Must-see restaurants in Seoul

  • Dongdaemun Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    Within the Dongdaemun Shopping Complex of the main market, there's an excellent choice of street food ranging from vendors to small restaurants, including…

  • 2046 Pansteak

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Sometimes you just need a nicely cooked piece of meat – 2046 Pansteak serves up just that, still sizzling on an iron skillet along with spinach, a choice…

  • Wood and Brick

    Northern Seoul

    Refuel with sandwiches, pastries and coffee at this pleasant bakery-cafe, part of a small chain known for its baked goods and macarons. It also stocks…

  • Gangnam Gyoja

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Specialising in big bowls of kalguksu (handmade knife-cut noodles in spicy soup) and steamed pork dumplings, this simple restaurant focuses on the great…

  • Sadongmyeonok

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Usually busy, this place is famous for manduguk – the dumplings in the soup are whoppers (three make a meal). Also try its platter of haemul pajeon …

  • Hadongkwan

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    In business since 1935, this popular pit offers big bowls of wholesome beef broth and rice either in the regular version with a mere four slices of meat…

  • Cheolcheol Bokjip

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    A good place for adventurous diners to tick off pufferfish from their list, this local eatery is known for its bulgogi pufferfish barbecued in front of…

  • Hyehwa Kalguksu

    Northern Seoul

    This throwback Korean eatery, painted duck-egg blue, serves simple bowls of guksi noodles in a milky-white, beef-bone broth with leeks and zucchini. Homey…

  • Fell & Cole

    Seoul

    A sweet diversion in Hongdae, Fell & Cole's fabulous flavours of ice cream and sorbet are changing all the time but might include perilla leaf, parsley…

  • 63 Buffet Pavilion

    Seoul

    With too many temptations to count, this gourmet buffet is a good way to sample a range of Asian and other cuisines, with plenty of steak, seafood and…

  • Baekje Samgyetang

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    This 2nd-floor restaurant, marked by a sign with red Chinese characters, offers reliable samgyetang. Put salt and pepper into the saucer and dip the…

  • Rose Bakery

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    Join the fashionistas at this expensive cafe on the ground floor of the Comme des Garcon boutique for avocado toast, eggs-benny and scrumptious croissants…

  • Jongno Sarangga

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    One of this convivial restaurant’s specialties is neobiani, a flavoursome beef patty the size of a small pizza. Meant for sharing, it comes with a mass of…

  • Andong Jjimdak

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    A convivial young crowd comes here for the jjimdak experience, a very spicy concoction of chicken, noodles, potatoes and vegetables that comes on a…

  • Cine de Chef

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    This classy Italian restaurant combines a two- or three-course meal with a movie afterwards in one of two super-comfy screening rooms (the double movie…

  • Mealtop

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Take the elevator to the 5th floor and head to Mealtop, which has been selling excellent patbingsu (red bean and fruit on milky shaved ice) for over 20…

  • Cheonjinpoja

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    This simple place serves tasty handmade meat-, seafood- or vegetable-stuffed dumplings. A few doors up the road, another branch specialises in noodles.

  • Jungang Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    One of several traditional arcade markets in Seoul, Jungang Market is very much a local affair with vendors selling street food, kimchi and fresh produce…

  • A Bunker

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    A cool little spot with stencil art and comic-book-themed murals on its walls, this basement den previously named 'A Person' does tasty pork belly and…

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