Seoul Korean BBQ private room with a baby in Seocho: Seogyeong Hanwoo

When we eat out with our baby, taste matters, but honestly what really matters for our family is whether the baby eats well too, haha! This time we booked ahead for grilled beef and got assigned a room, so the whole meal was so much easier. We got to eat hanwoo (Korean beef) grilled without worrying about anyone else around us because of the baby, and best of all our baby ate the meat really well, so our whole family was so, so, so satisfied! Even better, since it's a butcher restaurant, the price came out to only ₩100,000-something for 4 adults and 1 baby, and we all left completely full 😲🤎

Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza Arts Center branch: hours, address and parking

Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza Arts Center branch is located at 9 Myeongdal-ro, B1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul, and it's open 11:30–22:00 with 3 hours of free parking. It's a fairly short drive from Seoul Arts Center too, and since parking is free for 3 hours it was easy to visit with the family by car.

Inside Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza: an upscale butcher shop with private rooms

Honestly, when I hear "butcher restaurant" I picture a place that's a bit rough around the edges and crowded, but Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza Arts Center branch turned out to be cleaner and more upscale-feeling than I expected. ✨

The hall is spacious and seemed like a good fit for family gatherings or work dinners with a big group. In particular, having several private rooms was a huge plus for families like mine coming with a baby. We'd booked ahead for grilled beef, and they assigned us a room. Just that alone, with a baby in tow, made me so happy.

Even if the baby got a little restless or moved around mid-meal, we didn't have to worry about other tables, and we could relax and chat while eating — a room really is the best for a family meal out 💗

Apparently people also book rooms ahead for things like 60th birthday celebrations or family events, and honestly, with the combination of hanwoo, a private room, and the clean atmosphere, I could see this working well as a venue for family occasions too.

Which side dishes come free, and can you refill them?

The side dishes set out before the meat arrived were more varied than I expected. Best of all, every single one was tasty, and refills were available for whatever we needed, so we could eat without holding back.

It didn't feel like the bare-bones "just meat" vibe you'd expect from a butcher restaurant — it felt like a proper full spread of side dishes. The table really is set with a good variety of banchan (side dishes) that go well alongside the meat.

And in our house, a meal out is only a success if the baby eats well, lol. Our baby ate an insane amount of meat here. (Game over.) Thanks to that, even our baby left completely full that day.

How paying works at a Korean butcher restaurant

Unlike a regular Korean BBQ place, Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza Arts Center branch is a butcher restaurant, so you pay for the meat separately. At first I thought it might be a bit of a hassle, but once we actually went, I found I actually liked it better.

You get to look at the exact cut you want with your own eyes, check the condition of the meat, and choose exactly how much you want. Sirloin, tenderloin, striploin, specialty cuts and more are all laid out, so you can pick whichever cut looks best that day. And maybe because of this system, I felt like the price stayed relatively reasonable even while eating premium hanwoo.

Galbisal, salchisal and tenderloin: the cuts the baby ate too

We picked our meat by looking directly at the case — galbisal, salchisal, tenderloin and other cuts were all there. The quality looked great; even just looking at the color and marbling made it look mouthwatering. Once grilled, the juices stayed locked in and it was so tender that the whole family enjoyed it.

Our baby ate meat so well that we were busy just grilling more, nonstop..! 🤩 We tried several different cuts, and surprisingly(?) our baby, Jini, really loved the galbisal and salchisal, lol.

When eating with a baby, if the meat is too tough or dry, she won't really eat it — but this was so tender and juicy that she took each piece happily.

If you order the assorted (special) set, yukhoe (beef tartare) comes free!

The meat itself was tender and savory enough to be great for a baby too, and that day I thought, we really made the right call coming to eat hanwoo with the baby.

The galbisal in particular was chewy with rich juices, and the salchisal was tender and savory — my personal favorite. The tenderloin was mild and soft too, easy to eat without feeling heavy.

After the meat, we also ordered doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) to have with rice — because after hanwoo, you've got to finish with doenjang jjigae for a proper ending! That day Jini finished off hanwoo plus rice, a truly solid meal.

Free ice cream and coffee after the meal

There's another great thing once you're done eating. 🔥 Dessert is all sorted in one place! 🔥 There's ice cream available after the meal, so we finished things off nicely before leaving. Getting coffee or ice cream right after the hanwoo meant we didn't even need to go find a separate café — so convenient.

Is Seogyeong Hanwoo Plaza worth it with a baby?

The hanwoo quality was great, and having a room made it genuinely comfortable to eat with a baby. Especially since even the baby loved the galbisal and salchisal so much, it was a highly satisfying family meal out. With good value hanwoo, a private room, a clean atmosphere, and dessert all handled in one visit, this place would work well as a venue for family gatherings or 60th birthday celebrations too!! 🧡