Ulsan Nightlife

Again, bars in Ulsan come and go, almost as fast as the typical teachers who come here. Just when one is starting to quiet down, another is picking up. Wait a few months and the ebb and flow may change again.

Royal Anchor was the place to be several years ago and has recently been given a face lift and become the "new" place. Drinks are typically priced. Unlike most bars in Ulsan, this one has windows and if they are open, decent ventilation. It is in Old Downtown (Shinae Shi-gay top). From the clock tower, put the pedestrian walking street to your back. Walk one block forward to Royal Anchor.

[UPDATE 9/30/2010 - Benchwarmers is closing this week]
Benchwarmers is dying, but may again see a prosperous return. It has a regular trivia night, food and big TV for sports events. It occasionally hosts open mic nights too. Ventilation here has something to be desired. To get here, pass the Royal Anchor, take your first left, then 2nd right down the small alley. Bench is down a small alley & on 2nd floor from the street, so don't give up & keep looking.

Dress Code: completely casual

Bars in Ulsan come and go like the seasons. Even those that survive more than a year or two go through cycles of popularity.

In and around Samsan-dong (the neighborhood near the Lotte Hotel), there are a couple of bars that expats frequent. Obviously if you've ever been to Korea before, you know that there is no shortage of places to drink, but there's the more popular places at the moment:

W Garden - a bit more trendy with dimmer lighting and various music. Drinks are moderately priced. To get here, start at the Lotte Hotel, walk across the street towards the Krispy Kreme. Go straight down the alley and take first right. It will be about 200m on your right side.

Golden Eagle - a relatively new English style pub. Its too clean to be a true English pub, but offers larger spaces, pool and darts. The food menu is decent too. Its a good place for big sporting events, but I have a feeling will be ho-hum on most other weekends. This is immediately next to W Garden.

Beat - A bit more of an after hours dance club. It can be a bit smokey and noisy, but its a good place to go if you want to stay out after 2am or so. Walk down the alley next to the Krispy Kreme. Turn left at the Dunkin Donuts. Its down the stairs after the Dunkin Donuts.

There are a few more places like Trevi (German influenced brewery) and Euros. Both have outdoor seats and some food. Trevi actually brews three of their own decent beers. From the Lotte Hotel, walk back away from the main street, away from Krispy Kreme (towards Chai restaurant). Take your first right and walk ~200m.

Dress Code: Dress code is completely casual.
As of recently, they are closed on Mondays (except holidays).

Benchwarmers and Tombstone: Where you want nobody to know your name..
Both these places are incredible lame. Old, run-down may be a great place if you're a teacher or something alike.

If your are out for fun in Ulsan, go to some korean clubs or bars in old downtown or the new downtown., or alternatively Bangeojin area. The two mentioned bars here are just for teachers. As there is thousands of other expats in Ulsan - and if you are one of them, I recommend to stay away from these two lame holes and instead just pick any other.