun sets. After finishing their days at school or work, people flock to Monk for the sounds of mellow music and a cold glass of beer to recover from their fatigued body and soul. Unfortunately, Mr. Kim passed away from an accident at the early age of 33 but members of the Busan Jazz Club collected funds to reopen the doors of Monk in front of Kyungsung University.

The name, Monk, comes from Thelonious Monk, a legend of jazz (1917-1982). This year is the 30th anniversary since Monk first opened. How about immersing yourself into the charms of jazz at this historic jazz club?

Galmegi Brewing is the first-ever craft beer brewery established in Busan. First opened in Gwangalli in 2014, it attracts many beer lovers to the city. Four foreigners from Canada and the United Kingdom came together to form Galmegi Brewing, which primarily brews American-style craft beer with rich hop flavors. The signature “Galmegi IPA (Indian Pale Ale)” boasts great harmony between strong hop flavors and delicate pine scents created inside your mouth.

Thanks to the increasing popularity of craft beer, Galmegi Brewing now runs six stores including the main branch in Namcheon-dong. Fall in love with IPA at Galmegi Brewing that has made great contributions to making Busan the birthplace of craft beer in Korea. Try out the sampler menu with which you can taste a little bit of the different kinds of beer, which can be enjoyed even by those who may not be so well-versed in beer.

Thursday Party, which first started in Busan, is a new-breed casual pub. Here, you can engage in various games such as darts, beer pong and foosball while listening to trendy music in a casual and chic space. Although it originated from Busan, Thursday Party now has about 20 branches nationwide and has become a popular pub brand. Youngsters like to call it Thurpa, and the pub sells a variety of draft beer and offers a popcorn snack for free. In Busan, Thursday Party has stores in Haeundae, Gwangalli and Seomyeon.

At Thursday Party Haeundae, its unique salad menu is as popular as the line-up of draft beer. It is a chicken salad featuring well-aged chicken and fresh vegetables, and it is more than sufficient as a meal. Many foreigners love this menu item as well. Sit at a terrace table and enjoy chicken salad together with a cold draft beer.

Standard is a small cocktail bar located in the alley behind Haeundae-gu Office in Busan. What greets you as soon as you enter through a small door is a candle that tells the history of the place. The scene of an old melted candle that is as tall as a person fittingly displays the history of the storied bar. Although there are only about ten stools, the shelves on the walls are filled with liquor bottles of various kinds. The numbers shown behind the bottles represent their prices.

The bartender making cocktails is a foreigner whose cocktail-making skills remind you a performance or, even, a magic show. Among countless cocktails available, the one made of Ardbeg, manufactured on Islay Island of Scotland, is especially popular. Enjoy an Ardbeg cocktail that exudes special flavors and scents in a cozy space.

Fuzzy Navel is a new-breed of cocktail house in Busan. Fuzzy Navel is the name of a very unique cocktail that is made with peaches and oranges. Just like the drink, Fuzzy Navel the venue is also creating a new culture. It operates five branches in Busan alone and also provides cocktail training services through programs such as Cocktail Academia. It is widely loved for a variety of special cocktails it presents every season.

The type of cocktails mostly sought by those who frequent Fuzzy Navel are fruit-scented cocktails. If you are a non-drinker, you can enjoy non-alcoholic ades instead. In addition to cocktails and ades, there are pizzas and other menu items that go well with the beverages. Enjoy refreshing cocktails together with a delicious pizza at Fuzzy Navel.

Gorilla Brewing is a craft beer brewery established in Busan in 2015 by two British men, Andy Green and Paul Edwards. To maintain the quality of beer at the highest state, Gorilla Brewing uses hops, which is an essential ingredient, cultivated at its own farm. It serves stouts, pale ales and IPAs, and one of the most attention-grabbing beers is KPA, which is a pale ale designed by the Korean brewers of Gorilla to suit the Korean sentiment. It is a tropical and easy-to-drink beer, and has now become one of the symbolic beers at Gorilla, even enjoying some popularity overseas as well.

Unafraid of creative challenges, Gorilla Brewing has invented a unique coffee beer called “Baby Sour” as a result of its continued attempts in making coffee beer. Take a trip to Gorilla Brewing in search of diverse beer brewed sincerely by talented and passionate brewers.

Oase Busan is situated in a shabby building toward the eastern end of Haeundae Beach in Busan. Despite its humble appearance, it is widely known for the wide open panoramic view of the sea in front of Haeundae from the rooftop. A space that combines a cafe, restaurant and pub, Oase Busan offers everything from meals to tea and beer. Although there are tables inside, most visitors love the outdoor terrace tables from which they can enjoy the cool sea breeze and incredible scenery.

Oase Busan has a unique draft beer named Ddong Beer. It is actually frozen draft beer foam served on top of a beer glass that looks like white soft serve ice cream, but many people like to think of it as something else, which is where the name comes from. Enjoy the awesome nightscape of Haeundae at Oase Busan along with a cold glass of draft beer.

You can find Sam Ryan’s near Haeundae Beach in Busan. The pub mostly sells beer but there are also cocktails and foods that are suitable both as a meal or a snack. The place creates a cool vibe in which the delicately dispersing sounds of music blend in well with the pleasant sea breeze. It also offers a variety of beer so you can choose whatever suits your taste. Nachos that are provided for free are quite popular, and some have posted reviews acknowledging that they were compelled to drink more beer because of the tasty nachos.

People also say that they feel like being in a country overseas at Sam Ryan’s because many foreigners frequent the pub. It presents an extremely unique atmosphere thanks to the combination of Haeundae’s sea breeze, exotic vibes and beer from all over the globe. Stop by and enjoy a cold glass of beer.