Rooftop dining

Le Style / Courtesy of Ibis Styles Ambassador Myeongdong

By Yun Suh-young

Seoul has lacked spaces to dine outdoors, let alone dine on a rooftop. Thankfully, hotels are pioneering rooftop bars, setting a long-awaited trend of dining and drinking beneath the stars.

The following is an overview of the three hotels that offer rooftop dining in Seoul.

Kloud

Kloud / Courtesy of Mercure Seoul Ambassador

Kloud is a New York-style bar on the 21st floor of the Mercure Seoul Ambassador Gangnam Sodowe, in the posh Gangnam district.

The rooftop bar offers a peculiar feeling of being somewhere other than Seoul. The cozy outdoor area, themed as the private space of a stylish businessman in Manhattan, really does create the feeling it intended.

The space is divided into four sections — three outdoor spaces and one bar space. The atmosphere of the place is more romantic than the view. At the central area, black and white movies play on the screen while there is jazz in the background.

The strength of this venue is that it offers superb-quality drinks made by world-champion bartenders. They will create any drink you request.

On the dinner menu, the bulgogi risotto is recommended. You will want to order another.

For reservations, call 02-2050-6035.

Le Style

Le Style

Le Style, on the 21st floor of the Ibis Styles Ambassador Myeongdong in central Seoul, will change your perception of the city.

Anyone looking over the nightscape of Seoul from here will be amazed at how beautiful it can be.

But getting a reservation can be hard because the venue is a hot destination for Seoulites.

Le Style has become trendy for its colorful and sensible design, which draws female customers. It is also a great venue for group outings.

The downside is the limited menu of a barbecue buffet and drinks. There are no world-class bartenders here — the drinks offered are only the basics. Perhaps the mesmerizing nightscape and atmosphere can offset the menu choices.

For reservations, call 02-6020-8880.

Sky Garden

Sky Garden / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young

The Sky Garden, on the 15th floor of the Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, western Seoul, offers a barbecue buffet every Saturday.

The open rooftop space is also used as a venue for company events on weekdays.

On Saturdays, the place offers “urban barbecue,” where platters of grilled meat and fish come with a salad bar. Unlimited beer or wine is also included.

Sky Garden can be an alternative choice for businesspeople in Yeouido seeking a rooftop space to wine and dine.

In terms of atmosphere, it is not as romantic or stylish as the other two venues, but the grilled platters may provide a compromise.

For reservations, call 02-2638-3081.