SOL Taphouse: Gwangan

Some of you may remember my review of Slice of Life in KSU, where I am a huge fan of the intimate décor, fantastic pizza, and good selection of craft beers. Imagine my excitement when I found out that they were opening a Taphouse overlooking Gwangan beach. To boot, they were having a big opening night, with free slices to all! I had to check this out.

The location is prime, a stroll along the promenade to the west end of Gwangan beach brings you to SOL Taphouse. It’s above a café on the 4th floor, and easy to spot if you look up. I’m a huge fan of the interior. The first thing that strikes you as you walk in is the range of taps lined along the far wall. For a lover of real ale this is a pleasing sight indeed. The seating is nicely varied. A single, large bench style seat dominates the center of the room, overhung by warm, cozy wrought iron and glass lighting. Around the walls there are a range of two persons and four person tables, perfect for casual drinks and dining with friends. All of this is lit warmly, and the wood paneling and muted colour scheme give it a similar, cozy intimacy to their KSU branch.

Outside there is a small terrace, which unfortunately doesn’t not have any seating. This is a shame as the view is wonderful (see picture below), but it’s still a nice area to bring your beer and enjoy the view.

Wasting no time, we went to the counter to order ourselves a beer. My fiancé went for the Magpie stout, and I plumped for an American weizen. The Magpie stout is a good one, exceptionally chocolatey and rich, and it went very well with the spicy pizza we were served. For 7,000 a glass, its par for the course in Busan. My weizen was also good, and it was one of the cheaper beers on the menu at 5,500. I also had a Magpie IPA, one of my favourite craft beers in Korea. This Seoul brewery has really nailed a quite classic IPA for me, and it’s one I can recommend. The beers range in price from 5,000 all the way up to 10,000+. This range of prices is welcome, as it suits people of every budget. I think it’s a smart move on their part.

Drinks in hand, we queued for pizza. The pizza was being served up by the slice, and you took whatever was ready at the time. SOL Pizza is the best pizza I’ve had in Korea. The freshness of the crust, the tangy sauce and the quality of the toppings all add up to a fantastic slice. The prices at the Gwangan establishment are between 4,000-4,800 a slice, and 21,900-25,900 for a whole pizza. it also come served in halves. This definitely represents a fair price for the quality of pizza you are getting.

First, we had the pepperoni. What sets this slice apart from other pepperonis is the quality of the meat. It’s delicious, slightly spicy, not overly oily, with the pleasant crisp edge you get when a pizza has been cooked hot and fast. Second we had the combination pizza. I didn’t try this one on my last visit, so was pleased I got to try it this time. It was of the same high standard as the rest of the pizza, but I’ve never been a big fan of combination. I like pizzas which focus on two or three complimentary ingredients! Last of all we got the white pie. I tried this on the last visit, and it was equally as good again. The richness of the ricotta and the hint of garlic oil is what makes it for me.

It’s another hit for Slice of Life. The décor, pizza and beer selection are all spot on, and it makes for a fantastic venue for an informal dinner with friends, or even grabbing a quick solo bite. I highly recommend you visiting whenever you’re around the area. Such is my love for the place, you might just see me there!

 

Directions:

To get to SOL Taphouse, come out of Geumyongsan exit 1 and walk straight down the road towards the beach. When you get to the beach turn back around, and you should be able to see the SOl Taphouse sign on the fourth floor of the building.Photo 5-28-16, 19 36 37 Photo 5-28-16, 19 39 01 Photo 5-28-16, 19 14 37 Photo 5-28-16, 19 42 53 Photo 5-28-16, 19 14 31Photo 5-28-16, 20 01 47 (1)Photo 5-28-16, 19 42 49Photo 5-28-16, 19 50 21Photo 5-28-16, 19 50 12     Photo 5-28-16, 20 05 13Photo 5-28-16, 19 08 37 Photo 5-28-16, 20 12 20


Filed under: Food Tagged: busan, busan food, busanfood, collaboration, craft beer, italian, pizza, restaurant, restaurant review, review
 
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