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Mama Food Market
A lengthy global menu of fresh fusion Marché-style food is served outside under a smart awning or inside in a variety of sitting areas. Every night from to , solo singers perform on the terrace balcony.
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Naniwa
Seoulites have still not forgotten Japan's cruel colonial rule, but they have forgiven them to the extent that customers pour into Japanese-style restaurants like the reasonably priced Naniwa chain that serves cutlet and udong (thick white noodle broth) set meals. The seats are a bit squashed but are made of tatami (woven straw), which adds to the Japanese atmosphere.
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Nolboo
Come to this spacious 2nd floor restaurant for budae jjigae (or Johnsontang ), which consists of ham, sausages, tofu, noodles and vegetable scraps that are thrown into a big wok, cooked at your table and served with rice and good side dishes. This dish originated in the hungry years after the war when vegetable scraps were added to black market tinned meat and beans to make a meal.
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Nolboojip
Down the steps in front of Pizza Hut is this special restaurant that serves a reasonably priced banquet to the sound of live traditional music, played throughout the day. Sit on floor cushions in the large eating arena and order sangcharim (minimum two people), which includes 20 dishes including steamed egg, fish, chicken, octopus, japchae , galbi, soup, quail's eggs and burnt-rice tea.
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Nutrition Centre
A Myeong-dong institution with a fast-food décor that only offers two items - a whole chicken roasted on a spit or samgyetang , ginseng chicken soup for around ₩10000 . At lunch a cheaper chicken set is available.
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Opseoye
A lovely little garden surrounds this thatched hanok restaurant with a rustic interior. It specialises in hearty and traditional beef, mushroom and seafood casseroles plus dajinjal galbi - a giant beef patty.
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Plaza Fountain Buffet
The popular and smart buffet restaurant in the 63 Building puts on an impressive spread of Korean, Japanese and Western favourites. In the centre is a dancing fountain under a glass dome.
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Pulhyanggi
Sit on chairs or floor cushions at this long-running, 2nd-storey restaurant where the main attraction is the dozen or more items served up in the dinner sets. The mainly vegetarian sets offer traditional food such as sweet-and-sour mushrooms, sesame soup, acorn jelly, rice cakes and special teas. Dongdongju (fermented rice wine) is around ₩6000 .
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Sadong Myeonok
A busy, convivial, no-frills restaurant that serves deservedly popular mandugukjeongsik, which consists of four giant homemade dumplings, containing 10 different ingredients, that are served in soup with side dishes. Other options include a sweet bulgogijeongsik ( bulgogi with side dishes) hotpot, naengmyeon and oxtail soup. Soju (local vodka) and beer are around ₩3000 .
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Seochogol
Behind Basic House is this unpretentious galbi restaurant with an English-speaking owner where the beef ribs are charcoal-grilled at your table, creating a smoky atmosphere. A bottle of soju provides the perfect accompaniment.
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Seojeong Restaurant
Tucked away off the beaten track, this traditional restaurant serves up a budget-priced banquet of 14 dishes in your own private room, which is decked out with scrolls, ceramics and paper-screen doors. Sit on legless chairs or cushions and enjoy japchae (stir-fried noodles and vegies), pajeon, beans, anchovies, chives and pickled walnuts, fish, rice, salad, two soups and all sorts of other vegetables.
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Sigol Bapsang
Sit amidst piles of rustic collectables is this restaurant offering countryside food (traditional Korean food from the days when Korea was a rural society). The restaurant occupies two buildings, both serving the same food. Try an around ₩7000 sigol bapsang - 20 mainly vegetarian side dishes along with spicy tofu soup and rice. Order a plate of bulgogi if you want meat.
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Sinsun Seolnongtang
This bright and clean restaurant with greenery is one of a chain that is famous for its seolleongtang (beef and vegie soup). But it also serves geranjjim, steamed egg with a spring onion and seafood garnish. In the lobby the vending-machine coffee is the cheapest in Seoul. There's another branch in Myeong-Dong.
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Solmoemaeul
Sit on the floor or on chairs on the narrow balcony to enjoy an excellent multicourse meal. Sweet pumpkin gruel, raw tuna, pajeon, decent bulgogi and a royal cuisine gujeolpan (eight individual snacks) with radish pancakes all arrive before the main dish, which is followed by a cup of traditional tea. It's a bit out of the way and not usually crowded.
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Soma 1095
If your Korean language skills are a little scratchy, the colour photos of the 40 well-presented meals available here will help you to choose what to eat, in this clean and busy budget eatery. Just remember to say maisseosseoyo ('it was delicious') when your done.
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Songtan Budaejjigae
Sit on floor cushions or chairs at this popular no-frills restaurant with dark décor that never closes. The budae jjigae (ham and vegetable stew) is cooked at your table. It comes with a potato side dish, but order rice or instant noodles to go with it.
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Sosim
A small, rustic, home-cooking basement restaurant serves mainly vegetarian meals, including organic rice, teas that take a year to make, and side dishes such as boiled peanuts. The set meals are best and can include mushroom soup, fish or pajeon . The helpful owner speaks some English.
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Techno Mart Food Court
Forty stalls with loquacious staff compete with each other to pile up as much fun fusion food as possible on huge platters that are meant for sharing - an around ₩10000 platter feeds three hungry people. Browse the plastic replicas of the food and see the world's largest bowls of bibimbap and giant ice-cream concoctions on shaved ice or fruit.
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Tobang Duck Restaurant
A pile of delicious sliced smoked duck is kept warm over a small cauldron of steaming water that cooks the chives and sesame leaves that accompany the meat. Two dipping sauces are provided, one mustard and the other a delicious local concoction. Order noodles afterwards if required.
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Tosokmaeul
Behind Pizza Hut is this wooden hut where cheerful ladies serve up gamjatang, a peasant dish of meaty bones in a spicy potato and sesame-leaf soup with side dishes including homemade sundae - black noodle-filled sausages. Finish your meal with free coffee.
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Yongsusan
This stylish traditional restaurant is colourfully decorated with mother-of-pearl panels and serving staff wear hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). The food contains elements of royal cuisine and varies with the seasons but is always interesting from the dragon firepot to the five-grain rice cooked in bamboo and the always delicious omijacha tea.
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Zen Zen
Eat inside or outside at this large establishment that specialises in samgyeopsal , (barbecued pork) which is often eaten with naengmyeon, (buckwheat noodles in sweet broth) but dwaejigalbi (barbecued pork ribs) is another option. What ever you pick, the special marinades and the choose-your-own-salad-wrappings are a hit.
