124 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea

Often at the top of lists ranking the best fine dining in Seoul, this lauded French restaurant within the multicultural artspace Piknic has a minimalist dining room that allows artfully prepared dishes to shine. Opened in 2018 by Chef Lee Chung-hu, the restaurant is known for Lee's innovative use of ingredients and his emphasis on home-grown vegetables. The restaurant, with views of Namsan Tower, serves lunch and dinner and is reservation only.

Like many steakhouses the world over, the 37 Grill and Bar at the Conrad Hotel has dark, plush interiors, an old-world vibe, and a traditional surf and turf menu. What sets it apart is the 37th-floor location that has panoramic views of the Han River, the Seoul skyline, and N Seoul Tower rising up from atop Namsan mountain. It’s also notable for prioritizing sustainable seafood.

A restaurant with an eco-friendly ethos, this Insa-dong hot spot uses GMO-free and organic ingredients to create its signature bibimbap. While typical bibimbaps are made of rice and seasoned vegetables served in a bowl and mixed with gochujang (fermented red pepper paste) at the table, the restaurant's "bojagi bibimbap" is a play on traditional Korean bojagi (wrapping cloth); it's hidden inside a thinly cooked yellow egg and wrapped with a seaweed bow. The restaurant is reservation only, vegan-friendly, and has course menus available for lunch and dinner. Visitors here should keep in mind that flavors here, while great for your health, are incredibly subtle, even compared to other organic restaurants in the city.

Located a five minute walk from some of downtown Seoul's premier hotels, Arirang serves high-end kalbi (grilled meats) at a price to match. Though pricier than most other kalbi restaurants, the food here is top notch and the location makes it an excellent dinner choice for those staying at one of the nearby hotels. The restaurant is bright and airy—surprising considering that the main dish is beef grilled at the table. Customers can opt for tables or the more traditional floor seating. While a good for two people, like most Korean BBQ, Arirang in best visited in a group.

If you're in the mood for a juicy cheeseburger and a craft beer after shopping at nearby IFC Mall, head to this popular local chain that's bathed under neon lights. The trendy spot has a menu aims that aims to excite with experimental choices such as a peanut butter burger and Hawaiian burger loaded with bacon and pineapple.

The Beautiful Tea Museum offers guests a chance to not only sample a variety of Korean teas, but learn the history and properties of them as well. The interior is designed to look like a traditional Korean courtyard, albeit one lined with western style tables. The staff can also help customers decide which of the 130 some teas on offer is best for them. The museum part of the name comes from a gallery exhibiting ceramic works and a display about the traditional teas of Korea, which were once made from flowers rather than tea leaves.

This fine-dining outlet is the signature restaurant of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul hotel. The rich ambiance, 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.

This trendy coffee label from Oakland, California has percolated into South Korea, with its newest location on the fifth floor of the Hyundai Seoul department store. The light-and-tree-filled space with no walls or windows was designed by a landscape architect to give it an outdoor feeling. The crew of well-trained baristas grind and brew each cup by hand to create a bespoke coffee experience.

With a seating capacity of 14 to 16, Bokdeokbang is a cozy restaurant that pairs every dish with makgeolli (rice wine). Bokdeokbang’s owner, Kang Sang-gu, handpicks only natural makgeollis (without artificial additives), coming to each table to explain the flavor profiles of each drink; he operates the restaurant with his head chef and mother, who takes a similar organic approach in the kitchen. Kang even handwrites the menu, which is seasonal. The bossam (sliced, boiled pork) paired with oysters and fresh kimchi is an early winter favorite.

This highly praised restaurant serves Pyeonyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), which is a must-try dish during any visit to Korea, especially during the blistering summer months. Chef Kwon Hee-sung prepares the beef bone broth every day, and uses only the freshest, local ingredients to elevate this beloved yet humble dish into something really special.

"Good times" are had by all who order hand-twisted donuts and dessert-like coffee from this trendy shop on Songridan-gil. Choose from flavors like Oreo mint, tiramisu, lotus, or almond chocolate and multiply the sweetness with a caramel salted latte while you sit on the outdoor patio.

Up until a few years ago it was impossible to get proper New York–style pizza in Korea, but Brick Oven, along with a few other upstarts, helped change that. This establishment set the standard for crispy thin crust pies in town, and are widely considered to be the best in the game. They also offer a number of nice craft beers on tap, so if you'd like a change from Korean food, consider stopping by. 

Since 1984 Buil Galmaegi has been serving up galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) to hungry Jamsil residents, and decades later it's still going strong. This is Korean barbecue in its purest form: hearty, unadorned, and deeply delicious.

This restaurant situated along the Bangi Matgol (Food Alley) is one of the few places in Seoul where you can get a proper bowl of dwaeji gukbap, a savory pork and rice soup that's the specialty of Busan, South Korea's second city. The broth is milky and rich, and they don't skimp on the meat. Make sure to eat plenty of the kimchi and kkakduki (sliced radish kimchi) provided, and to complete the experience, order a bottle of Busan "C1" brand soju to wash it all down. 

Often at the top of lists ranking the best foreign food in Seoul, Casablanca is a Moroccan sandwicherie that serves ​​shakshuka, salads, and soups in addition to sandwiches. Although all of their sandwiches are delicious, the lamb chili with spiced lamb, tomato, and lettuce served on a baguette is a neighborhood favorite. Across the street, Casablanca has a second location better for longer stays called Cafe Morococo. The latter serves tangines, lemon chicken, and perfect-for-everyone chicken over rice. Wahid Naciri, who owns both of these establishments, was a professional chef in Rabat before his life in Korea and is simply the nicest person.

Located in the Bukchon Hanok Village, this traditional tea house and hanok offers seating that looks out onto Bugaksan mountain and serves an extensive menu of Korean teas. The staff, accustomed to tourists, can answer any questions you might have about the beverages and can recommend drinks based on your preferences. While the view outwards is undoubtedly the draw, and many prefer to sit on that end of the house, don’t be too disappointed to be seated elsewhere as all seats have a view of the charming little garden in the hanok’s madang (courtyard). Avoid early afternoons, especially on the weekends, as the tea house fills up quickly. If you’re not too fussy about the hour you have tea, your best bet will be after 6 pm when most tourists are out for dinner.

A well-known name in Korea’s coffee industry, Champ Coffee has several locations in Seoul, including this small cafe in the backstreets of Itaewon. Their standard Americano is perfect for anyone who appreciates medium-dark beans without any acidity, but they are best-known for their rich and creamy lattes. They have a solid flat white and their signature, the Queens Coffee, is an odd but addictive espresso topped with a bit of berry syrup. Tack on a macadamia-cranberry cookie to your brew as all the baked goods are delicious. The space, unlike many in Seoul, isn’t great for sitting for long periods of time.

Situated in a wooden hanok house along the Samcheong-dong café street, Chez Simon delivers classic homemade French cuisine in an intimate 20-seat setting. The menu changes frequently, with each dish using only the freshest local ingredients. The quality and artistry of the food would fit a fine-dining establishment, making Chez Simon an excellent value. Just be sure to book ahead as the restaurant is reservation only.

Opened in 2009, Coffee Libre is a small, independent coffee shop owned and operated by Korea’s first Korean Q-grader, Seo Pil-hoon. Many in the barista community credit Mr. Seo for being one of the first to introduce specialty coffee into the country and consider it a coffee lover’s rite of passage to visit the original Yeonnam-dong location. The cafe is small and fits a maximum of eight to ten people at best, but the rich aroma of coffee fills every corner of the space. 

The very definition of Gangnam luxury is this brand-new seafood buffet on the 52nd floor fo the World Trade Center Seoul. Gaze out at the cityscape below as you dine on king crab, lobster, shrimp, prawns, tuna belly sashimi, and more. The interior is modern and classy without feeling stuffy, and the restaurant also boasts an impressive wine list to go with all of that top-notch seafood. Just bring a powerful credit card, because for a meal like this you've got to pay to play.

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 table-top 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 meat and spice-lovers only, Dongin-Dong serves a delicious bowl of beef ribs cooked on the bone with a heaping amount of garlic and chilies. It's the kind of meal worth breaking out in a sweat for and customers often order bowl after bowl of rice to soak up the last of the sauce (not to mention mitigating the spiciness). Also recommended are the mercifully less-spicy pork pancakes and other pan-fried delicacies. Just be sure to remember your breath mints.

Bukchon may have no shortage of cafes, but thanks to its funky and laid back feel, fresh baked bread, and coffee roasted on premises, Double Cup Coffee stands out. Stop by around lunch and the shop offers satisfying vegetarian or pastrami sandwiches. While it makes for a good stop in the middle of a day wandering Bukchon, Double Cup is also one of the few coffee shops in the neighborhood open at 8 in the morning, making it a good place for coffee-lovers to fortify themselves before a day of sightseeing.

The Jamsil branch of this popular Seoul chain sits on a corner of the Songridan-gil food and cafe street. The burgers are made with tasty, lean patties, and the buns are super fresh. They also have great fries and a number of soft drinks to choose from, as well as craft beers on tap. It's rare to get a premium burger in Seoul that doesn't break the bank, and Downtowner definitely delivers in this regard. Be prepared to wait, as there's almost always a line. 

What started as a homemade ice cream venture in a basement in Boston in 1975 has become a global rock ‘n’ roll-themed frozen treat enterprise. There are seven locations in South Korea and the DDP shop features the usual lineup of whimsical flavors and cones inspired by rock stars. They also purvey smoothies, sorbet, and yogurt.

A fried chicken and beer joint that’s been in operation since 1996, Eongteoli Fried Chicken serves classic, Korean-style fried chicken. While they also have spicy Korean-style sea snail salad on the menu, the signature is the extra crispy namesake, a whole chicken cut up in pieces with a thick, slightly-salted crust. It comes with a tangy sauce for dipping, a plate of salad, and a small dish of white, pickled radish. Ordering a beverage (commercial beer or a soda) is a must. Be warned, the ambiance is divey, hole-in-the-wall chic to a tee. The elderly couple in charge can come across as gruff but go the extra mile with a smile, and with a kind word they open up easily.

Founded by a pastry chef, barista, and designer trio, Fritz Coffee is a bakery and cafe with three locations in Seoul. This one, Fritz Wonseo, is aptly located in Wonseo-dong, on the first floor of the Arario Museum, a contemporary art museum founded by world-famous collector Kim Chang-il. Fritz visitors can order coffee and sweets from an addendum to the main building then choose from seats either in the courtyard or in a modern hanok that’s been built inside the courtyard. The brand is well known for their single-origin coffee as well as their red bean and butter baked goods, but also make sure to check out the official Fritz goods. The brand’s signature baby seal logo is a favorite among many Seoulites. 

Reservations are essential for this highly lauded fine dining establishment where traditional Korean cuisine shines in a multi-course tasting menu. Local ingredients highlight the flavors of the region to produce dishes like sea bream, beef ribs, abalone, black bean tea, and more.

Opened by New York transplant Eugene Kim in 2015, Gino’s NY Pizza serves authentic New York–style pizza pies. Signature pies include the Brooklyn's Best (Italian sausage, red onions, parmesan, and fresh basil on plum tomato sauce) and the New York Supreme made with roasted garlic. Their classic pies (pepperoni and regular cheese) don’t play second fiddle to the signatures, and the buffalo wings and garlic knots also on the menu make for delicious additions to any meal. There may be a wait for those waiting to dine in on the weekend, but the pizzas travel well for those looking for take-out options. Gino's also has a more spacious location in Apgujeong. 

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.