Busan Nightlife Tips by amambaw Top 5 Page for this destination

The Basement: The Basement

The Basement is a funky little spot in the PNU area. It is located in the same building as Crossroads, Busan's infamous foreigner chill out spot. The Basement has a very different atmosphere, very cool, great music (think Roots, Beastie Boys, and other hip hop or R&B), and a decent drink menu. If you visit on Friday or Saturday night, you'll find tons of expats chilling, and very few military types. There is internet available in the corner!

Address: Pusan National University area

Directions: In the same building as Crossroads. Check the Pusan Web for a map to Crossroads.

Theme: Nightclub

Website: http://www.pusanweb.com

Crossroads: Crossroads

Crossroads is a great place to just chill with friends. The atmosphere is very laid back and tempers never seem to flare here. Located in the PNU area, this little club will see a healthy mix of locals and expats on any given night. The music is usually folky or old rock/pop, such as John Lennon, Janis Joplin and Bob Marley, along with contemporaries like Dave Matthews and the like. There aren't many seats in the house, so if you prefer to sit and chill, get there early. Lots of opportunities to mingle here. There is internet available. Usually, there is live music on Saturday nights, and drink specials all week.

Address: Pusan National University area

Directions: From the entrance to PNU (looking at the mountain), turn left and walk for about two blocks. Turn right, search for the Poo Da Dak sign. Crossroads is about a block down the street. Look up, Crossroads is on the second floor.

Theme: Nightclub

The Vinyl Underground: Vinyl

Okay, I have to admit that Vinyl has all the traits of a seedy nightclub: It's in a basement, it's small, it's very dark, it's smoky, it's crowded, it's loud, and so on. That being said, it is a great escape if you're looking for some Western flavour on your travels.

Vinyl is always full of foreigners. The mix is usually mostly foreigners with a few Koreans who generally speak English very well. The music is Western. The Saturday evenings when we have gone, there has been a DJ spinning a lot of great dance music, so it's got a bit of rave flavour to it.

I think the best thing about Vinyl is the fact that if you've spent any amount of time in Busan, you'll probably spot someone you know! The foreign community is quite small, and there are a few well known foreign clubs, so get ready to do a bit of networking... !

Last thing: the drinks are pretty expensive. If you're looking for a buzz, hit the Family Mart up the street and pick up some Soju or beer before you go, and have a little picnic on the tables outside the Mart.

Dress Code: Pretty much anything goes, although I do recommend closed toed shoes, as the dance floor is pretty busy. One other tip: this is a foreign bar, so act like you would at a bar at home. Don't leave your wallet or purse unattended.

Address: Kyunsung University Area

Directions: On the downhill side of the subway, stay on the left side. 2-3 blocks down, turn left. Walk about 1 block. Family Mart on the left, turn right at the corner. Vinyl is about 3-4 building on the right. If you can't find it flag a white person to direct you!

Theme: Nightclub

Champion: You'd never know to look at it...

I must say that after the bars back home, I never expected to ever see a place like this!

A small group of us (girls) went out on the town, and our Korean friend took us to this nightclub downtown called Champion. When we arrived, we were greeted by several well-dressed doormen who escorted us upstairs to a table. The club looked very clean and trendy as we walked in, very different than the other bars I have been to. We were seated at a booth in the middle of a sea of tables.

A quick description of the club. There must be about 70-80 tables in the club, and they can probably fit 500+ people in there! At the front of the club there is a very large dance floor, and a huge stage.

Once we were seated, we ordered some food and drinks (very pricey, a downside). We were then (unexpectedly) treated to an evening of Korean cabaret! Several performers and DJs performed renditions of fave Western and Korean songs (all modern stuff). The music was loud and easy to dance to. We Westerners were in histarics when some very handsome Korean men broke out into Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"! There is an ongoing light show, pyrotechnics, and a really neat laser/water combo that's to crazy to describe.

There were a few downsides. We were the only Westerners there, and it struck me that that was the usual. If you go, bring a phrasebook, or better yet, a Korean friend to help you with the servers and doormen. Another issue was the cost. Because the club is very flashy, it costs a lot to run it! There is no cover, but you are expected to order food, and the cheapest plate is 40,000 W.

Despite these downsides, it would definitely be worth seeing! I'm definitely planning on going back!

Dress Code: I got the impression that as long as you looked put together, you could wear whatever you want. Men, to be on the safe side, opt for pants instead of shorts.

Address: Semyeon

Directions: From Lotte Dept. head towards the big racoon statue. Go one block over (past McDonald's) and turn right. It's about 3-4 blocks down on the left hand side. Easy walk, don't know if cabbies would know is, though.

Theme: Nightclub