Pomme is a small bar in Itaewon-dong that operates in the register of the Korean natural wine and craft cocktail movement while maintaining an atmosphere distinct from the noisier rooms in the neighbourhood. The booth seating, floral wallpaper, and the incense that burns throughout the evening establish an interior that has thought carefully about what kind of visit it wants to host — intimate, unhurried, the kind of place where a table is occupied for an evening rather than a single drink. The drinks programme draws on Korean produce and technique: traditional ceramic vessels, makgeolli-based cocktails, natural Korean wines alongside European bottles. It is a room that has arrived at its own aesthetic without obvious reference to an international bar model, which is the more interesting achievement.
Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea