Korean BBQ, Kimchi jjigae (stew), ginseng chicken soup, bulgogi, kimchi pancake, Korean-style fried chicken, bibimbap… Korean cuisine revolves around rice, kimchi, and lots of meat. The Koreans love their BBQ, but food in Korea is more than that. There are restaurants and local eateries along every street, each specialising in their respective dishes.
Here is a guide on where to eat in Seoul, featuring a few of our favourite Korean BBQ restaurants, a traditional Korean restaurant that serves 30 classic banchans, the most popular ginseng chicken soup restaurant, and several outstanding cafes with brilliant concepts.
#1 Brother Korean Food Restaurant
We did midnight shopping at Dong Dae Mun every other day when at Seoul, and we would not return to the hotel without having a hearty supper here. It is located beside Art Plaza and Studio W Shopping Mall, in an alley that houses many other eateries and serve to all the staff working in the vicinity.
#2 Deux Amis
A cafe that we like in Garosil-gil is Deux Amis, a terrific patisserie serving gorgeous cakes and tarts that will make anyone weak in the knees. It is a must-stop for desserts when you are in Seoul. Try their Strawberry Tiramisu Tart and Caramel Cake.
Deux Amis is also listed in our guide to dessert spots in Seoul.
535-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu
Tel: +82 2 3443 0030
Nearest Station: Sinsa Station
#3 Han Chu Korean Fried Chicken
If you ask locals where to go for the best Korean fried chicken in Seoul, many will point you to Han Chu Korean Fried Chicken Restaurant. The fried chicken, while not as meaty as we would like it to be, was still very good – especially the spicy rendition which was spicy, tangy and very addictive.
549-9 Shinsa-dong
Gangnam-gu Seoul
Tel: 02 3446 5778
Daily: 5pm – 3am
Nearest Station: Apgujeong
#4 Lepure Cafe
A bright and cheerful cafe in the day, Lepure Cafe transforms into a nice and enchanting little Japanese corner in the evening as the lights are dimmed and candles are placed on each table. Lepure has a concise Japanese-inspired dessert menu which features pretty creations like Chocolate Roll Cake, Strawberry Short Cake, Cheesecake and Chocolate Tart (5,000 won – 5,800 won/ S$5.60 – S$6.50) – which optimises quality ingredients to give every item a premium taste. The juice list is also impressive, leaving us spoilt for choice for organic options.
Lepure Cafe is also listed in our guide to dessert spots in Seoul.
1F 534-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu
(35 Apgujeong-ro 10 gil)
Tel: +82 2 545 4508
Nearest Station: Sinsa Station
#5 Glamorous Penguin
Itaewon is known for its diverse range of restaurants – offering anything from Thai food to Spanish tapas and Mexican tacos – but the area also has plenty of nice cafes too, and one of the places that we like is Glamorous Penguin, tucked at a back alley off the main road near Hangangjin station.
The three-story café has pretty good cakes – think red velvet, carrot cake, raspberry cake, maple apple cake (7,000 won for a slice) – and if the weather is good, get a table at the rooftop and read a book while enjoying a cuppa.
Glamorous Penguin is also listed in our guide to 10 cafes in Seoul.
743-41 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
(Itaewon-ro 49-gil)
Tel: +82 2 790 7178
Nearest Station: Hangangjin
#6 Hong Gi Wa Zip
You know you are in the right place when there are only locals dining in the establishment. We stumbled upon this homely Korean restaurant when we were wandering in the Hongdae area. Besides the popular Samgyetang, they also serve the classic dishes like Kamjatang (25,000 for small) – spicy boiled pigs rib; Possam (25,000 won for small) – boiled pork slices with kimchi; and the very delicious Takdori (25,000 won for small) – spicy boiled chicken soup.
347-29 Seogyo-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul
Tel: 02 324 9858
Nearest Station: Hongik University
#7 Jiyugaoka
There are many cafes in the Samcheong-dong area, but Jiyugaoka deserves a special mention. We love that the café is not only small and cosy, but it also has good cakes, all freshly baked by the owners daily on site. The café is perfumed with the lovely scent of the baked goods, and we love sitting by the al fresco table to people-watch.
Jiyugaoka is also listed in our guide to 10 cafes in Seoul.
Yunposun-gil 46
Tel: +82 2 6487 6156
Nearest station: Anguk
#8 Maple Tree House
Located behind Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon is Maple Tree House, a posh BBQ restaurant known for serving premium meats. Prices here are much steeper than the usual Korean BBQ restaurants, but the reason why regulars come back again and again is because of its signature Korean Jeju Black Pork Belly (17,900 won for 160g) and premium Korean Beef Sirloin (34,900 won for 150g).
Hamilton Hotel 2F, 116-1 Itaewon dong
Yong san gu, Seoul
Tel: 02 790 7977
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Itaweon
#9 N Grill
If you are making a trip to the N Seoul Tower, we would recommend to have a meal at N Grill. N Grill is a revolving restaurant at the top of the N Seoul Tower and it offers a birds’ eye view of the city. N Grill has a fantastic set lunch which is reasonably-priced for the quality. Good steaks in a nice ambience with a terrific view.
1-3 Yongsandong 2(i)ga-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2 3455 9297
Mon to Fri: 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Myeong-dong
#10 Na Ri Sik Dang
Another place which we stumbled upon is Na Ri Sik Dang. It is a neighbourhood joint where locals frequent for its BBQ pork belly (11,000 won). We also had the Bean Paste Stew (7,000), which was the best that we had during this trip.
To find Na Ri Sik Dang, look out for the alley in between Audi Showroom and Trevia Italian Restaurant. It is a few minutes walk from the station.
8 Itaewon-ro 49-gil
Tel: 02 793 4860
Nearest Station: Hangangjin
#11 No 813 BBQ Restaurant
This Korean BBQ restaurant in Garosil-gil offers several value-for-money sets which range from . The set that we ordered came with beef flank, beef sirloin, homemade sausage, pumpkin, mushroom and an egg stew.
Gangnam-daero 152-gil
Nearest Station: Sinsa Station
#12 Passion 5
This is a chic concept destination with 5 different categories of dining all under one roof –- gelato corner, bakery take-out station, patisserie and café, chocolatier and a full-fledged restaurant. If you love desserts like we do, you must make a trip to Passion 5 when you are in Seoul.
Passion 5 is also listed in our guide to 10 cafes in Seoul.
272, Itaewon-ro
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2 2071 9507
Nearest Station: Hangangjin
#13 Sigol Bapsang
Our top pick is Sigolbapsang, a small traditional Korean restaurant at Hannam-dong, which is just ten-minute walk from Itaewon station. For 8,000 won, you can sample up to 30 classic banchans. Be surprised by the spread of traditional and modern dishes, and enjoy your experience in a rustic setting that radiates the old Seoul charm. And yes, you can have them refilled. Sigol Bapsang opens for 24 hours daily, so if you are feeling hungry at night, here is a spot that you can drop by.
738-17 Hannam-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: 82 2 793 5390
Nearest Station: Itaweon/Hangangjin station
#14 Take out drawing
Take out drawing is a gorgeous two-story café, which doubles as an exhibition space. It serves a variety of organic beverages alongside delicious baked goods. This is a trendy spot where you can easily spend a day catching up with friends.
Take out drawing is also listed in our guide to 10 cafes in Seoul.
140-861, Itaewon-dong (Noksapyeong),
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82 2 790 2637
Nearest Station: Hangangjin
#15 Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken
The most famous Korean Ginseng Chicken restaurant in Seoul, Tosokchon is a must-visit when you are in the city. There is only ginseng chicken on the menu, and when a restaurant is brave enough to dish out only one signature, we expect a lot. And indeed, it lives up to the hype. We would suggest coming here for lunch before visiting Gyeongbokgung palace, which is just located 5 minutes away.
5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 2 737 7444
Nearest Station: Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 2)
#16 Yoogane
This may be a restaurant chain, but they serve good chicken galbi. A meal here is relatively affordable – they charge by per person, and you can choose from a menu of meat and seafood combinations, We opted for the spicy chicken and marinated octopus (9,000/pax). Together with kimchi, potato and rice, the chicken galbi kept our souls happy in between shopping at Myeongdong.
3-1 Myeong-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +02 3789 3392
Nearest Station: Myeong-dong
#17 55 Beonji Ramyon
We chanced upon this ramyon shop when we were exploring Samcheong-dong. Tucked in a narrow alley, 55 Beonji Ramyon is easy to miss if you are not looking out for it. What makes their ramyon stand out is the use of seasoned red pepper paste sauce and a specially prepared soup base. On the menu, you can find different variations of ramyon such as Seafood Fried Ramen (13,000 won), Bulgogi Ramen (9,000 won), and Jiamppong Ramen (7,500 won).
55-1 Hwa-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
(44-6 Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil)
Tel: +82 2 722 2997
Nearest station: Anguk
For more recommendations, read our guide on 10 Things to do in Seoul.
Thank you for the sharing. Do you know which area in Seoul is better for a group of 4 youngsters who like eat and shop a lot? (for staying)
To Maggie, I’m not a blog owner but I strongly recommend ‘Hongdae’ uni area.
Why are most of your photos overexposed?
Try Indian Restaurant in sinchon
Name : Jyoti Indian Restaurant
Address : sinchon station, line 2, exit 5 and very first right turn
Price : 8000 won to 13,000 won/ person with naan, curry, drinks
Its amazing and delicious place. People should try .
Great list and your pictures look so good I could eat them right off of the page!
Hi Brad,
I’m so glad I’ve stumbled upon your website because all your recommendations look amazing! I will be traveling to Korea for the first time and all by myself on top of that so it’s good to know where I want to go. I just hope I can fit all these places into my schedule. Thank you for sharing!
@Leanne Hello Leanne, good to know that you are travelling to Seoul! You’ll have lots of fun!
Some of the places can be quite difficult to find because of the Korean addresses. Anyway, the trick is to look out for non-touristy places. As long as you see lots of locals eating there, it should be fine. That was how we managed to find quite a few good off-the-radar restaurants too!
For Indian food, Jyoti restaurant in sinchon is recommended.
@Matthew suggesting Indian food in Seoul, why would foreigners visiting even consider that as an option? With so many options it would seem sensible to stick with the local food given the wealth of possibilities. I mean unless you seriously have a craving for Indian food whilst in Seoul…
Saw your article and went to Sigol Bapsang. Gave us 24 side dishes, refilled 6 side dishes once. Then wasn’t allowed to refill anymore. Next table 2 customer had 24 side dishes, we 5 people had 24 side dishes too. Only recommend for 2 or less pax. If big party, forget this place!!!!!
Why oh why didn’t I see this blog post before I went to Korea last year? Omg! This makes me want to book a ticket right now. I’ll definitely try Sigol Bapsang, Take out drawing and Yoogane next time.
Thank you so much for this list. Bookmarked!