35 Best Restaurants in Busan, South Korea

Opened in 1964 and known for its premium cuts of Korean hanwoo beef, this upscale barbecue restaurant is regarded as one of the finest in the city. The traditional u-shaped hanok building it calls home adds to its deep charm. Just make sure to bring a mighty credit card, or plenty of cash. 

In 2019, local coffeesmith Joo Yeon Jeon took first place in the World Barista Championship, putting her café, Momo's Coffee, firmly on the map. Since then, the team has set up shop in a beautiful warehouse-like space that features an observable, working roastery.

Situated on the newly developed café street behind the old Haeundae Station, this charming coffeehouse offers up an array of coffee and tea drinks, along with tasty desserts. Enjoy them on either of the café's two floors or its small outdoor balcony. Their Honey Bee Latte is worth the trip alone, and unlike most Korean coffee joints, they're open in the morning.

This booming barbecue joint near Kyungsung and Pukyong universities offers amazing bang for your buck. The restaurant specializes in thick cuts of water-aged samgyeopsal (pork belly) at low prices. It's no wonder they're always slammed. 

The Jeonpo Cafe Street's original purveyor of caffeinated goodness, FM Coffee roasts all of their own beans and offers a great selection of baked goods and pastries. The second-floor terrace is perfect for sipping their signature \"Tomorrow Coffee\"—a cold brew topped with fresh cream—while watching the street life play out below.

Gaya Milmyeon. A refreshing bowl of spicy or sour Milmyeon (cold wheat noodle dish) is just the thing on a swelting summer day. Milmyeon is a local specialty and is rumored to have been invented during the Korean War, when people from the northern provinces brought their noodle-making skills to Busan and used flour brought in by the US army. Milmyeon is a little chewier than other types of noodles and served with various toppings, like boiled egg and cucumber. It's a popular street food and the price is just right.

Located off a side street in Seomyeon Market, this is one of the most famous kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) joints in the city. The broth is savory and clean, and the noodles are all made the old-school way: by hand. You can choose between mool (with broth) or bibim (no broth, with chili paste). Look for the line.

This popular chain serves up delicious Japanese-style tonkatsu (pork cutlet), udon, and curry. There are no tables, so just slide onto a stool at the counter and watch the cooks work their magic. The decor and cozy ambience will have you feeling like you just stepped off the street in Osaka. The curry is savory, sweet, and satisfying, and everything arrives in massive bowls.

Eomuk is a kind of fish cake found throughout Korea that is particularly popular in Busan. Goraesa is the one-stop shop for everything eomuk, with a dizzying array of choices coming in many sizes, shapes, flavors, and colors. Whether you grab a gift box to go or munch on your snack at one of the tables, you'll understand right away why Goraesa is a local institution.

This perpetually busy restaurant has been serving nakji-bokkum (long-legged octopus) to Busanites for a handful of years now, and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best joints in town. Customers can choose between three levels of heat (spicy, medium, or mild), as well as add favorites such as saewoo (shrimp), or for more adventurous eaters, gopchang (pork intestines) to the mix. Make sure to wash it all down with an ice-cold bottle of beer for maximum effect.

Situated near the famous 40 Steps in the historic Jungan-dong neighborhood, this all-you-can-eat tuna sashimi restaurant is worth the trip for not only the succulent slices of fish, but also the intimate ambience. Make sure to sit at the cozy bar and treat yourself to the deluxe set (₩50,000), while sushi chef Kim transports you with cut after cut of amazing tuna and more.

Housed in a hanok (traditional house) and tucked off the street by a short path lined with Korean pottery, Jeonglim is where Korean ladies lunch. While not completely vegetarian, the restaurant does specialize in vegetable dishes. The dolsotbap (rice dish in a hot stone pot) is prepared with locally grown, organic vegetable and is the perfect antidote for last night's heavy Korean barbeques. The meals start with a warm juk (rice porridge) flavored with pumpkin and is followed by what feels like an endless parade of small plates, like immaculately presented pickles and one-bite pajeons (pancake-like dish). The location can be a little difficult to find, so it is best to catch a taxi from nearby Dongnae station.

Slip into any one of La Bella Citta's three dining areas or the outdoor grotto dotted with fairy lights and you'll quickly realize that it's not just the excellent food that draws in the well-dressed couples, expats, and family. These spaces have been designed to feel miles from the busy stretch of bars just meters away, along the bustling Gwangan beach. The art spaces on the second floor house the most sumptuous dining areas and give lots of privacy. The creamy pasta carbonara is served perfectly al dente and margarita pizza was a standout.

While Busan is a great food town, it's never been known for its fine-dining scene. This has begun to change in recent years with the addition of establishments such as Lab 24, where chef Edward Kwon dishes out French-inspired plates with gentle nods to Korean flavors. The dining room directly overlooks Songjeong Beach, which serves as a terrific backdrop for an indulgent, leisurely prix-fixe meal.

Mackerel is Busan's unofficial city fish, and this new addition to Haeundae's dining scene serves it a variety of ways for a price that doesn't break the bank. The second-floor restaurant is clean and bright and comes with a self-serve bar, where you can load up on sides and extras.

This little neighborhood spot is all about the silky Korean soft tofu known as sundubu, served bubbling hot in black earthenware pots. They also have meals for two with tasty extras such as stir-fried spicy pork and octopus. It gets slammed at lunchtime, but the home-cooked style food is an outlier in shiny Centum City, so it's more than worth the wait.

Looming on the far north end of the beach, this complex is dedicated to the glory of seafood prepared in its freshest form. The first floor is a cavalcade of tanks manned by strong women who will net the sea creatures you desire and dispatch them on the spot; you're then sent to a restaurant upstairs, where everything is served sliced up on a table, along with classic Korean side dishes and maeuntang, a peppery soup made from the bones and heads.

Perched on the 43rd floor of the Lotte Hotel, the Mugunghwa offers lucky diners sweeping views of the city and the distant hills. This elegant restaurant has five private rooms (for four to fifteen diners) in addition to its light, spacious main room. The cuisine emphasizes traditional Korean dishes, like galbi (grilled short ribs) and kimchi. The menu always offers courses that feature a good selection of local and seasonal fare, like Yeongdeok crab and seasonal fish. There's also an excellent Korean liquor list and a decent selection of wines.

This popular neighborhood joint serves up top-notch old-school Korean fare like vegetable pancakes (potato, green onion, and chive), grilled fish, steamed pork, boiled octopus, and more. This all comes with a kaleidoscopic array of banchan (side dishes), as well as a terrific collection of soju and makgeolli, Korea's milky rice wine. The surroundings are dark and intimate, and the place stays open late, as it's as much of a drinking establishment as it is an eatery.

It's impossible for any seafood lover to visit the Jagalchi fish market and not indulge in a freshly caught meal; the OASE Seafood Buffet is a family friendly and easily accessible place to start. Located on the 5th and 6th floors of the market building, the seafood stalls on the floors below are culled daily in order to create about 100 dishes; choose from Japanese sushi and sashimi, western-style dishes like pizza and pasta, or more traditional Korean fare. The harbor views are lovely but only for a few lucky tables; it's possible to call ahead and ask to reserve one. The restaurant closes at 9pm, so this is not the spot for late-night dining.

Stroll down the side streets off Haendae's main Gunam-ro to find this popular barbecue joint that will make you feel as if you're sipping soju in a Korean drama. With fresh cuts of both beef and pork, it's guaranteed to please carnivores without decimating their wallets. The tabletop grills also come with side pans for cooking scrambled eggs and kimchi.

The Centum branch of this popular chain just may be the nicest in town. The Party manages to elevate the notion of the buffet by guaranteeing a wide range of delectable, freshly prepared dishes with a dash of class. The food runs the gamut from Korean favorites, Chinese, sushi and sashimi, to Western standards such as pizza, pasta, and grilled-on-the-spot steak.

Situated on the flank of Geumnyeonsan mountain with commanding views of the city, this three-story coffeehouse has a classic feel, with chill music, brick walls, and scrumptious baked goods.

The Gwangalli branch of this popular barbecue chain sits a stone's throw from the beach and is always hopping. Seorae promises 500g (1.1 pounds) galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) for prices starting at ₩29,000, guaranteeing a steady crowd of young locals. The attentive staff will keep the meat sizzling at your tabletop grill, and as a bonus, most of them speak English.

If you're shopping in the area, this is a solid place to sit down and grab a bite. The Food Hall offers a good range of options: there are 10 outlets serving Japanese dishes such as cold soba noodles and donburi and Korean favorites like bibimbap and cold noodles. Plates are purchased using a meal ticket system—buy tickets at the main cashier to purchase meals at any of the counters. Though the department store closes at 8 pm weekdays and 9 pm on weekends, the food hall stays open until 10 pm.

While dumplings are easy to find in Busan, no one comes close the sublimity of Sinbalwon, a tiny spot on the Chinatown Street across from Busan Station. Whether you like them fried golden brown or tenderly steamed, this popular joint delivers the goods and then some. There is always a wait, so bring plenty of patience along with your appetite.

New York–style slices and pies are served with a sweeping view of the beach and the Gwangan Diamond Bridge at SOL. Easily the best pizza in town, it comes with a whole slew of craft beers on tap to boot.

Nothing says \"Busan\" more than its signature dish of dwaeji gukbap (pork rice soup), and Ssangdoongi is one of the most popular places in town. Warm your insides with pure savory goodness at this institution, but be prepared to wait, as there is often a line.

At this friendly, modern café, within easy reach of both Kyungsung and PNU universities, K-Pop hits play on a flat screen TV and college kids wolf down giant bowls of Bibimbap. This small restaurant is popular for their reasonable prices and large servings; menu items can be ordered individually or as part of a set menu. We recommend the house specialty, Garbi Bibimbap. It's a quick five-minute walk from exit five of Kyungsung Station.

Drawing regular neighborhood workers along with visitors, this cool, laid-back café radiates easy urban charm. It's situated on the ground floor of the KNN building and is the ideal spot to stop off and recharge when exploring the glass and steel canyons that make up Centum City.