Seoul is a fast-paced, vibrant city and nowhere is this displayed more than in its food. Seoul is a city of innovation and a place where new trends rise and disappear as quickly as people clear their plates. One restaurant will be hot one week, another the next. It’s a fascinating place for creative, tasty food.
But where do you go to eat in Seoul? There are plenty of places to try – and the key word is “try”. Sample as widely and as much as you can. You don’t want to miss out on any wonderful eats! While the popular restaurants change rapidly, there are still classic favorites that stay around for long. Your Seoul food journey begins now with these tasty ideas.
Where to Eat in Seoul
Jungsik
The chef Jung-Sik Yim at the restaurant Jungsik is one of the rising stars of South Korea cuisine. Visit this famous restaurant in Seoul for special tasting menus that are paired with fine wines.
Doramu
This is a Korean barbeque with a twist. It serves wonderful pork barbecue dishes including pork neck and marinated pork, which is served in rolls of seaweed with accompanying herring roe. This restaurant serves up new taste sensations every week.
OKitchen 3
This is an Italian restaurant run by a Japanese chef in the heart of Korea – a mixture of everything that is great about food here. The kitchen is manned by cooking students from the chef’s school. It boasts a range of interesting dishes with a focus on fresh regional food.
Hansik Olbaan
This is a buffet restaurant but it is definitely something different, and more special than the run-of-the-mill buffet places that dot around the city. This is a special place with regional specialties, fresh food, and plenty of it.
Sanchez Makgeolli
This is the place to go for an evening meal with plenty of atmospheres. The basement restaurant has plenty of character and also serves a range of tasty dishes late into the night.
Vatos Urban Tacos
If you’re craving Mexican food you can’t beat this place in Itaewon. Of course, the food is not your regular Mexican but a mix of old and new, traditional favorites and brand new ingredients from surprising sources.
Linus’ Bama Style Barbecue
This is the real deal – a Southern barbecue with delicious pulled pork, tons of brisket, and tiny slide buns for the ultimate in burgers. This is a classic restaurant that is very popular among meat lovers in Seoul.
The Beastro
This friendly restaurant focuses on American cuisine with a big twist – it doesn’t just serve your regular ribs, but experiments with fried chicken and interesting dishes like chicken gizzards roasted in pork fat. You’ll always find something surprising here.
Southside Parlor
If you’re looking for Tex-Mex food and some good cocktails, visit this cantina where you can get tacos and margaritas like they’re going out of fashion.
The Booth
And The Booth is the place for excellent pizza in a cool and relaxed atmosphere.
Rye Post
This innovative restaurant serves bulgogi cheesesteak – a fabulous take on the original.
What to Eat In Seoul
In a city with so many innovative food crazes, you’ll always find something new and exciting to try. For example, whipped cream on your beer. Sounds crazy? It is – some places even add ice cream and chocolate to the top.
Or try a special Seoul pizza, which can come with an amazing range of toppings from corn to egg to squid. Nothing is too wild for pizza lovers. You can follow this with honeycomb ice cream, a delicacy for all times of the day. Another special dessert to try in Seoul is the churro, which is available at street stalls all over the city. And what to do when you are tired of the traditional ice cream? Try brown rice ice cream, topped with pumpkin and syrup.
For the more traditional tastes, there are certain favorites in Seoul that you just have to try. For example, the galmaegisal dish, which is a pork dish cooked over a charcoal grill with egg surrounding it. Or bindaetteok, which is a traditional mung bean pancake that comes thick and juicy – you’ll find these at food markets.
Galbijjim is beef short ribs braised with garlic and served with another meat favorite – pork pancakes (you’ll soon realize that Seoul is a big fan of meat.) Naengmyeon is a dish made up of noodles with beef broth, radish, and egg. Try yukhoe, a special dish of beef tartar that comes with a dressing of soy sauce and sesame oil served with raw egg as a dipping sauce.
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