Blue Hour Jazz Club | Hurry yourself to come before it gets too famous
For a Friday evening date, we headed to a jazz club for the first time in a while. Since it had only been open for a month, I walked in expecting nothing more than a stylish new bar with a nice atmosphere.
But while watching the live performance, I found out something surprising. Do you know the band Geeks, the group that Lee Juck joined after falling in love with their music? The guitarist on stage was that very musician. He was playing guitar just three meters in front of me. Wow! No wonder he didn’t seem ordinary.
This was the first jazz bar I’d seen with a dedicated photo zone.
🎷 Stepping into Blue Hour Jazz Club With a Fully Formed Atmosphere
From the entrance alone, the venue gave off a clear message: they took music seriously.
We arrived around 7 PM, and rehearsals were already underway for the 8 PM show.
The first thing I noticed was the darkness. Each table had a mood lamp that looked like carved crystal, casting a soft glow throughout the room. It wasn’t loud or chaotic. Instead, it felt like a place where people genuinely came to listen to music.
One wall was lined with black-and-white framed photos. They were pictures of legendary drummers, and I even spotted a frame featuring The Beatles drum logo.
On the opposite wall, the weekly performance schedule filled the space. The Friday we visited featured a performance by the Han Sang Won Funk Band, and I couldn’t wait.
🎸 Getting Up Close With Blue Hour Jazz Club’s Featured Guitar Legend
The musician on the far left in the photo was guitarist 한상원 (Han Sang Won).
At exactly 8 PM, the performer who stepped onto the stage holding both a guitar and a microphone was Han Sang Won.
If the name sounded unfamiliar, here’s the brief introduction I learned myself. After studying funk at Berklee College of Music and returning to Korea, he became known as a guitarist who changed the Korean band scene. Geeks, the project band later joined by Lee Juck, started from Han Sang Won. He was also the person who first discovered Jung Jae Il and had previously served as a professor in the Department of Applied Music at Howon University.
And there he was, standing on the stage of a newly opened club in Jongno. Since we grabbed front-row seats, we sat close enough to see every expression and finger movement from the musicians.
Beside him were a vocalist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist who looked to be in their early to mid-20s. The stage was fully packed. They seemed to be his students. Their young age didn’t mean a lack of skill. The groove was alive, and I could feel how hard they pushed themselves to show something special alongside their mentor. That energy from passionate musicians stayed with me long after the performance.
The show ran for more than three hours. It started at 8 PM and went well past 11 PM, and honestly, I completely lost track of time.
Near the end, Han Sang Won said, “See you again next week,” which made it sound like these Friday performances had become a regular event.
A performance of this quality every week? And the admission fee was only 15,000 KRW per person.
🍺 Diving into Great Food With the Music
With jazz and live music filling the room, we couldn’t pass up having a few drinks.
We ordered a set that included pepperoni pizza, two Guinness beers, and two Asahi Dry beers. The set cost 80,000 KRW and was more than enough for two people during a three-hour performance.
Because the music was so good, I assumed the food might just be average. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Calling this place a great pizza spot wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
The dough was thin, chewy, and delicious. Looking closely at the crust, I realized it was made with pastry dough. I later heard that the owner personally made the dough. Apparently, the dedication extended far beyond the music.
The Guinness draft had a rich body and creamy foam that matched the venue’s mood perfectly. The Asahi Dry offered a refreshing contrast whenever the Guinness felt a bit heavy.
I usually drank wine at jazz clubs, but beer paired surprisingly well with this funky and energetic performance. It made it easy to focus on the music while comfortably eating and drinking.
✨ Enjoying Blue Hour Jazz Club Before the Crowds Arrive
Most people have experienced standing in line at a packed live bar and watching a performance from seats so close together that shoulders almost touched. Blue Hour was the opposite.
The tables were comfortably spaced out, reservations weren’t difficult, and great seats were still easy to get.
Since the venue had only been open for a month, many people still didn’t know about it. It felt like the kind of place where visitors would quickly become regulars once they discovered it.
Right now seemed like the perfect time to visit before more people caught on.
💡 Who Should Come Here?
Couples looking for a date spot with live music and a beer or glass of wine.
Anyone who wanted to enjoy high-quality performances in a relaxed setting.
People who loved soaking in a jazz bar atmosphere while enjoying great music.
💬 Wrapping Up With an Unforgettable Night
This was a brand-new venue where a seasoned legend and energetic young musicians came together to create an incredible performance.
If you appreciated good music, I’d strongly recommend checking it out. It also worked wonderfully as a date-night destination with a great atmosphere.
There’s something pretty cool about being able to say later, “I started going there when it had only been open for a month.”
At a glance
📍 Location: 3–5 minutes on foot from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station
⏰ Hours: 18:00–23:00 (closed on the second Sunday of each month)
💰 Price: Admission 15,000 KRW per person / Pizza + 2 Guinness + 2 Asahi set 80,000 KRW
🅿️ Parking: Parking support available at a nearby parking lot (see location information below)
Getting there
If you’re taking the subway, you can reach it within 3–5 minutes on foot from either Jonggak Station or Jongno 3-ga Station.
Blue Hour Jazz Club: 6 Samil-daero 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
If you’re driving, you can use the Signature Tower parking lot below and receive parking support from the venue.
Signature Tower : 100 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
