Must-see restaurants in Seoul

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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 fine Italian restaurant is as casually cool as its all-black-wearing diners, but the food is seriously top-notch. Homemade squid-ink linguine with…

These mouth-watering, deep-filled sandwiches served on wide, half-loaves of pillowy bread are beloved by locals and expats. Try the wickedly seasoned (and…

Around lunchtime and on weekends Seoulites queue up at this posh mountainside mandu (dumpling) house for elegantly wrapped dough parcels stuffed with…

Serving top-class galbi (beef ribs) for over 30 years, Samwon is a Korean idyll, surrounded by beautiful traditional gardens including several waterfalls…

A luxe spin-off of the Paris Baguette chain, Passion 5 is the Rolls-Royce of Korean bakeries, offering a Fortnum & Mason–like experience as you wander the…

The portions are more modest than your typical Southern smokehouse, but the pulled pork and beef-brisket rolls with 'skinny ass' fries are some of the…

Real charcoal (rather than hotplates) brings out the flavours of the fine cuts of pork and beef at this galbi (beef ribs) joint; look for the stove on the…

Vegan wraps, avocado burgers, chickpea tagines and peanut stews are just some of the virtuously delicious highlights at this popular vegan hang-out…

The fried-chicken purists here say cluck-off to chilli and other gimmicks, simply serving delicious, golden-fried chicken pieces heaped together with…

One worth dressing up for, this classy restaurant specialises in vegetarian temple dishes that date from the Goryeo dynsasty. It's all set-course,…