Sinsa Dong, My Lovely

High-heeled strides along Sinsa Dong’s Gingko-lined promenade are a popular pastime for many Seoulites. You’ll be forgiven for momentarily thinking that you are ambling along a bustling boulevard somewhere in Europe, when you encounter it at first glance. The main street, Garosu-gil, is lined with cafes, quaint restaurants, flagship fashion stores and pop-up street stalls that sell everything from ear warmers to jewellery and other trinkets.

The palette mixture of colours further enhances this aesthetically pleasing neighbourhood. Naked light bulbs and ornamental trinkets are glimpsed through windows. A pixellated pop art poster overhead, an awkwardly-placed clock on the car elevator and the graffiti suggest that you’ll find something to intrigue, even, your peripheral vision. The wine bottles gathering dust outside ‘Mon Lit’ are illustrative of the copious amounts of wine the restaurant’s patrons have consumed to stay warm this winter.

I ventured into Grandmother Restaurant, as my brave attempts at fighting off the last wisps of winter came to nothing besides ice-cube toes. This dim-lit, Persian-styled wine lounge has a delectable ambiance. I enjoyed dried cranberries and honey drenched crackers with my peppermint tea. A table near the window allowed me to people watch as time was caught in a gust of wind created by a passing coat.

How to get there: To get to Garosu-gil, get out at Sinsa subway station (exit 8). Walk straight up the street for about six minutes until you see a “Karosogil” street. Turn left here. You can also take the 1005-1 bus from Bundang and get off at Sinsa Dong Station. Karosogil is also about 15 minutes walking distance from Rodeo Drive in Apgujeon.