Little Tavern

About

A compact Daerim-dong neighborhood pub serving seafood soft tofu stew and simple drinking snacks, with a small semi-outdoor seating area.

In Yeongdeungpo, 작은술집 makes a modest case for the neighborhood pub: a clean, compact room, not especially spacious, but just right for settling in over a drink and a few hearty plates. There’s also a row of seats with a half-outdoor feel, a tempting perch for a lingering evening. The mood is informal and unpretentious; the welcome, according to one visit, was notably warm. Start with the seafood sundubu stew, a dish that works as both drinking food and a late-night restorative. Its broth is agreeably spicy rather than punishing, with squid, mussels and other seafood tucked among the soft tofu. It arrives ready to share, and when the pot cools, the staff will reheat it. That combination of heat, seafood and generous broth makes it especially suited to a glass of soju. Beer has its own small pleasure here: it was served in an iced glass, kept crisp and cold. But don’t overlook the complimentary snack. Chicken drumsticks arrived at the table as the basic side, and the blogger found them so irresistible that the plate was replenished several times. It’s an unusually memorable opening act for a casual round of drinks. When the drinks begin to call for something more substantial, order the Spam-and-egg fry. It’s the sort of savory, salty plate that practically asks for rice; alongside it came yeolmu kimchi, whose sharp, refreshing bite offered a welcome counterpoint. The kimchi, too, earned praise. 작은술집 doesn’t need a sprawling room or a complicated pitch. Its appeal is in the details of an easygoing neighborhood stop: a bubbling seafood stew, cold beer, a snack worth asking to refill, and a host whose kindness made the visitor want to return. Come for soju and a warming pot, or let a casual drink turn into a meal.