Shoyu ramen and fried gyoza near Seoul Museum of Art: Mentsuru

I went to the Seoul Museum of Art alone to see an exhibition, and on my way out I stumbled onto this City Hall restaurant for solo diners — Mentsuru City Hall Branch. It's only about a 2-minute walk from the museum, so it slotted perfectly into a solo Seoul Museum of Art outing, and it felt totally fine to walk in alone for a bowl of ramen. If you're looking for somewhere to eat solo near City Hall, the location alone makes this worth a review :)

Where is Mentsuru City Hall Branch, and what are the hours?

📍 Mentsuru City Hall Branch / 1st floor, 2 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00 - 21:30

It really only took about 2 minutes on foot from the museum. So if you're visiting an exhibition solo like me, it's an easy route: Seoul Museum of Art → ramen → City Hall Station.

Inside Mentsuru: bar seats built for eating alone

The first thing I noticed walking in was how clean and pleasant the whole place felt! There are tables for 2 and for 4, plus separate bar seats that are comfortable to sit at alone — perfect for someone like me looking for a solo dining spot near City Hall.

The overall tone of the restaurant was wood-toned, which gave off a cozy, comfortable feeling.

Even though I came at an odd time — 4pm — there were quite a lot of people in the restaurant. There were couples on dates, and also solo diners like me.

I sat at the bar seats!

What we ordered at Mentsuru and what it cost

Besides ramen, there's a decent range of options — rice bowls, gara-age (Japanese fried chicken), and gyoza (dumplings) as side dishes. Since it was my first visit, I picked the signature menu item, shoyu ramen. I added fried gyoza and a coke as sides.

• Shoyu ramen ₩11,000
• Fried gyoza ₩5,000
• Coke ₩2,000
• Total ₩18,000

I ate alone and the portions were reasonable overall. With bar seats like these, it's a great restaurant for eating solo near City Hall!

How is the shoyu ramen at Mentsuru? Broth, noodles and egg

Shoyu ramen, ₩11,000. Since it's billed as the signature menu item, I ordered it without much thought.

First off, the broth was deep and rich.

What surprised me was that there was onion in it! Apparently it uses a clam and chicken broth, and tasting it, the flavor did feel quite rich.

I liked the noodles too. They didn't go soft and had a springy texture that paired well with the broth, and the portion was just right for a solo meal.

And what I especially enjoyed was the soft-boiled egg. The yolk was soft and runny, and it went really well eaten together with the broth. If it's your first time at Mentsuru, I'd recommend the shoyu ramen.

The chashu (braised pork) on top of the ramen was also tender! And no unpleasant smell either!

Fried gyoza at Mentsuru: 6 pieces, easy to finish solo

The side I ordered along with the ramen was fried gyoza. One plate came with 6 pieces total. There was soy sauce spread underneath on the plate, so the seasoning naturally soaked in — the seasoning was just right, and the filling inside was packed full.

Nice to have as a side when eating just ramen felt a little lacking. Since it's 6 pieces, it wasn't too much to order alone.

Is Mentsuru worth it after a solo Seoul Museum of Art visit?

Mentsuru City Hall Branch, a great solo-dining spot near City Hall that I visited for lunch after going to the museum alone! The best part was, again, the location. It's close to City Hall Station, and just a 2-minute walk from the Seoul Museum of Art, so it was easy to go straight from the exhibition to a meal. For under 20,000 won, you can enjoy ramen and gyoza at a great price — I highly recommend it to anyone wondering where to go for a solo outing!