Gangnam & Southern Seoul
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…
Must-see restaurants in Seoul
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Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
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…
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Seoul
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…
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Gangnam & Southern Seoul
'Normal' is the casual counterpart to restaurant Ryunique, one of Asia's Top 50 restaurants. A contemporary bistro that makes fine dining affordable, the…
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Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
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…
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Gangnam & Southern Seoul
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…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
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…
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Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Serving top-class galbi (beef ribs) for over 30 years, Samwon is a Korean idyll, surrounded by beautiful traditional gardens including several waterfalls…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
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…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
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…
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Seoul
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…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Vegan wraps, avocado burgers, chickpea tagines and peanut stews are just some of the virtuously delicious highlights at this popular vegan hang-out…
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Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
One worth dressing up for, this classy restaurant specialises in vegetarian temple dishes that date from the Goryeo dynsasty. It's all set-course,…
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Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
The special kalguksu (noodles in a meat, dumpling and vegetable broth) is famous, so it’s busy, busy, busy. Fortunately, it has multiple levels and a…
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Seoul
You can enjoy the bright lights of Hongdae's student hang-outs but still dine at this converted hanok restaurant hidden in a quiet courtyard. The menu of…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Haru’s decades-long run alone could be considered a feat in Seoul – not to mention the constant (fast-moving) lines out the door and topping local 'best…
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Seoul
One of the most famous and best-value chicken joints in Seoul. Portions are smallish, but the fried exterior is crispy-perfect and the juiciness of the…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Cute North African–themed spot offering a chalkboard of half a dozen halal dishes like carrot salad, claypot lamb and the popular 'Morocco Over Rice' (…
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Seoul
Made famous on local television for using a fresh batch of oil for every fry, Chicken in the Kitchen has larger, juicier cuts of poultry than most fried…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Hungry revellers flock here for the nightly all-you-can-eat barbecue deal (₩16,900 per person), which includes beef ribeye and all the pork cuts on the…
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Seoul
Can purely raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic dishes be tasty? Yes! Take this tiny cafe's pad thai, which spices up vegie spirals (in place of noodles)…
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Seoul
One of the most photogenic dessert spots in Seoul, Sobok creates desserts based on Korean ingredients. Its menu varies season to season but the year-round…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This humble bakery-cafe just off Itaewon's main party strip bakes the best pecan pie this side of the Pacific, along with cranberry cheesecake, butter…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Lively KoMex restaurant specialising in 'skizzles' (essentially fusion fajitas) served on tabletop skillets in epic sharing portions. Tacos come in pairs;…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
One of the first in Seoul to catch on to the healthy-food trend, Bad Farmers is the place for your daily dose of green eats. Recognisable for its bright…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Open all day, everyday, this diner-like burger joint takes its interior-design cues from 1950s America, soundtracked by the likes of 2010s Wu-Tang Clan…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Nestled in K-Pop paradise (between entertainment companies JYP and SMTown), Jilhal Bros has managed to capture the hearts of sunglasses-adorned…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This stripped-back canteen space ladles up huge plastic bowlfuls of pho dense with tender beef brisket and ribbons of rice noodles. The dark, deeply…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
One of the few places in Seoul where you can get a square, deep-dish, Detroit-style slice is aptly-named Motor City. The tomato-sauce base is good enough…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This alleyway cafe-bakery claims to be the originator of a bizarre trend that spread through Seoul circa 2017, namely, modelling your venue on a…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
It didn't take Itaewon long to get on the food-bowl trend. Step up Root, serving zesty salad and poke bowls with a Korean twist from its sunny 2nd-floor…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This wildly popular upstairs kitchen bakes an authentic range of New York–style pies along with appetisers like garlic knots, wings and messy fries. The…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Foodies queue daily for the much lauded burgers here, painstakingly assembled (with Instagram in mind) and wrapped in cute zebra-striped paper. Pimp up…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Keep your eyes peeled for those 'za-loving Ninja Turtles at this hip alleyway pizzeria serving jumbo-sized New York slices on paper plates. Choose from…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Le Ferme (French for 'the farm') packs them in for superfood-rich detox dining with a French twist. Quinoa, tofu, avocado and mango feature in the…
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Seoul
'Tamra' is an old name for Jeju and this restaurant specialises in Jeju-style cuisine – even using ingredients brought over from the southern island. The…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Get your hot wings basted a dozen different ways at this alleyway eatery, from classic buffalo to Korean-inspired 'Amazinger' (spicy ginger), soy wasabi…
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Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Chef Ryu Tae-hwan brings French, Japanese and Korean dishes to fine dining at Ryunique. Often described as avant-garde and adventurous, the courses at…
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Seoul
Run by Italian couple Enrico and Fiore, the tasty and unusual – for Seoul – specialities here hail from Sicily, such as arancine (saffron-flavoured…
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Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
This low-key vegan cafe on a quiet backstreet specialises in delicious dairy-free cakes, muffins, brownies, scones and cookies (some sans gluten too). The…
