Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Lively KoMex restaurant specialising in 'skizzles' (essentially fusion fajitas) served on tabletop skillets in epic sharing portions. Tacos come in pairs;…
Must-see restaurants in Seoul
Seoureseo Duljjaero Jalhaneunjip
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Little has changed at ‘Second Best Place in Seoul’, a tiny tea and dessert cafe, since it opened in 1976. Apart from the medicinal teas, it serves…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
One of the first in Seoul to catch on to the healthy-food trend, Bad Farmers is the place for your daily dose of green eats. Recognisable for its bright…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Open all day, everyday, this diner-like burger joint takes its interior-design cues from 1950s America, soundtracked by the likes of 2010s Wu-Tang Clan…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Nestled in K-Pop paradise (between entertainment companies JYP and SMTown), Jilhal Bros has managed to capture the hearts of sunglasses-adorned…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This stripped-back canteen space ladles up huge plastic bowlfuls of pho dense with tender beef brisket and ribbons of rice noodles. The dark, deeply…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
One of the few places in Seoul where you can get a square, deep-dish, Detroit-style slice is aptly-named Motor City. The tomato-sauce base is good enough…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This alleyway cafe-bakery claims to be the originator of a bizarre trend that spread through Seoul circa 2017, namely, modelling your venue on a…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
It didn't take Itaewon long to get on the food-bowl trend. Step up Root, serving zesty salad and poke bowls with a Korean twist from its sunny 2nd-floor…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This wildly popular upstairs kitchen bakes an authentic range of New York–style pies along with appetisers like garlic knots, wings and messy fries. The…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Foodies queue daily for the much lauded burgers here, painstakingly assembled (with Instagram in mind) and wrapped in cute zebra-striped paper. Pimp up…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Keep your eyes peeled for those 'za-loving Ninja Turtles at this hip alleyway pizzeria serving jumbo-sized New York slices on paper plates. Choose from…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Le Ferme (French for 'the farm') packs them in for superfood-rich detox dining with a French twist. Quinoa, tofu, avocado and mango feature in the…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Crowds come to Ikseon-dong to be transported to old Seoul, and half of them seem to queue at Chang Hwa Dang, where the furniture and decor hark to a lost…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
For a fun lunch, buy 10 brass coins (₩5000) at the cafe about halfway along this old-school covered market. You'll be given a plastic tray with which you…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
This family-run Uzbekistan restaurant is a part of Dongdaemun's 'Little Silk Road', an intriguing district behind Lotte Fitin that's home to a community…
Seoul
'Tamra' is an old name for Jeju and this restaurant specialises in Jeju-style cuisine – even using ingredients brought over from the southern island. The…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Get your hot wings basted a dozen different ways at this alleyway eatery, from classic buffalo to Korean-inspired 'Amazinger' (spicy ginger), soy wasabi…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
In the basement of Ssamziegil is this smart and stylish restaurant, specialising in Jeonju (capital of Jeollabuk province) bibimbap, which is fresh and…
Seoul
Run by Italian couple Enrico and Fiore, the tasty and unusual – for Seoul – specialities here hail from Sicily, such as arancine (saffron-flavoured…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Chef Ryu Tae-hwan brings French, Japanese and Korean dishes to fine dining at Ryunique. Often described as avant-garde and adventurous, the courses at…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
One of several beautifully converted warehouse hang-outs in the Seongsu 'hood, Share D Table is more food focused, with separate vendors hawking pizza,…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
A great place to try dolsotbap (hotpot rice) in an authentic hanok atmosphere in Insa-dong. Various ingredients are added to the rice, and you mix it all…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This low-key vegan cafe on a quiet backstreet specialises in delicious dairy-free cakes, muffins, brownies, scones and cookies (some sans gluten too). The…
Seoul
One of the most authentic North Korean restaurants in Seoul, using quality ingredients to produce simple flavours. Owner-chef Yu Jeong-chol worked at one…
Banpo Romantic Moonlight Market
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
In warmer weather, the Banpo Bridge Park area becomes a festive night market with food trucks serving international cuisine – Indian, Vietnamese, pasta,…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
A rowdy watering hole with excellent food, this restaurant and bar is famous for its gamja-guk (pork-back soup). Open since 1987, the restaurant boils its…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
Out of sight in an alleyway, this is one of the best spots in town to try jokbal (braised pigs' trotters). Staff maintain a continuous cleaving of pig…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
The delicious and beautifully presented bibimbap here is made with only natural seasonings, befitting its surrounds on the Northern Namsan Circuit. The…
Seoul
On a street with several other Japanese restaurants, this atmospheric ramen shop is the real deal and proof that being part of a chain need not compromise…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
One of the most popular fried chicken eateries in Gangnam, Hanshin Chicken is conveniently located across from Express Bus Terminal. Diners can choose to…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
There's usually a line for 'Season's Table', a good-value hansik (Korean food) buffet in the basement of Insa-dong Maru. A wide range of dishes are…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Led by Michelin-starred British chef Duncan Robertson, this upmarket revolving restaurant sits up top the iconic N Seoul Tower. Views are amazing, as is…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
German-run brunch hot spot serving stacked sandwiches and a mighty range of sweet and savoury pastries (it's generous with the free nibbles, so pop in and…
Seoul
An excellent place to start your Hongdae day is at this tiny Japanese bakery-cafe, which combines sweet breads with savoury flavours. Try the excellent…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Itaewon's original KoMex eatery still does a roaring trade in soft corn tacos filled with galbi short rib and sides of kimchi carnitas fries, along with…
Seoul
Located in a small house, Gyeongju Restaurant serves home-cooked Korean food. The Large Meat Set for four people comes with 300g of lamb, 450g of pork and…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
One of the best gamjatang (pork-bone soup) joints in Seoul, this 24-hour restaurant bustles with office workers at lunch. Its version of the spicy,…
Seoul
One of the most loved Japanese restaurants in the Hongdae area, Himesiya's dishes are more fusion than they are authentically Japanese. Still, the meals…
Seoul
In an industrial-chic space adorned with a forest of plants, Muwol Table focuses on decent portion sizes. Each meal comes with a small bowl of rice, a…
