17 Great Restaurants in Seoul

La Yeon at The Shilla Seoul serves traditional Korean delicacies in a fine dining setting. This award-winning kitchen uses the highest quality local and seasonal ingredients to create an extensive range of Korean haute cuisine. 

Located on the 23rd floor of the hotel, the restaurant overlooks bustling downtown Seoul. Its sophisticated interior features white furnishings and wooden fixtures. La Yeon has 4 set menus that change according to the season, each consisting of mains, desserts, and Korean teas, as well as optional wine pairings.

Jungsik is a Gangnam restaurant that offers a unique take on Korean dishes. The service here is impeccable and unobtrusive, making it a popular venue for romantic dinners. 

Menu highlights include sea urchin bibimbap, crispy pork belly with trumpet mushrooms and pickled vegetables called samgyopsal, and crispy Jeju snapper. For dessert, Jungsik’s signature mousse cakes are a must-try. Served in traditional kimchi pots, these light-as-air sweets come in flavors like sesame, sweet corn, and chocolate, and are decorated with edible flowers. 

Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul is a top-notch French eatery on the 35th floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul. Offering spectacular views of Bukhan Mountain and downtown Seoul, the restaurant’s stylish dining room is accented with modern glass chandeliers and gold detailing for a glowing, luxe ambience.

Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul serves artfully presented French cuisine in an ever-changing menu. Standouts of past menus include sea bass gravlax with celeriac and bean sprouts and pork loin with creamed pear and honey-balsamic vinegar sorbet. The restaurant also offers an impressive collection of over 250 French wines from the Bourgogne, Loire, and Alsace regions.

Ryunique presents Korean delicacies with heavy influence from France, Japan, Spain, and Italy. This award-winning restaurant features blond wood furnishings, fresh floral arrangements, and plenty of natural light, exuding an unpretentious fine-dining ambience. 

Its 5-course lunch and dinner menus are reasonably priced, and dishes are made with contemporary cooking methods and avant-garde presentation. Standouts include soy-marinated shrimp with a side of dried green mustard leaf with fried crosne and roasted pork belly with sous-vide king shrimp.

Tosokchon is one of the best places in Seoul for samgyetang, a popular chicken ginseng soup usually eaten during summer. A 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station, it was a favorite spot of South Korea’s late president, Noh Muh-hyun, making it an iconic member of the Seoul restaurant scene.

The dish consists of a spring chicken stuffed with chestnuts, garlic, ginseng, and glutinous rice. Tosokchon achieves the sweet, nutty flavor of their samgyetang by slow cooking the soup for several hours. Other items on the menu include green onion pancakes with seafood named hae-mool pajeon, roasted chicken, and agu-jjim, which is a braised, spicy monkfish.

Fried chicken is a classic after-work snack in Seoul, and Gangnam’s Han Chu Korean Fried Chicken is one of the best places to get your hands on these crispy morsels. This modest restaurant is located at Garosugil Street, a high-end fashion street near Apgujeong Station. 

Best accompanied with a cold beer, Han Chu’s signature fried chicken is juicy on the inside while the lightly battered skin is crispy with each bite. Other popular dishes here include fried whole green pepper with pork fillings and seasoned clams with noodles.

Enjoy a full-course dinner with a panoramic view of the city at N Grill, a rotating restaurant within the iconic N Seoul Tower. Located on the highest level, the ambience here is exclusive and intimate: you’ll often see couples enjoying a romantic dinner, and it’s a favored spot for special occasions. Book in advance to snag a table during sunset.

N Grill has an extensive wine list and quality French dishes, such as marinated lamb cutlets with wilted rocket and cumin-infused jus and seabass with zucchini and fennel salad.

Maple Tree House is a Korean barbeque chain with several branches in Seoul. The outlet in Itaewon is well-frequented for its succulent grilled meat. The wine bar-like restaurant has warm lighting, wooden furnishings, rustic décor, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The menu consists of barbeque classics: a variety of cuts of pork and beef served with a soybean and chili paste called ssamjang and perilla leaves. The Jeju black pork and aged beef are crowd-pleasers. Complement your barbeque with shrimp skewers, hot kimchi stew, or chilled naengmyeon noodle soup.

Nari’s House, located in Itaewon, attracts locals with its inexpensive yet authentic Korean barbeque dishes. This old-school establishment offers notably affordable prices compared to most barbeque restaurants in Seoul.

A 2-minute walk from the Hangangjin train station, this local eatery is rather hidden and for many years, customers were largely from the neighborhood. In recent years, it has gained a cult following and frequently sees long lines and waiting times. We assure you it's worth the wait.

Myeongdong Hamheung Myeonok is legendary among locals. A great place for a casual meal, this restaurant has been around since the 1980s and is known for its consistently tasty dishes and generous portions.

The signature dish is North Korean naengmyeon: buckwheat noodles in cold soup served with a red hot chili sauce. The dumpling soup is another popular item, mandu dumplings are stuffed to the brim with pork, garlic, and chives. After your meal, in place of the usual tea, you’ll be served a soothing cup of savory broth.

Tucked at the end of an alleyway in the historic part of Seoul, Sanchon is a great place to dine if you’re vegetarian. Owned by a former Buddhist monk, the restaurant serves an array of Korean temple food in a huge spread of 16 small plates. Pickled lotus root, soybean stew, cabbage pancakes, and other simple but delicious dishes are accompanied by a pot of mulberry tea. Temple food tends toward earthy, salty, and spicy flavors.

Founded by a former Buddhist monk, this plant-filled rustic restaurant is decorated with Buddhist artworks and paper lanterns. It also sometimes hosts a live pianist and Korean dance performances.

Awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Woo Lae Oak is lauded for its authentic Pyeongyang naengmyeon, North Korean-style buckwheat noodles in a salty, chilled beef broth. Diners can opt for the simplicity of the light, flavorful broth or add a dollop of spicy chili sauce. The restaurant’s second claim to fame is its sweet-spicy bulgogi, grilled tableside to soft perfection.

The downside of a Michelin rating is that this place is usually packed. To avoid the crowds, visit in the late afternoon, between the lunch and dinner rushes. 

Casual eatery Namdobunsik in Ikseon serves hearty comfort dishes in a retro atmosphere. The popular siraegi tteokbokki, which are spicy rice cakes with dried radish, and other street food favorites are served in old-fashioned green melamine bowls. Classic radio hits play through the speakers, and the staff wears bright yellow t-shirts and red baseball caps. The mood: fun. 

Servings are generous, making this a great place to bring a few friends. Other shareable dishes include the Korean sushi called gimbap and fried snacks with lettuce wraps.

Maillet in Seorae Village proudly serves desserts made by a French pâtissier. Well known for its macarons, these rainbow-colored confections come in flavors like yuzu, green tea, and apricot peach. Other regular items include the classic pain au chocolat, caramel eclairs, and a miniature tarte tatin. The cafe also serves espresso, tea, and wine by the bottle.

Their best-selling item is the mille-feuille, which has a rich vanilla cream sandwiched between layers of buttery pastry. It’s prone to sell out, so come early if this is what you’re after. 

Mongmyeok Sanbang is known for its high-quality yet affordable bibimbap. Once a Mount Namsan staple, the restaurant has moved to another spot but is as popular as ever among Koreans and foreigners. Bibimbap is served disassembled in a traditional brass bowl, and you add ingredients to your liking. While you’re there, take an order of the kimchi cheese pancake, a crispy, indulgent delight.

Although it’s mentioned in the Michelin guide, this is not a fancy affair as you order your meal at a self-service kiosk. Even so, the quality of the food is outstanding, with simple, fresh ingredients and excellent sauce to top it off.

The oldest bakery in Seoul, Taegeukdang Bakery is a city institution that thrives to this day. The popular spot blends European and Korean styles, from its wood-paneled decor to the bread itself. The bakery offers both modern creations, like its ice cream wafer sandwich, alongside classic castella cakes and sweet buns filled with red bean paste. 

This is the spot for your morning coffee and pastry; the elegance of the whole affair is bound to start your day off on the right note. The pastries are sweet and light, and baristas carefully weigh each shot of espresso.

Seoureseo Duljjaero Jalhaneunjip has been serving a simple menu of Korean teas and traditional desserts since 1976. This old-style teahouse is one of the best places in Seoul to enjoy danpatjuk, a sweet red bean porridge topped with rice cakes, chestnuts, and ginkgo nuts. Wash it down with refreshing ginger and cinnamon tea called sujeong-gwa, one of the house’s favorite cups.

Your fellow customers will generally be many years your senior, but that’s how you know this place is the real deal.