10 Great Places to Eat in Seoul!

During holiday in Seoul, Evan and I ate so much good food that we probably put on about 2 kg (each) after the trip! After checking out the many eateries, we have selected our 10 favourite restaurants and cafes in Seoul, categorized into 6 locations: Dongdaemun, Gangnam, Itaewon, Myeong-dong, Samcheong-dong and University Quarter. Hope you like this article and feel free to ask any questions in the comments section! This article was last updated on 10 October 2019.

Dongdaemun

1. Okrumong

Over at basement level 2 of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP), you will find Okrumong, a cafe that is famous for using traditional Korean cooking methods to create authentic Korean bingsu! We ordered the Traditional Red Bean Bingsu (KRW 8000). The bingsu’s red bean is cooked in large cast-iron cauldrons, and the dessert is served with brassware to maintain optimal temperature. It tasted great! The red bean complimented the ice shavings nicely to create a delicious dessert. On the whole, it had a subtly sweet taste without being overly-rich.

Read our full review: Okrumong – Authentic Korean Bingsu at Dongdaemun (Seoul)!

Okrumong
Address: DongDaemun Design Plaza (DPP), Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Basement Level 2, Store 11

Directions to Okrumong
Take the metro to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and go out from Exit 1 to Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Okrumong is located in basement level 2.

Gangnam

2. Deux Crèmes

With a facade made up entirely of glass, Deux Crèmes radiates splendor like no other cafe in Seoul. This is a popular three-storey pastry house that caters to sweet-tooth connoisseurs. From tarts to latte to bingsu, the cafe has it all. Our favourite was the Sweet Potato Latte as it was so very creamy and fragrant. Be sure to grab a seat by the glass facade overlooking the streets for a great cafe experience!

Deux Crèmes
English Address: 533-11 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Korean Address: 강남구 신사동 533-11
Tel: +822 5457931
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 12am

Directions to Deux Crèmes
Deux Crèmes is located in the pretty area of Garosu-gil. Take the metro on line 3 and alight at Sinsa Station. Go out from exit 8 and walk straight for about 250m before turning left. Continue walking for a short while and and you will see the cafe. Total walking time should be around 13 minutes. You can refer to the Deux Crèmes Google Maps directions, and the rough map of Garosu-gil I created.

3. Kyochon Chicken

We ate at the Kyochon Chicken branch in Gangnam and even though we waited almost half an hour for the food to arrive, at least the Korean Fried Chicken was delicious. We ordered the Wings and Drumettes (KRW 18,000) from the “Kyochon Half & Half Series”, meaning it consisted of half “Kyochon Red Series” (spicy) and half “Kyochon Series” (non-spicy). The KFC was fried to perfection, with crispy skin and juicy tender meat. Definitely a satisfying meal! You can refer to the Kyochon Chicken restaurant menu.

Kyochon Chicken (Gangnam)
Address: 1309-8 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Operating hours: Daily 3pm to 2am
Website: www.kyochon.com (Korean)

Delivery Option 
Delivery Hours: Daily 11am to 11pm
Delivery Hotline: +822 3203000

Directions to Kyochon Chicken (Gangnam branch)
The restaurant is located between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station. Take the subway to Gangnam Station (Green Line 2, Red Sinbundang Line). From Exit 9, walk for about 10 minutes. You can refer to the Kyochon Chicken Google Maps directions. You can also check out my rough map of Gangnam, where I have marked out Kyochon Chicken’s location.

Also read: 8 Great Cafes in Garosu-Gil (Seoul)

Itaewon

4. Passion 5

Passion 5 is a bakery/cafe in Itaewon that is widely touted to be one of the best patisseries in Seoul! Other than serving freshly baked breads, the patisserie also offers delicious sweet pastries and desserts. We ordered the Strawberry Cake (KRW 6,700), which had layers of fluffy cake alternating with luscious pastry cream, complete with strawberry slices. It was one of the best cakes I had ever eaten! The flavours were balanced nicely and the cake turned into a pleasant sweet mush in my mouth. Passion 5 had a great ambience too, making it the perfect place for us to take a short break before starting our exploration of Itaewon.

Passion 5
Address: 729-74 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone Number: +82 2 2071 9505
Operating hours: Daily 7.30am to 10pm

Directions to Passion 5
From Exit 3 of Hangangjin station (Line 6), walk for 3 minutes towards the cafe. It is located at the ground floor of a black building with a 2D red bird statue outside. You can refer to the Passion 5 Google Maps directions and the rough map of Itaewon.

Also read: 8 Fun Things to Do in Itaewon (Seoul)!

Myeongdong

5. Loco Quan 401

Located in the heart of Myeong-dong, Loco Quan 401 Restaurant offers sumptuous Korean BBQ in a well-ventilated environment. It is owned by the affable “HaHa”, a popular member of the Running Man cast. We indulged in the popular Pork Belly (KRW 14,900) and Neck of Pork (KRW 14,900). Both meats were succulent and scrumptious. The Cold Kimchi Noodle (KRW 5,000) was an interesting but delicious dish, with noodles served in ice-cold soup. For drinks, the restaurant staff recommended the Han la san soju (KRW 5,000), which had an alluring piquant flavour. It was a great drink to wash down the sumptuous Korean BBQ!

Loco Quan 401 Restaurant
Address: 8th floor of Champion Building. 41 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Phone Number: +82 2 325 0805
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1am

Directions to Loco Quan 401 Restaurant
From Myeongdong Station Exit 8, turn left and walk straight. You will go past Shinhan Bank. Continue walking straight for about 2 minutes until you see the MCM building. The restaurant is located on the 8th floor of “Champion Building” which is right beside MCM. You can refer to the Google Maps directions for Loco Quan 401 or look at the rough map of Myeongdong I created.

6. Noo Na Hol Dak

Noo Na Hol Dak is a Korean Fried chicken restaurant that is very popular with Seoul locals. We ordered the Crispy Baked Chicken (KRW 15,900) which came with Korean pickles, 2 tangy sauces, crunchy fries, and of course the mouth-watering Korean fried chicken pieces! The meat was so tender and juicy! Both of us finished everything in a hurry, even though the portion was huge. I washed down the meal with a mug of the Korean Cass draft beer (KRW 3,500). Sometimes, happiness lies in the simple things. Case in point, beer and fried chicken at Noo Na Hol Dak.

Noo Na Hol Dak
Address: Hotel ibis Ambassador Seoul Myeong Dong, 78 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Directions to Noo Na Hol Dak
The restaurant is located right beside Hotel ibis Ambassador Seoul Myeong-dong. It is a short three-minute walk from Eujiro 1–ga Station (Line 2). You can refer to the Noo Na Hol Dak Google Maps directions, and the rough map of Myeong-dong I created.

7. Migabon

MiGaBon(味加本) is an awesome porridge restaurant in Myeong-dong. We had a little difficulty locating the restaurant, but we finally found it and our efforts were well rewarded! The Mushroom Porridge (KRW 6,000) was a quintessential example of how ALL porridges should be prepared – with a luxuriously smooth texture, savoury taste, and mixed with scrumptious ingredients (mushrooms, sesame seeds, spring onions). I finished the whole bowl within minutes. This was definitely one of our best meals in Seoul!

Directions to MiGaBon Myeong-dong
The restaurant is a 5-minute walk from Exit 8 of Myeong-dong station, slightly further down from Loco Quan 401 Restaurant. You can refer to the MiGaBon Google maps directions, or the rough map of Myeong-dong.

MiGaBon Myeong-dong
Address: 미가본 – Migabon Restaurant, 2-2 Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone Number: +82 2752 0330
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 10pm

Also read: 6 Awesome Places to Eat in Myeong-dong (Seoul)!

Samcheongdong

8. Mukshidonna Tteokbokki

There is nothing more satisfying than indulging in hot, steaming one-pot-goodness in cold weather. And we did that exactly at Mukshidonna Tteokbokki in Samcheong-dong! This no-frills restaurant is famous for its Korean “Army Stew” where you get to choose your ingredients to cook in a single pot of delicious stew. All the stews are served with tteokbokki (Korean rice cake). For the main ingredients we ordered Seafood (KRW4,500) and Cheese (KRW4,500), and for staples we had Ramyeon (Korean instant noodles, KRW1,000), Odaeng (Korean Fishcake, KRW1,000) and Fried Rice (KRW2,000).

The result is a harmony of flavours that tasted so good and left us so satisfied. After we finished most of the stew, the rice was tossed into the pot and stir fried, allowing it to soak up the residual goodness of the savoury stew. Needless to say, the fried rice tasted great too. You would kick yourself for not visiting Mukshidonna if you are in Seoul!

Mukshidonna Tteokbokki
Address: Samcheongdong, Jongno-gu, Anguk-dong, 17-18
Korean address: 서울특별시 종로구, 안국동, 17-18
Phone Number: +82 2 723 8089
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8.30pm (Closed on certain Sundays)
Directions: Click here to see how to get to Mukshidonna

Also read: 5 Things to Do in Samcheong-dong (Seoul)

University Quarter

9. Bonjuk

Bonjuk is the second porridge place on this list because Seoul has such awesome porridges! The restaurant offers over ten types of porridge and the signature items are Abalone, Samgye and Crab Meat Porridge. Service was prompt and our Abalone Porridge (KRW 10,000) was served piping hot. It came with side dishes that served as tasty flavour enhancers for the porridge – perfect for people like me who prefer stronger flavours. Bonjuk is definitely a great choice for breakfast!

Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

Directions to Bonjuk (Ewha Women University)
Go out from Ewha Women University Metro Station Exit 2, walk straight and turn left at the first intersection. You will see Ewhayeodae 1-gil on the left and Ewhayeodae 2-gil on the right. Turn into Ewhayeodae 1-gil and you will see Bonjuk on your left. You can refer to this rough map of Seoul’s University Quarter to get a better idea.

10. Yeolbong Andong Jjimdak

Yeolbong Andong Jjimdak – A PERFECT restaurant for a rainy day. One of the must-eat in this restaurant is Andong Jjimdak, which is chicken with vermicelli noodles and a variety of vegetables marinated in Korean soy sauce. Boy oh boy, just imagine tender chicken, rice cakes, vegetables, potatoes and vermicelli noodles all soaked in the goodness of the sweet and spicy sauce! It was served hot to us and I can still remember the fragrance as I am typing this. We went for spicy level 2 (already quite spicy) and it was perfect for our tummies because we went on a rainy day. Spicy level 2? Yes you get to choose the level of spiciness for this dish. Would we eat Andong Jjimdak again if we went back to Seoul? YES!

Yeolbong Andong Jjimdak
Address: 364-23 Seogyo-dong
Operating hours: 11am to 11pm
Directions: The restaurant is a ten-minute walk from Exit 8 of Hongik University Metro Station. You can refer to the Yeolbong Andong Jjimdak Google Maps directions, or the rough map of Seoul’s University Quarter where I have marked out its location.

Also read: 5 Best Places to Eat at Seoul’s University Quarter (Ewha Womans University, Sinchon and Hongdae)

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Seoul Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away? 🙂