Seoul · 서울

All restaurants

Pick an eatery straight by price and cuisine. Price runs ₩ (cheap street food) to ₩₩₩₩ (fine dining) — an indicative band from public listings, not exact.

69 places to eat

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩

Geumdwaeji Sikdang

Cult thick-cut pork belly grilled by the staff.

Dongdaemun · Restaurant · ₩18,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩

Yeontabal

Lively Hongdae grill house for galbi and beer.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩16,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩₩

Samwon Garden

Apgujeong's grand old galbi institution.

Apgujeong · Restaurant · ₩40,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩

Saebyeokjip

24-hour Gangnam galbi and raw-beef institution.

Apgujeong · Restaurant · ₩25,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩₩

Byeokje Galbi

Top-grade Korean beef, a special-occasion temple.

Songpa · Restaurant · ₩60,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩

Yangmani

Old-school grilled tripe and intestines.

Euljiro · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Tosokchon Samgyetang

Seoul's most famous ginseng-chicken soup.

Seochon · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Imun Seolnongtang

Seoul's oldest restaurant, milky ox-bone soup.

Jongno · Restaurant · ₩11,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Gwanghwamun Jip

Tiny old-timer for bubbling kimchi stew.

Gwanghwamun · Restaurant · ₩9,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Bukchangdong Sundubu

Reliable soft-tofu stew, many branches.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Taejo Gamjaguk

Decades-old pork-spine and potato stew.

Dongdaemun · Restaurant · ₩9,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Hwanggeumkong Batt

House-made tofu and soybean stews in Samcheong.

Samcheong-dong · Restaurant · ₩12,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩

Gogung

Classic Jeonju-style bibimbap in a brass bowl.

Insadong · Restaurant · ₩13,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩₩₩

Balwoo Gongyang

Michelin temple cuisine, fully vegetarian.

Insadong · Restaurant · ₩45,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩

Hadongkwan

Beloved 1930s gomtang beef rice-soup.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩14,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩

Jeonju Jungang Hoegwan

Myeongdong stalwart for sizzling stone-bowl bibimbap.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩13,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩

EID (Halal Korean)

Halal-certified bulgogi and bibimbap in Itaewon.

Itaewon · Restaurant · ₩13,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Myeongdong Gyoja

Legendary knife-cut noodles and garlicky dumplings.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩11,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Jinju Hoegwan

Cult chilled soy-milk noodles downtown.

Gwanghwamun · Restaurant · ₩12,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Ojangdong Heungnamjip

Hamhung-style spicy chewy cold noodles.

Euljiro · Restaurant · ₩13,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Pildong Myeonok

Restrained Pyongyang-style clear cold noodles.

Chungmuro · Restaurant · ₩13,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Hong Kong Banjeom 0410

Baek Jong-won's cheap-and-cheerful jjajang chain.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩7,000

Street Food · ₩

Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki

The Sindang granny who invented jjajang tteokbokki.

Dongdaemun · Street & Market · ₩6,000

Street Food · ₩

Tongin Market Lunchbox

Fill a brass-coin lunchbox from market stalls.

Seochon · Street & Market · ₩5,000

Street Food · ₩₩

Koong (Gaeseong Mandu)

Big handmade Gaeseong-style dumplings in Insadong.

Insadong · Restaurant · ₩11,000

Street Food · ₩

Gimbap Cheonguk

The everywhere 'gimbap heaven' all-rounder.

Myeongdong · Street & Market · ₩3,500

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

Kyochon Chicken

Soy-garlic Korean fried chicken, nationwide.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

BHC Chicken

Cult cheese-and-spice fried chicken chain.

Gangnam · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

Yeongyang Center

Myeongdong's since-1960 roast & fried chicken.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩23,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Café Onion Seongsu

Raw-concrete warehouse café and pastry hit.

Seongsu · Café · ₩12,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Café Onion Anguk

Pastries in a restored hanok by the palaces.

Anguk · Café · ₩12,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Fritz Coffee Company

Seoul's seal-mascot roaster and bakery.

Mapo · Café · ₩11,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Layered Yeonnam

English-cottage café famous for giant scones.

Yeonnam-dong · Café · ₩13,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩₩

Nudake (Gentle Monster)

Avant-garde dessert art by Gentle Monster.

Apgujeong · Café · ₩18,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩₩

Passion 5

Lavish bakery-patisserie hall in Hannam.

Hannam-dong · Café · ₩15,000

Dessert & Bingsu · ₩₩

Sulbing

The bingsu chain that started the snow-ice craze.

Myeongdong · Dessert · ₩12,000

Dessert & Bingsu · ₩₩

Jilsiru Tteok Café

Traditional rice-cake café by the tteok museum.

Jongno · Dessert · ₩9,000

Specialty & Souvenirs · ₩₩

Wolhyang

Modern makgeolli bar with regional brews.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Specialty & Souvenirs · ₩₩₩

Jung Kwan Jang (KGC)

Korea's flagship red-ginseng brand.

Insadong · Shop · ₩40,000

Specialty & Souvenirs · ₩₩

Lotte Dept. Food Hall

Basement food hall for snacks and edible gifts.

Myeongdong · Shop · ₩5,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩₩

Maple Tree House

Premium charcoal galbi in a leafy Samcheong-dong house.

Samcheong-dong · Restaurant · ₩39,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩

Saemaeul Sikdang

Baek Jong-won's rowdy late-night charcoal-pork chain.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Cheongjinok

Jongno's 1937 hangover-stew institution.

Jongno · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Jaedong Sundubu

Tiny Bukchon alley spot for handmade soft tofu.

Bukchon · Restaurant · ₩12,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩

Mokmyeoksanbang

Michelin-listed Namsan bibimbap in a hanok.

Namsan · Restaurant · ₩9,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩₩₩

Yongsusan

Gaeseong-style court banquets beside Changdeokgung.

Anguk · Restaurant · ₩58,000

Noodles · ₩₩₩

Gangseo Myeonok

Pyongyang cold-noodle institution since 1948.

Apgujeong · Restaurant · ₩16,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Samcheongdong Sujebi

Samcheong-dong's classic hand-torn noodle house.

Samcheong-dong · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Street Food · ₩₩₩

Jaha Son Mandu

Refined hand-folded mandu in a Buam-dong hanok.

Gyeongbokgung · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Street Food · ₩₩

Lee's Kimbap

Premium gimbap, packed with fillings.

Apgujeong · Restaurant · ₩5,000–8,000

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

Hanchu

Soy-garlic fried wings and fried chillies.

Sinsa · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

BBQ Chicken

Golden Olive fried chicken, worldwide chain.

Myeongdong · Restaurant · ₩20,000

Fried Chicken · ₩₩

Nene Chicken

Snowing-cheese and yangnyeom chicken chain.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩18,000–20,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Anthracite Coffee Hapjeong

Pioneering roaster in a raw former shoe factory.

Hapjeong · Café · ₩6,000

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

London Bagel Museum Anguk

Seoul's bagel craze, with hours-long queues.

Bukchon · Café · ₩3,800–7,500

Café & Bakery · ₩₩

Café Knotted Dosan

Pastel cream-filled donuts and the Sugar Bear.

Apgujeong · Café · ₩3,900

Dessert & Bingsu · ₩

Nakwon Tteok Town

Century-old rice-cake alley behind Tapgol Park.

Insadong · Shop · ₩1,000

Specialty & Souvenirs · ₩₩₩

Shinsegae Dept. Food Hall

Lavish basement food hall for gourmet gifts.

Myeongdong · Shop · ₩5,000

Korean BBQ · ₩₩₩

Shin Migyeong Hongdae Dakgalbi

Hongdae specialist for cheese-fondue dak-galbi.

Hongdae · Restaurant · ₩13,000–16,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩

Bada Sikdang

The Itaewon institution that invented 'Johnson-tang' army stew.

Itaewon · Restaurant · ₩12,000

Stews & Soups · ₩₩₩₩

Budnamujip

Michelin-listed hanwoo house famed for clear galbitang.

Seocho · Restaurant · ₩28,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩₩

Samhaejip

The shop that started Jongno's bossam alley.

Jongno · Restaurant · ₩32,000

Rice & Set Meals · ₩₩₩

Gangchon Ssambap

Wrap-your-own ssambap on the Pyeongchang-dong hillside.

Pyeongchang-dong · Restaurant · ₩18,000

Noodles · ₩₩

Andong Banjeom

A 50-year diner revered for plated japchae-bap.

Bomun · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Street Food · ₩₩

Sillim Sundae Town

A whole building of stir-fried baeksundae stalls.

Sillim · Restaurant · ₩10,000

Street Food · ₩

Gwangjang Market Twigim

Crispy fritters dipped in tteokbokki sauce at Seoul's oldest market.

Jongno · Street & Market · ₩3,000–5,000

Street Food · ₩

Namdaemun Yachae Hotteok

Namdaemun's famous savoury, japchae-stuffed hotteok.

Namdaemun · Street & Market · ₩2,500

Street Food · ₩

Hyehwa Gyeranppang

TV-famous egg bread cart in the Daehangno theatre district.

Daehangno · Street & Market · ₩1,000–2,000

Dessert & Bingsu · ₩

Namyeong Ingeoppang

One of Seoul's 'big three' fish-shaped pastries.

Namyeong · Street & Market · ₩2,000