Gangneung restaurant that seats large dogs on the 1st floor: Gossi's

I took a summer vacation trip to Gangwon-do with Bamsik this time. We stayed in Yangyang, but on our way home we stopped in Gangneung for a meal. I'd heard Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, a famous Gangneung restaurant, is a dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung that even accepts large dogs, so here's my review after visiting.

Where is Gossi's Donghae Makguksu in Gangneung, and where do you park?

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, this dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung, sits right in front of Gangmun Beach.

For parking, you can use the public parking lot right next to Gangmun Beach — the first hour is free, and the restaurant covers up to 90 minutes, so you can eat without rushing.

The Gangmun Beach public parking lot is always busy since so many people use it, but the turnover is fast too, so a spot usually opens up if you wait a bit.

1st, 2nd or 3rd floor: which seats do large dogs get at Gossi's?

The tall building you can even see from the parking lot is entirely Gossi's Donghae Makguksu.

The 1st floor doesn't have that much seating, but the 2nd and 3rd floors are very spacious and even take group bookings.

For groups of 30 or more, the 3rd floor can be reserved exclusively — and window seats on the 2nd and 3rd floors let you enjoy an ocean view through the wide windows while you eat.

The 3rd floor seemed to be where dog guests visiting this dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung are mainly seated, but because the stairwell up is narrow, large dogs may be flexibly seated on either the 1st or 3rd floor depending on the situation at the time.

Waiting list and opening hours at Gossi's Donghae Makguksu

Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, known as a top Gangneung restaurant recommendation, is a place where waiting is basically required at mealtimes.

There's a Catch Table kiosk right in front of the 1st floor, so when there's a wait you can register comfortably and wait your turn.

Hours run 10:00–20:30 on weekdays and 08:00–20:30 on weekends and holidays, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00, so definitely check before you go.

They also take a one-day temporary closure the day after major holidays, and hours can vary during peak season, so it's worth checking in advance.

If you're visiting with a large dog for this dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung, call ahead to check whether it's possible to be seated right now, and follow the staff's guidance.

The 2-person set on the 1st floor with Bamsik, a large dog

Since Gossi's Donghae Makguksu is right in front of the parking lot, it was easy to take Bamsik for a quick bathroom walk after parking.

Because I'd called ahead, the owner came out to guide us as soon as we stood at the entrance.

It seemed like large dogs are seated on the 1st floor since climbing to the 3rd floor is difficult, and since 1st-floor seating isn't very spacious, the owner seemed to adjust timing and seating if there were other large-dog guests.

When we visited, there weren't any other large-dog guests, so we could eat comfortably.

Ordering was done via a tablet at each table, and we ordered the 2-person set and the buckwheat gimbap salad.

The set menu lets you change the makguksu (buckwheat noodle) options, and it comes with boiled pork too, so you can eat a satisfying amount at a reasonable price.

Since I like kongguksu (chilled soybean noodle soup), I changed mine to the pine nut sundubu version, while Bamsik's mom chose the regular mul-makguksu (cold broth noodles).

While waiting for the food, we browsed the other menu items on offer.

Besides makguksu, there's kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), sundubu, cheese tenderloin roll cutlet and other warm dishes, plus buckwheat jeon (pancake), boiled pork and buckwheat keto gimbap — plenty of variety for the whole family to find something they like.

How do the Chodang pine nut sundubu makguksu, mul-makguksu and boiled pork taste?

Less than five minutes after ordering, the food was set on the table.

Honestly, I went in thinking all makguksu places taste more or less the same, but after one spoonful of the broth I understood why people wait in line for this.

Bamsik's mom and I usually skip restaurants with a wait even at crowded tourist spots, but this was good enough that the wait would be worth it.

I love thick, nutty kongguksu, and I worried the Chodang pine nut sundubu makguksu would feel odd since it's not regular thin wheat noodles — but there was nothing off about it at all, it went down smoothly.

The basic mul-makguksu Bamsik's mom chose was also cool with a rich broth that seemed to wash away the summer heat completely.

The boiled pork included in the set came out warm too, so it was soft and easy to eat.

After some deliberation we ordered the buckwheat keto gimbap, a specialty item this Gangneung dog-friendly restaurant has even filed a patent for — it was a real treat.

Setting aside a bit of the spicy dadagi (seasoned chili paste) that comes with the makguksu, spooning it onto the buckwheat keto gimbap and eating it with the boiled pork made it even more delicious.

It's a crowded tourist spot and dog-friendly restaurants aren't common in Gangneung, so I went in without high expectations — but this is a Gangneung restaurant that genuinely deserves the line.

Would you return to Gossi's on your next Gangneung trip?

We found Gossi's Donghae Makguksu, this dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung, right as our vacation was winding down.

It's a tourist spot that also happens to be dog-friendly, so I was already grateful there was somewhere that accepts large dogs — I went in without big expectations, but I think I'd come back next time.

While we were eating, someone in a dog owners' group chat I'm in mentioned they were coming to Gangneung, so I quickly recommended this place — and I was surprised they guessed it was Gossi's Donghae Makguksu from just the words 'Gangneung makguksu restaurant recommendation.'

Apparently everyone but me already knew about Gossi's Donghae Makguksu's menu, and it's delicious food from a dog-friendly restaurant in Gangneung that even accepts large dogs — so if you have a Gangneung trip planned, this is my Gangneung restaurant recommendation.