Must-see restaurants in Seoul

Go large at this '50s-themed American diner franchise with towering plates of syrupy pancakes, chicken and waffles and egg-heavy breakfasts. It's pricey…

What was originally a hipster food truck in Austin, Texas, Coreanos (which is Spanish for 'Korean') brings its winning formula of kimchi tacos to Seoul…

Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire’s Seoul restaurant is an epicurean and wallet-hammering experience with a dress code of no T-shirts, shorts or…

Housed in an attractive red-brick, western-style building from around 1910 with white-wood wrap-around verandah, this restaurant is a fragment of Seoul’s…

Hidden away in Dongdaemun's 'Little Silk Road' is a Mongolian restaurant so grimly authentic you'd half expect a couple of horses to be parked outside…

These burgers taste good, but this is Yeonnam-dong, the haunt of the social-media savvy, so they look even better. Origami boxes reveal creations like …

At this cafe on the ground floor of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, you can choose from soft, delicately flavoured handmade gourmet rice cakes …

Tucked away in the sewing-machine parts section of Dongdaemun’s sprawling market streets is this elegant old-timer specialising in bulgogi and galbi …

Run by Bulgarians, this long-lived Itaewon restaurant whips up Balkan standards like shopska salad (billed as 'Bulgarian kimchi' for its comparative…

A popular hang-out with a passing array of characters – artists, models and fashionistas – this industrial brick coffee house does a delicious patbingsu …

For a Korean interpretation of Western food circa 1987, try the breaded pork, fish or beef cutlets (something approaching a schnitzel) at this retro…

This is the place for fashionistas to be seen. Run by the bakery behemoth Paris Croissant, it has a classy bakery section and dining area (try the salmon…

A hip take on a Hong Kong diner, this stripped-back canteen serves roast pork belly, ribs, barbecue char sui and chicken over rice, along with noodle…

A Myeong-dong institution since 1960, this is fast food Korean-style: the tasty deep-fried chicken comes in various portion sizes or there’s samgyetang …

Mandu (dumplings), tofu or ginseng can be added to the seolleongtang (Seoul's milky white beef broth dish) served at this inexpensive chain, but purists…

From the moment those salivating aromas of sizzling burgers hit you, there's no return from this underground diner which is a homage to American food. Its…

In an artfully styled hanok, interesting dishes to share are offered (such as tteokbokki served in a carved-out squash), alongside western cuisine…

Modelled after a US-based Mexican food chain, Cuchara allows you to customise your dish of choice: burrito bowls, burritos or tacos. Fill with chorizo,…

Located within the main Olympic Park gate, this buffet buzzes with diners here for excellent-value, all-you-can-eat Korean and fusion dishes. There's an…

Decked out like a whimsical Parisian cafe, Lou Loudi caters for the Hannam-dong socialites with picture-perfect slices of cake and specialty teas served…