Must-see restaurants in South Korea

This sprawling fabric market is now best known as Seoul’s busiest meokjagolmok (food alley), thanks to the 200 or so food stalls, kimchi and fresh-seafood…

Hungry travellers with limited Korean skills come here because there’s no need to speak or read a menu: this place only serves chungmu gimbap (충무 김밥), a…

Seoul's hippest cafe-bakery, Onion is the epitome of industrial-chic cool, set within a semiderelict concrete building that just begs to be photographed…

This place was voted number 25 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2018; neo-Korean cuisine hardly gets better than this. At the Apgujeong outpost of the New…

Scoring a hat trick for high-quality food, entertainment and shopping is Korea House. A dozen dainty, artistic courses make up the royal banquet. The…

Everything about this restaurant, housed in a traditional building, is inviting. Inside the door you're greeted by warm smiles and the sweet earthy aroma…

The tteokbokki at this raucous restaurant comes in bubbling saucepans as part of a witches brew of rice cakes, fish cake, instant ramen, vegies, egg and…

The converted hanok that houses this chic bistro in the revamped old neighbourhood of Ikseon-dong is Korean, but the dishes are contemporary European…

Reserve three days in advance for the fine temple-style cuisine served here. Take your time to fully savour the subtle flavours and different textures of…

Jeonju's best night out, if you can get a seat. Unlike other makgeolli (milky rice wine) bars, where the food is secondary, the dishes here are…

Mokpo is known for its octopus, particularly for its nakji tangtangi (chopped live octopus). This is the best place in town to try it, and if you're not…

Hungry? Come here to feast on tongdak (통닭), chicken served in two courses. First comes a tabletop stir-fry of chicken marinated in a tangy, spicy sauce,…

Credited with kicking off a trend for more authentic Thai restaurants in Seoul, Tuk Tuk's Thai chefs whack out a broad menu of spicy dishes that don't…

A sterling example of a successful restaurant owner who won’t update the interior. According to superstition, the good fortune a successful shop enjoys…

'Normal' is the casual counterpart to restaurant Ryunique, one of Asia's Top 50 restaurants. A contemporary bistro that makes fine dining affordable, the…

The best restaurant at the Donghak-sa entrance to Gyeryongsan National Park is styled after its namesake – you can't miss it. Naturally, it specialises in…

Sit cross-legged at rustic wooden tables, peering out into the wild garden of this meat-free restaurant. Dishes use local Jeju produce for dishes such as…

This restaurant serves the prettiest ssambap (assorted ingredients with rice and lettuce wraps) around, with a fragrant array of leaves and handfuls of…

Feast on artfully plated, contemporary twists on Korean classics, such as pinenut soup with soy milk espuma (foam) or raw blue crab, at this serene…

This superb restaurant has been serving divine and healthy traditional Korean food over three floors since 1978; and even if it’s packed they’ll usually…