Finding Cigar Friendly Places That Allow Puffing My Own CCs

[Deeg]

Just now, zuhaib said:

I have been in SF my whole life and never heard of this place.  Googling shows they still advertise a smoking lounge I might check it out.  Normally in SF I would hit up The Cigar Bar or Occidental Cigar Club. 
LonesomeHabanoAficionado: I feel for you, I thought being in SF I had small picking for a place to smoke but Korea sounds really bad.  Maybe opportunity to open your own B&M.

Read the whole post - it went timeshare and that was the end of that.  This was years ago - the website must be a ghost ship.

If I go back these days it's either Occidental or The Study in Albany.  I like that place a lot (the drinks are super cheap too) but it's a bit of a hike depending on where you're coming from.  Makes a great stop after eating at China Village though.

 

[Connoisseur Kim]

13 minutes ago, zuhaib said:

LonesomeHabanoAficionado: I feel for you, I thought being in SF I had small picking for a place to smoke but Korea sounds really bad.  Maybe opportunity to open your own B&M.

Much agreed! It is actually way worse than you think (BTW, tobacco products are not allowed to be shown on TV except films, while alcohol beverages can be shown on TV in Korea)! Fortunately, I just found that there are some plain pubs still allowing puffing own CCs without arbitrary rules unlike B&Ms. I might have to buy any liquor, but it's still way better than buying poorly stored cigars ?!

[zuhaib]

16 minutes ago, Deeg said:

Read the whole post - it went timeshare and that was the end of that.  This was years ago - the website must be a ghost ship.

If I go back these days it's either Occidental or The Study in Albany.  I like that place a lot (the drinks are super cheap too) but it's a bit of a hike depending on where you're coming from.  Makes a great stop after eating at China Village though.

 

?‍♂️I was so excited I went googling before finishing your post. Sucks that happen.  The Study in Albany sounds interesting if I happen to be up that way.  I am in SF proper, but, lucky for me I own my own home so I can smoke at home (albeit outdoor now as I have a 2 year old and we are expecting our 2nd.  Someday I might hook up better ventilation in the garage so I can smoke indoor again)

 

17 minutes ago, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

Much agreed! It is actually way worse than you think (BTW, tobacco products are not allowed to be shown on TV except films, while alcohol beverages can be shown on TV in Korea)! Fortunately, I just found that there are some plain pubs still allowing puffing own CCs without arbitrary rules unlike B&Ms. I might have to buy any liquor, but it's still way better than buying poorly stored cigars ?!

Great to hear! Yeah it sad how many places sell cigars but store it in really bad conditions.  I wonder how many first time cigar smokers get turned off by having a poorly stored cigar and it turns them off.

[Connoisseur Kim]

I just found the cigar pub called Target Bar, which allows me to bring my own CCs collection or pipe tobacco if I pay 10000 KRW for cigar corkage (it also has cover charge of 10000 KRW). Surprisingly, unlike most of B&Ms and cigar pubs, it doesn't sell cigars other than freebie NCs from its special whisky offerings. Those who live in Gyeonggi-do, I think it is a good chance to puff your own CCs in cigar pub freely!

Location: 32 Migeumil-ro 90beon-gil Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si Gyeonggi-do
Blog: https://blog.naver.com/targetmalt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/targetmalt/

[Connoisseur Kim]

2 minutes ago, zuhaib said:

Great to hear! Yeah it sad how many places sell cigars but store it in really bad conditions. I wonder how many first time cigar smokers get turned off by having a poorly stored cigar and it turns them off.

Definitely! Poorly stored cigars are literally huge turn off to everyone including me! I feel pity for folks who purchased poorly stored CCs, and ruined their first experience by too high humidity, etc.

[La_Tigre]

I guess my experience has been tainted with a very few B&M experiences. I’ve been given the “probably fake, not any good, no one should smoke those, etc....” treatment. Or, the employee/owner is completely lacking in knowledge of CC and has not the tiniest interest in them (why should they). I do not have a gripe there; it’s their world and prerogative.

I just want to enjoy a CC in peace in an environment that fits the mood. I do not expect anything for free yet do not want any NC take home grief to go with the chiding over the CC. 

I am peculiar like a number of others in not wanting to huddle in a cubicle of cigarette smokers. That mostly takes out the bar option.

I find little or no activity in the cold months without a trip with stays in a smoking hotel room. I’m mostly good with that, too. ???

[Connoisseur Kim]

23 minutes ago, La_Tigre said:

I guess my experience has been tainted with a very few B&M experiences. I’ve been given the “probably fake, not any good, no one should smoke those, etc....” treatment. Or, the employee/owner is completely lacking in knowledge of CC and has not the tiniest interest in them (why should they). I do not have a gripe there; it’s their world and prerogative.

I just want to enjoy a CC in peace in an environment that fits the mood. I do not expect anything for free yet do not want any NC take home grief to go with the chiding over the CC. 

I am peculiar like a number of others in not wanting to huddle in a cubicle of cigarette smokers. That mostly takes out the bar option.

I find little or no activity in the cold months without a trip with stays in a smoking hotel room. I’m mostly good with that, too. ???

Definitely! We really want to have the places that we can puff our own CCs without arbitrary restrictions! ?

[Connoisseur Kim]

Some other good news:

I just made a call with another cigar pub called De La Mano (aka Daviodff Cigar Shop Korea), which is located in Seoul. It is official distributor of Davidoff Cigars in Korea, but it allows me to puff my own cigars if I pay 10000 KRW for cigar corkage (it also has cover charge of 5000 KRW). Those who reside in Seoul and want to puff your own CCs, then don't look any further than De La Mano!

Location: 59, Bongeunsa-ro 44-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Official Website: http://www.dlmn.kr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delamano.seoul/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delamano_seoul/

[BrightonCorgi]

1 hour ago, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

Another good news:

I just made a call with another cigar pub called De La Mano (aka Daviodff Cigar Shop Korea), which is located in Seoul. It is official distributor of Davidoff Cigars in Korea, but it allows me to puff my own cigars if I pay 10000 KRW for cigar corkage (it also has cover charge of 5000 KRW). Those who reside in Seoul and want to puff your own CCs, then don't look any further than De La Mano!

Location: 59, Bongeunsa-ro 44-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Official Website: http://www.dlmn.kr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delamano.seoul/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delamano_seoul/

That's quite reasonable for an upscale place like that ($12.00 USD).  FWIW, many Davidoff cigars are lovely smokes if you want to save a few bucks.  Smoke their cigar first and then start smoking yours...

Had a Winston Churchill banded Davidoff cigar that was a Sublime size and it was a nice change of pace.  Tasted old and the ash was bone white.  Quality cigar

[Connoisseur Kim]

8 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

That's quite reasonable for an upscale place like that ($12.00 USD).  FWIW, many Davidoff cigars are lovely smokes if you want to save a few bucks.  Smoke their cigar first and then start smoking yours... Had a Winston Churchill banded Davidoff cigar that was a Sublime size and it was a nice change of pace.  Tasted old and the ash was bone white.  Quality cigar   

 

Definitely! It is quite reasonable for such a high place like De La Mano (10000 krw per your own cigar). Davidoff cigars are popular NC brands like Arturo Fuente in Korea too! I'll post Davidoff and FOH Nudies reviews to make a comparison with CCs in someday.

[J-ROB]

Thanks for the tip on De la Mano! I don't live in Seoul but I visit frequently and usually stay at a hotel at COEX, which is across the street from Pierre Ltd. and not far from De la Mano.

I ran out of cigars twice and bought a few at Pierre. Both times the sticks were super humidified, to the point of spitting when lit. Not ready to smoke immediately, in any case. I have not found anywhere else to buy cigars in Gangnam.

They started selling a few CCs at Incheon Airport duty free last year but the prices are about 2.5-3X typical mail order duty free outlet prices or, say, CDG airport rates. I guess Korea is not a cigar culture historically and not likely to become one in the current climate.

Korea was a smokers paradise 10 years ago but not anymore. It seems like almost everybody smoked cigarettes nonstop and now all of my friends have quit. Once of the really impressive things about Koreans is how they change and adapt to new ideas and programs. They became great coffee drinkers in 10 years...i remember it was very difficult to get a good coffee, even in five star hotels. Now there is craft espresso on every block. During the same period, Seoul changed from a city of heavy cigarette puffers to a general anti-smoking society.

While I applaud giving up cigarettes, having finally quit myself thanks to switching to cigars, It is very difficult to find a place to smoke a cigar in a relaxed manner in downtown Seoul.

I usually take a few packs of Cohiba or Trinidad Shorts so I can catch a short smoke and coffee on the run, usually in the well-hidden smoking area in the hotel back garden.

I will surely look into De La Mano as a more civilized option!

 

 

[Connoisseur Kim]

 

4 hours ago, J-ROB said:

Thanks for the tip on De la Mano! I don't live in Seoul but I visit frequently and usually stay at a hotel at COEX, which is across the street from Pierre Ltd. and not far from De la Mano.

I ran out of cigars twice and bought a few at Pierre. Both times the sticks were super humidified, to the point of spitting when lit. Not ready to smoke immediately, in any case. I have not found anywhere else to buy cigars in Gangnam.

They started selling a few CCs at Incheon Airport duty free last year but the prices are about 2.5-3X typical mail order duty free outlet prices or, say, CDG airport rates. I guess Korea is not a cigar culture historically and not likely to become one in the current climate.

Korea was a smokers paradise 10 years ago but not anymore. It seems like almost everybody smoked cigarettes nonstop and now all of my friends have quit. Once of the really impressive things about Koreans is how they change and adapt to new ideas and programs. They became great coffee drinkers in 10 years...i remember it was very difficult to get a good coffee, even in five star hotels. Now there is craft espresso on every block. During the same period, Seoul changed from a city of heavy cigarette puffers to a general anti-smoking society.

While I applaud giving up cigarettes, having finally quit myself thanks to switching to cigars, It is very difficult to find a place to smoke a cigar in a relaxed manner in downtown Seoul.

I usually take a few packs of Cohiba or Trinidad Shorts so I can catch a short smoke and coffee on the run, usually in the well-hidden smoking area in the hotel back garden.

I will surely look into De La Mano as a more civilized option!

Much agreed (cafes are everywhere in Korea unlike cigar B&Ms)! I found more pubs that allow bringing your own CCs in Seoul (total 7 so far). So, there is still hope for Cigar BOTLs in Korea (I thought I couldn't find bars allowing BYOC before directly asking them about their BYOC policy)! Here is the map of B&Ms permitting BYOC (work in progress)! I feel glad that my effort help you a lot! ?

Map of Cigar B&Ms That Allow BYOC in Korea