UPDATE FEB 2023: I CAN NO LONGER FIND THIS RESTAURANT’S DETAILS ONLINE SO IT MAY HAVE CLOSED DOWN. If anyone has current info please let me know 🙂
Address: 대구 중구 동성로12길 65
Click here for link in Naver Maps
Click here for link in Kakao Maps
Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a sucker for some fancy bar food and soju on a Friday night, so when I saw Hot Bar pics I knew I had to go. Located a little north of downtown, and a short walk from Jungangro Station, Hot Bar is located in the neighbourhood behind where Novotel used to be. This neighbourhood has really been up and coming the last few years (hooray for gentrification? haaaa, I jest) and has seen a huge growth in trendy bars and restaurants opening up. Hot Bar is one of these and is a great little spot for a few drinks and snacks on a night out! Read on to see more.
The restaurant itself is located over two floors, despite this it’s a bit of a squeeze so wouldn’t advise for large parties. We were a group of 5 and had to do a little furniture rearranging to squish us all in a corner. Despite being cramped, it was very cosy and intimate (might be best suited for a date night or catch up with a close friend). The menu is Korean and Japanese fusion bar food to enjoy with alcohol and offers a range of sashimi, sushi rolls, meats, noodles, fried dishes, soups, and a big drinks menu to boot.
We ordered the salmon futomaki (연어후토마끼) 18,000 won, monte cristo sandwich (몬테크리스토 샌드위치) 16,000 won (including fries), Korean meat pancake (육전) 15,000, and croquettes (고로케) 6,000 won. Plus a round of beers and soju, of course 😉
The salmon futomaki was one of my faves, the salmon was fresh and delishous and the rolls were packed with filling. While a little pricey, the taste was good so I didn’t mind. It was kind of like a giant kimbab but stuffed with delicious salmon. No complaints from me there!
Next up was the monte christo sandiwch, I was actually most excited for this one after seeing the pictures online it looked delicious! Sadly… I was a little disappointed. It suffered the curse of Korean sweet bread, nooooo! While not terrible, it didn’t taste quite like I imagined so I wasn’t totally satisfied. Luckily the rest of the food was bomb, so I forgive you Hot Bar, just be warned if you aren’t into how sweet Korean bread can be just give this one a miss.
Next up was the pancake! We ordered this as a recommendation from a friend who’d been here before, and glad they suggested it! If you’ve had jeon before, you’ll know what to expect, but basically it was cuts of meat fried in a batter. Super yummy and a great sharing platter, def one to order.
Last but not least was the croquettes. They might not seem much but hot damn I love a good potato croquette and these were a big hit with me, I could have easily put away a whole plate to myself. I was fighting my friends over them for another bite haha. As a cheap side I would def add this to your order.
In all, while a bit on the pricey side, I really liked Hot Bar. The food was decent, the atmosphere cosy and intimate, and the drinks selection fantastic. It was a great little night out with some friends for a catch up before we went off to our separate weekend activities. Check it out next time you’re in the area!
Dig In Daegu 