Dish guide · Drinks
Makgeolli
막걸리
Cloudy Korean rice wine
A milky, lightly sweet and tangy rice wine, usually about 6 to 8 percent alcohol. It's Korea's oldest style of alcohol, and a classic match for savory pancakes.
What it is
- It's brewed from rice, water and nuruk, a traditional fermentation starter. The sediment settles, so it's gently turned or stirred before pouring.
- It often comes in a kettle with shallow bowls. In Jeonju, a kettle comes with a spread of small dishes.
- Moju is a warm, sweet relative boiled with spices, popular in Jeonju.
How to eat it
- 1Serve it chilled, with a pancake or other savory dish. It goes down easily, so pace yourself.
History
- Records of it reach back at least to the Goryeo period, and some trace it to the Three Kingdoms. It was long known as a farmers' drink, called nongju.
- Pajeon and makgeolli are a well-known rainy-day habit in Korea.
Allergies and diet
Usually contains
- The traditional starter, nuruk, is often made from wheat.
- It contains alcohol. Some bottled brands add sweeteners.
Recipes differ between restaurants. If you have an allergy, always ask the staff before you order.
🗣️ Allergy card for the staff
Pick your allergy to see the sentence in Korean.
📍 Where to try it
- 🍶
Yetchon Makgeolli 옛촌막걸리
Pubs · Jeonju Hanok Village & Nambu Market · Since 2002
Jeonju's makgeolli tradition is unique: you order a kettle of rice wine, and it comes with a table full of small dishes. This Seosin-dong house, open since 2002, is known as an original of that style. Order a table set. It's a short taxi ride from the Hanok Village.
Try: Makgeolli hansang (rice wine with a table of dishes)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🍶
Ahn's Makgeolli (Hanguk Suljip) 한국술집 안씨막걸리
Pubs · Itaewon, Seoul
A Michelin-recommended Korean drinking house by Gyeongnidan-gil, pairing a long list of traditional makgeolli, cheongju and distilled soju with modern Korean dishes. It's a stylish, grown-up way to try Korean rice wines, and many of the guests are visitors from abroad.
Try: Traditional liquor (makgeolli, cheongju, distilled soju)
30-60 min wait - 🥞
Bakganae Bindaetteok 박가네빈대떡
Market food · Jongno, Seoul
One of Gwangjang Market's two famous mung bean pancake houses. You can watch the beans being ground in a stone mill out front, then sit upstairs for crispy bindaetteok, beef tartare and makgeolli.
Try: Mung bean pancake (bindaetteok)
Short wait - 🍲
Bukchon Dodam 북촌도담
Home-style meals · Seochon & Bukchon, Seoul
A Korean home-cooking spot by Anguk Station known for kimchi-jjim, whole aged kimchi braised soft with pork. Order the set meal, add a green-onion pancake and makgeolli, and you have the meal Koreans come to Bukchon for when the famous noodle shops are packed.
Try: Kimchi-jjim jeongsik (braised kimchi set)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🥞
Jongga Bindaetteok 종가빈대떡
Pubs · Seongsu, Seoul
An old pancake-and-makgeolli bar a minute from Ttukseom Station exit 7, where the mung-bean pancakes are thick and crisp. People who work around Seoul Forest stop in after work, especially on rainy nights.
Try: Mung-bean pancake
Locals' pick - 🍶
Sanullim 1992 산울림1992
Pubs · Sinchon & Ewha, Seoul
A Korean pub between Hongdae and Sinchon, next to the Sanwoollim theater, built around one of the longest traditional liquor lists in Seoul. Makgeolli, cheongju and soju from small breweries pair with Korean set plates and seafood dishes, and a tasting flight helps you choose. Cozy, tavern-like and popular for dates.
Try: Traditional liquor tasting flight
Short wait - 🥞
Seoul Jijimi 서울지짐이
Pubs · Myeongdong, Seoul
A jeon-and-makgeolli house on the edge of Myeongdong, on two floors. Office workers come for crisp seafood pancakes, kimchi pancakes and mixed jeon, washed down with makgeolli from around the country. It's busiest on rainy days.
Try: Modeum-jeon (assorted pan-fried bites)
Locals' pick - 🍶
Sinsajeon 신사전
Pubs · Gangnam, Seoul
A big, lively jeon (Korean pancake) and makgeolli house off Garosu-gil. Its trademark is honeycomb makgeolli: staff cut a slab of honeycomb at your table to sweeten your rice wine. Order a platter of mixed jeon or the cheesy potato pancake, and expect plenty of foreign visitors around you.
Try: Sinsa-dong makgeolli with honeycomb
30-60 min wait - 🌶️
Wooirak Mangwon 우이락 망원본점
Market food · Hongdae, Seoul
The original shop of the Mangwon Market stall famous for gochu-twigim: giant mild green chilies stuffed with seasoned meat and deep-fried until crisp. Inside it is a Korean-style pub, with soupy tteokbokki, pancakes and creamy makgeolli to go with them, and many people take the fried chilies to the Han River park nearby.
Try: Gochu-twigim (stuffed fried chili)
Short wait
Sources
We check every fact against at least two sources and write it in our own words. Last checked: 2026-10-31.