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Depending on one's palette, quality food in Seoul can be dirt cheap or relatively pricey. Street food in Seoul is safe and tasty, and high-end restaurants are generally a good value as well. Much Korean cuisine is made specifically to be shared with a group so solo-travelers may get some strange looks eating alone.
While this old-school eatery advertises itself as a boribap (barely rice) establishment, it's most famous for its bossam (steamed pork) set menu. If you're not in the mood for pork, you can also order courses of duck or kodari (semi-dried pollack), along with sides of ddeokgalbi (beef and onion patties), dotori mook (acorn jelly salad), and much more. When it comes time to order drinks, a bottle or two of the milky Korean rice wine known as makgeolli will do wonders to complement this rustic-style meal in the middle of the capital.
Set on the 50th floor of the FKI Tower, this see-and-be-seen restaurant made popular in the 2016 K-Drama series W is all about the views. The airy dining room is a mish-mash of glass, whitewashed steel, hanging plants, and a rustic, almost farm-like vibe, made more prevalent by waitstaff dressed in Little House on the Prairie–style garb. While known as a brunch restaurant with favorites like French toast, full English breakfast, and chicken and waffles, the menu also has a steady lineup of pasta, salads, and desserts. Reservations are taken a month in advance, and without one there can be a long wait—pass the time with a stroll in the building’s rooftop atrium garden.
A striking space built from a former shoe factory, this cafe opened its first location in Hapjeong-dong in 2010 and has since developed a reputation for its moody ambiance and aromatic coffees. Today, their signature beans—named after well-known writers Pablo Neruda, Natsume Soseki, and William Blake—can be found at several Anthracites across the city. Nearby is Anthracite’s Mangwon-dong location, a sunny, three-story cafe built into a residential home and furnished with polished wood furniture. Mangwon-dong’s quiet policy (speaking allowed in hushed voices only) makes it perfect for an afternoon with a book while the former is a better fit for an intimate coffee with a close friend.
The exquisite temple food at Balwoo Gonyang could convert the most diehard carnivore to vegetarianism—for the course of a meal at least. Cooking-monk Master Dae An's creative take on temple cuisine is as enlightening as it is creative. Each course introduces diners to different mountain herbs and Buddhist cooking techniques, reflecting Dae An's belief that food should be delicious, healthy, and fun. Some highlights of the ever-changing menu include ginseng with citron sauce, lotus-leaf rice, and a truffle-like mushroom soup. Not just for vegetarians, Balwoo Gongyang is for anyone wishing to expand their palate.
A neighborhood institution better known for its friendly staff and welcoming space than its coffee per se, Berkeley Coffee Social offers Americanos, lattes, and a few non-caffeinated options. There is a wide communal table for remote workers looking to get some work done and couch seats for getting in some leisure time. The space is dog-friendly, so you’ll often see local residents stopping by with their pups on their afternoon walk.
On the 81st floor of the Lotte World Tower, this highly lauded fine dining restaurant serves elegantly prepared contemporary Korean fare with sky-high views. Multi-course lunch and dinner menus highlight local ingredients in everything from stuffed abalone to dry-aged striploin, every bite better than the last.
A long-time favorite of Hongdae partygoers, this Korean barbecue joint nestled alongside the long cheolkil (railroad tracks) focuses on galbi (beef ribs). Cuts of beef in your choice of sweetly marinated or lightly seasoned are cooked over wire mesh grills and served alongside their signature pot of bubbling doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew). The spacious two-story building accommodates large groups and you’ll often overhear reunions of high school friends or groups of co-workers celebrating with their favorite combination of meats and drinks. Open early and closed late, it’s a choice location to start out the night or grab an early breakfast as the sun comes up.
The name of this tucked-away cafe, located in an incredibly narrow alley in Euljiro, means “traditional medicine room.” Visitors are charmed as much by the vintage lamps and traditional Korean furniture inside as by the single-origin coffee and baked goods. Items can be purchased on the first floor and there’s seating available on the first, second, and third floors of the establishment. The coffee itself may not be to everyone’s liking, but it's a must-see for the charming decor alone.
With its consistent taste and reasonable prices, Ddobagi Chicken has the respect of fried chicken fanatics the city over. Its close proximity to the Han River means that many order Ddobagi to go and have chicken and beer picnics in the park during summertime. Plates of chicken are available at ₩10,000 for a single flavor and an extra ₩1,000 for half-and-half combinations. One of the most common orders is half regular fried and half yangyum (sweet and spicy) or soy–glazed chicken.
In a small alley of Bangsan Market, this beloved and often crowded Korean barbecue and kimchi-jjiggae (kimchi stew) joint has separate menus for lunch and dinner: kimchi-jjiggae with ssam (assorted vegetables) by day and kimchi-jjiggae with samgyeopsal (pork belly) after 5 pm. By night the vibe changes, when the smell of barbecue fills the air and people chase their shots of soju with spoonfuls of kimchi. The lunchtime assortment is served with 10 kinds of vegetables; diners wrap the fatty pork from the stew into their choice of leafy green.
Opened in 1965, Hakrim Dabang is widely considered the oldest running coffee shop in the area (dabangs are old-school Korean establishments that primarily served coffee and non-alcoholic drinks). Not much has changed since then, including the shelves of vinyl, vintage photographs of Seoul on the walls, and velvet lined seats; walking up the creaky, wooden stairs to the shop almost feels as if you’re traveling into the past. Its name is fitting as Hakrim, meaning “forest of learning,” was once where intellectuals gathered and students secretly organized. The Seoul Metropolitan Government designated Hakrim Dabang as a Seoul Future Heritage site for its role during the Democracy Movement, guaranteeing its preservation for future generations.
This extremely popular restaurant takes donkas (Korea's version of Japanese pork cutlet), to a whole other level. If you think you've had good versions of the dish before, think again, because Jeongdon absolutely knocks it out of the park. Their signature dish is tenderloin donkas, with thick, succulent pieces of prime pork cut into medallions and cooked until still pink in the middle. The panko breading is perfectly crispy and the juicy flavor of each bite is heavenly. The restaurant's decor is Japanese retro with almost an American diner feel. Just make sure to have some time to spare, as there's almost always a line.
Chef Yim Jung-sik made waves with this restaurant that takes traditional Korean fare, such as bibimbap and gimbap (Korean sushi rolls) and transforms them into a fine dining experience. Jungsik specializes in course meals that draw from a variety of influences, but are always given a distinctly Korean touch. The service is kind, attentive, and discreet, the atmosphere chic, and the wine list is custom-curated to pair with the current menu. There is a reason why Michelin gave this place two stars.
The Jamsil branch of this upscale Japanese restaurant features elegant syokudo (a la carte) and teishoku (set menu) dishes including fresh sushi, pork cutlet, tempura, and sashimi rice bowls. Located in the basement of the Sofitel Ambassador hotel, Kobachi's sleek, minimalist interior perfectly complements the delicious, yet understated food. They also serve Japanese beers, highballs, and sakes from a nice list.
If you're in the mood for some proper Korean barbecue pork, look no further: this highly rated eatery serves grilled samgyeopsal (pork belly) and moksal(pork collar) like nobody's business. The staff will make sure that your meat is grilled to perfection while you can sit back and enjoy the lively atmosphere. Not only are the cuts of meat fresh and thick, but the service is also top notch.
Cold buckwheat noodles are the specialty at this famed Gwangwahmun staple, where there's usually a wait to get inside. Despite its Michelin-star status the restaurant is nothing fancy, but visitors often take their food to-go and eat at the nearby Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Traditional Korean cooking "mingles" flawlessly with new techniques at this fine dining restaurant, where exquisite preparations of quality ingredients make for an extra special lunch or dinner. This is the high-end experience for which Gangnam is known, so it's a must if you're looking for the place to indulge in the luxury of the neighborhood.
Although bibimbap (rice with mixed vegetables) is sometimes disregarded as an introductory Korean dish, the iteration served at Mokmyeonsanbang proves that there is an art to crafting this dish. There are six different types of bibimbap on the menu, each made with meticulously sourced ingredients like sesame oil, fresh vegetables, and local rice. While all the restaurant’s dishes are well-executed, the signature bibimbap is a vegetarian classic and the beef tartare bibimbap is likely one of the best in the country. It can take more than two hours to get into this restaurant, so avoid peak lunch times or have your meal to-go.
A popular Korean barbecue restaurant near Samgakji Station, sophisticated Mongtan produces their unique flavor by pre-cooking meat over straw before the final finish on a pan grill. There is an in-house butcher of sorts, and visitors can watch as their cuts of meat are pulled from the fridge and scored before cooking. While the restaurant serves a mean samgyeopsal (pork belly), their specialty is the woodae-galbi (aged, bone-in beef ribs) which is a slightly sweet, smoky meat served with charred scallion and a thick rice-cake. Naengmyeon (cold, buckwheat noodles) and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) are common additions to the meal. While there is little to complain about in terms of taste and service, a table is difficult to come by and waits can take up to two hours.
Arguably the best cheap wang mandu (king-size dumplings) in Seoul can be ordered at this restaurant in Namdaemun Market, where customers line up for pink take-out boxes from the front counter. The restaurant has two signature types of dumplings: kimchi with a spicy kick, and plain meat with juiciness in each bite. At first, it may seem like the establishment is take-out only but you can eat-in by entering past the counter. You’ll pass the kitchen of busy dumpling-makers and be led upstairs to either the second or third floor. The restaurant also serves kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), shrimp mandu, and galbi (short-rib) mandu, but you can’t go wrong by sticking to the classics. You might have to make an extra effort to get someone to help you but the prices, at ₩4,000 for a plate of dumplings, truly make up for the lack of service.
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