At The Craic House, Guinness, meat pie and good times are on the menu

The Craic House started out as a home away from home for the Irish expat community, but has since evolved to be a warm and welcoming place for any and all to enjoy classic pub dishes — and, of course, a pint of Guinness.

Irish Breakfast served at The Craic House [PARK SANG-MOON]

[AMBASSADOR’S TABLE - RESTAURANT REVIEW] It’s not just a pub. It’s an Irish pub. But really, it’s a community.

At The Craic House, an Irish pub just minutes from Itaewon Station, people come not just for a pint of Guinness, but to enjoy hearty Irish food, socialize and sing — or simply read a book.

By 5 p.m. on a recent Thursday evening, the pub was already filling up. By 7 p.m., nearly every table was taken, an unusual sight in Korea, where most pubs don’t get busy until much later. Families came with children for dinner. Groups of friends gathered for board games and chats, while others joined the lively pub trivia night held weekly at the bar.

An Irish pub The Craic House in Yongsan District, central Seoul [PARK SANG-MOON]

Frames of personal photos hang on the wall at the Irish pub The Craic House in Yongsan District, central Seoul [PARK SANG-MOON]

The atmosphere felt more like a casual hangout, true to the spirit of an Irish pub, which is deliberately designed as an experience of culture, community and comfort. It also seemed to offer a safe space, especially for foreigners, who made up most of the guests.

That, according to co-owner Kevin Conlan, was always the plan.

“Itaewon had changed a lot over the years, and the community needed what we believed would be a good Irish pub,” said Conlan. His wife Soyeon, who previously ran an Irish bar in Itaewon, brought her experience to help set up The Craic House and now runs the kitchen.

“It was to be a community center for Irish people. But since it’s such a small community, it extended to welcome everyone from all over the world, also Koreans who are interested in exploring other cultures,” Conlan said.

Today, Irish patrons make up only about 10 percent of the customers.

The Craic House co-owners who go by Timmo, left, and Soyeon, center, along with Kevin Conlan at the pub in Yongsan District, central Seoul [PARK SANG-MOON]

A pint of Guinness served at the Irish pub The Craic House in Yongsan District, central Seoul [PARK SANG-MOON]

What pairs well with a pint of Guinness is the hearty Full Irish Breakfast, a seven-item plate priced at 17,000 won ($12). The spread includes homemade items such as black pudding, rashers and soda bread.

Black pudding — a blood sausage with roots in rural Ireland and the United Kingdom, where no part of the pig was wasted — is made from pork blood, oatmeal and barley. Fried until crisp at the edges, it has a dense, savory filling. The rashers — bacon cured in salt and cut more thickly than typical bacon — are very tender and only lightly salted. The homemade sausage is softer and milder than a typical mass-produced hotdog-style sausage. The Irish soda bread is leavened with baking soda instead of yeast. It’s dense — somewhat like a scone — but drier, with a subtle bitterness on the finish.

It’s a generous plate, and the variety of flavors makes it a nice match with a Guinness.

Guinness Beef Pie served at The Craic House [PARK SANG-MOON]

Another standout is the Guinness Beef Pie. Beneath a golden, flaky pastry sheet cooked just right to stay soft lies a bowl of savory stew, with tender beef slow-cooked for hours along with vegetables like onions and carrots. Champ — mashed potatoes mixed with scallions and kale — is served on the side. It’s slightly dry, but carries a gentle saltiness that sets it apart from the typically creamier U.S.-style mashed potatoes.

The word “Craic” in the restaurant’s name carries multiple meanings and can be used in multiple ways. As a name, The Craic House simply means a place of fun. In Irish greetings like “How’s the craic?”, it’s closer to “How are you?” The word’s pronunciation also plays like a pun in English, rhyming with a word that will get you deported if you answer the aforementioned question with "Good!" That sense of fun is exactly what The Craic House hopes to capture.

Fish & Chips served at The Craic House [PARK SANG-MOON]

And finally, The Craic House’s signature Fish & Chips. A crispy beer-battered fillet is served with peas and chips, or thick-cut fries. The tartar sauce on the side ties it all together. Less tangy but creamier than usual, it’s the kind of dip that goes with almost anything.

At its core, though, The Craic House is more than just a place for Guinness and hearty Irish food. “Anything real about Ireland that’s happening in Korea comes through here at some level,” Kevin said. “That’s a big part of being authentic. Anybody can open an Irish pub, but creating those connections takes more than just setting up a business.”

Located at Itaewon-ro 164-1 in Yongsan District, The Craic House is open from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to Friday, from 2 p.m. to late on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]