8 Best Restaurants in Dongdaemun, Seoul

Although a bit of a trek up the hill, it's well worth the effort to visit this quirky, cat-themed café on Naksan Mountain along the Seoul City Wall Trail. Take a breather to rest your feet, grab a drink, and gaze over scenic views of N Seoul Tower and the city below. The cafe features a terrace, a mini library, and cat artworks collected from around the world. While technically across the border in the neighboring district of Jongno-gu, it's most easily reached from Dongdaemun up the Naksan Mountain section of the Seoul City Wall Trail.

This fine-dining outlet is the signature restaurant of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul hotel. The rich ambience, with its marble floors and coffered ceiling, underscores the steep menu prices, but it’s worth it to find a New York–style steak 7,000 miles away from the Big Apple. In addition to the USDA dry-aged rib eye, porterhouse and T-Bone, there are a few salads and limited seafood options. There are also prix fixe menus for two to four people that include starters, sides, and desserts. Try to arrange a table by the window for prime views of Heunginjimun Gate.

Bulgogi is one of the most popular foods in Korea, and this industrial-style, hole-in-the-wall eatery is the perfect place to give it a try. The word bulgogi translates to “fire meat” and the dish is comprised of thin, marinated slices of beef grilled DIY-style on a tabletop griddle. One order of bulgogi is enough for two people and comes with side dishes such as acorn jelly, kimchi, radishes, and lettuce leaves in which you roll it all up. Order a side of rice and a cold beer or soju to counteract the spiciness.

For a unique gastronomic experience, make your way to the bronze octopus statue that marks Jjukkumi Alley. Although it’s famed for the many outposts dedicated to the eponymous delicacy, the 35-year-old Grandma Na Jeong Sun's restaurant is considered the original and best; the Korean delicacy is made with baby octopus marinated in a spicy red chili sauce that's quickly seared on a grill, then served wrapped up in perilla leaves and accompanied by a ubiquitous bottle of soju. Keep in mind that the chewy texture and off-the-charts spice level aren’t for everyone, and this place doesn’t serve any other dishes. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but closed in the afternoons between 2:30 and 5:00 pm. Additionally, it’s not possible to dine solo as the minimum order is two portions.

Set in a circa-1915 traditional hanok house passed down through generations to the current owner, this is without a doubt the most atmospheric café in Dongdaemun. The timeworn interior and tranquil courtyard feel miles (and years) away from the bustling city beyond, and a locavore focus on seasonal Korean ingredients and domestic producers creates a unique menu of baked goods, tea, and coffee. Most of Seoul’s historic hanoks are set in the time-tested Insadong or Bukchon neighborhoods, but this peaceful coffee shop is tucked just off the main road near Heunginjimun Gate. 

Despite the often long wait and hot dining room, this low-key restaurant has developed a cultlike following since it opened in 1978. Dak Hanmari means “whole chicken” and is a type of traditional Korean chicken soup cooked hot-pot style on each table. In addition to the meat, customize your soup with garlic, kimchi, noodles, soy sauce, and rice cakes, then dip the chicken in a spicy, peppery marinade. Although it’s set in the area filled with chicken soup establishments known as Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley, there’s a reason this one is consistently the busiest. You can only purchase a whole chicken which costs ₩35,000, but it’s easy enough to finish for two or more people.

With a whopping 87,000 fried chicken restaurants in South Korea, and a huge proportion of them set in the Seoul Capital Area, it’s obvious that Koreans love this tasty treat, and one of the most popular chains is Kyochon Chicken. The Dongdaemun location is the company’s largest, and it’s open 365 days per year. The interior is that of your typical fast-food joint, but the chicken and beer are spot-on.

Stepping off the main thoroughfare into this flower-filled haven is like being transported to an English garden. The quaint florist and café is only 10 minutes’ walk from the hectic DDP but feels decidedly peaceful as you sip a flower-infused tea, a strawberry latte, or simply sniff the copious arrangements of roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. Pick up a mini bouquet or potted succulent as a memento.