Jeollanam-do
Lovers of red meat will have reason to rejoice at this friendly, family-run, Korean barbecue restaurant serving such favourites as bulgogi and galbi (beef…
Must-see restaurants in South Korea
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
The terrace seating at this combined bakery, cafe and restaurant is a great spot from which to watch the comings and goings of Bukchon. Its baked goods,…
Busan
Bright, eco-chic cafe where everything except the kimchi is vegetarian (blame the fish sauce); most dishes can be prepared vegan as well. Hits include…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
The spruce, efficient and neat-looking light-mustard-coloured restaurant does a great line in hamburger steaks, grilled beef bulgogi steaks and garlic…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Traditional jeonsik meals that tend towards vegetarian Buddhist-style cuisine are served on rustic pottery in this hanok. The food is fresh and has a…
Gyeonggi-do
Grab an outdoor table next to the gurgling water for all-day brunch, litre cans of craft ale, and single-origin coffees. Also hosts very occasional jazz…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Delightful Euro-style deli-cafe specialising in sandwiches, pasta and baguette-style pizza made with premium ingredients, such as camembert and rocket…
Gyeongsangnam-do
A cosy meat restaurant to enjoy barbecued samgyeopsal (삼겹살; fatty pork) and hard-to-find beoseot jeongol (소고기버섯전골), a beef-and-mushroom casserole.
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Run by members of a Taiwanese religious sect. Sit cross-legged for vegan food that combines all sorts of mixtures and flavours. The barbecue-meat…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
A good-value barbecue place serving pork ribs, bulgogi, prime beef rib and grilled beef steaks. The menu is very simple but the smell from the street is…
Jeollanam-do
This small bibimbap joint does a sashimi variety particularly well, with simple but tasty banchan (side dishes). Floor seating only.
Busan
No-frills Japanese restaurant specialising in high quality sushi and sashimi. Enjoy at a table or saddle up to the bar.
Suwon
Popular chimaek (chicken and beer) spot for golden-fried, juicy chicken pieces and cheap jugs of cold brew.
Seogwipo
Browse stalls of wonderful fruit, live seafood and street food. It’s a good place to pick up snacks for a picnic.
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
Historic street lined with vendors and restaurants selling all manner of tteobokki (rice cake) dishes.
Chungcheongnam-do
This bakery serves an outstanding piece of pastry called chestnut pie, a puff ball filled with sliced chestnut.
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Go large at this '50s-themed American diner franchise with towering plates of syrupy pancakes, chicken and waffles and egg-heavy breakfasts. It's pricey…
Jeju-do
Tasty 1m-long pizzas topped with sweet potato, bulgogi (marinated beef) and kimchi are served in an old building in the middle of nowhere.
Jeollabuk-do
Don't be put off by the drab exterior of Korea's oldest Chinese restaurant because inside you are in for a treat. The high ceiling, ornate decor and main…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
What was originally a hipster food truck in Austin, Texas, Coreanos (which is Spanish for 'Korean') brings its winning formula of kimchi tacos to Seoul…
Southern Jeju-do
A simple restaurant offering splendid seafood dishes such as maeuntang (매운탕, spicy seafood soup). A pair of travellers might choose the set meal (회정식, ₩30…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire’s Seoul restaurant is an epicurean and wallet-hammering experience with a dress code of no T-shirts, shorts or…
Chungcheongnam-do
The bottles of giant ginseng near the front door may look like something from a mad scientist's lab, but they are a reminder of the house specialty:…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Housed in an attractive red-brick, western-style building from around 1910 with white-wood wrap-around verandah, this restaurant is a fragment of Seoul’s…
Gyeonggi-do
One of several cavernous restaurants just north of Icheon Ceramic Village known for an impressive abundance of banchan (side dishes) served together with…
Chuncheon
Oodles of space and mismatched-furniture chic make this concrete-floor and breeze-block wall restaurant a stylishly contemporary date spot for locals, yet…
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Sit near the seafront with a bottle of soju (local vodka) and a platter of raw fish, and watch the ocean crash onto the rocky shoreline at this ramshackle…
Gangwon-do
This friendly eatery specialises in hearty gamjatang (meaty bones and potato soup) served in a jeongol (hotpot) or ttukbaegi (뚝배기; earthenware dish). You…
Incheon
Feast on steamers of dumplings with fillings like pork and kimchi, along with Korean classics including bibimbap (rice, egg, meat and vegies with chilli…
Daejeon
Choose from a range of hearty set menus with shabu kalguksu (샤브칼국수), where you cook your own meat and noodles in a spicy mushroom and vegetable soup. More…
Incheon
Pimp up your jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) with seafood or spice at this oriental-styled restaurant operating here since 1957. Also serves…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
Hidden away in Dongdaemun's 'Little Silk Road' is a Mongolian restaurant so grimly authentic you'd half expect a couple of horses to be parked outside…
Gyeongju
King crab and raw fish are the specialities of this bustling restaurant near Gampo harbour. Crab dinners start with a small selection of sides and finish…
Seoul
These burgers taste good, but this is Yeonnam-dong, the haunt of the social-media savvy, so they look even better. Origami boxes reveal creations like …
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
At this cafe on the ground floor of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, you can choose from soft, delicately flavoured handmade gourmet rice cakes …
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
Tucked away in the sewing-machine parts section of Dongdaemun’s sprawling market streets is this elegant old-timer specialising in bulgogi and galbi …
Jeju-do
This wonderfully eclectic shop serves oh-so-juicy hamburgers. There is no chocolate here, but you will find a delightful museum housing a nearly complete…
Busan
Buy a fish for ₩30,000 (or more) and walk upstairs to eat; the woman selling you the fish will indicate which floor. Inside the seating area, your fish…
Jeollabuk-do
It's not unusual for hungry patrons to wait an hour outside this iconic establishment famous for bread, bagels and buns filled with red bean paste (단팥빵)…
Gangneung
This popular spot offers good, simple fare such as kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) or doenjang jjigae (soybean-paste stew); if you like squid or octopus, try…
