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Cafés, restaurants and places in Gyeongbuk, written by bloggers who went there.
Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is a charcoal grill restaurant in Hyeongok-myeon, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. On a rainy day, the writer grilled AI-pre-grilled whole pork belly over charcoal, paired with homemade side dishes, gyeolmyeongja (cassia seed) tea, steamed egg, marinated crab, and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). With wide table spacing, a baby chair, and a camping-style terrace, it's a great spot for families.
Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch is a Korean restaurant (hanjeongsik) on Samseonghyeon-ro in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, known for its gallery-like hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of parking. On a weekday lunch, a phone reservation landed a solo seat at a six-person table for the chilled mulhoe (raw fish and vegetable cold soup) set, served with abalone, shrimp, vegetables, rice, side dishes, fried eggplant and boiled meat. No bloating afterward — a solid pick for family or group gatherings in Gyeongsan.
Hyoeunok Gyeongju Branch is a beef rib restaurant near Bomun Lake in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, set in a tile-roofed hanok building with mother-of-pearl interior décor and private room seating. A family of three sat in the inner room and ordered the Ppyeoberest Original 5-item set, working through beef rib hot pot, beef shabu-shabu, knife-cut noodles, and gondre porridge, with ribs so tender the bone slid off with just a pair of tongs. It's a strong pick if you're bringing parents along or hosting a family gathering while in Gyeongju.
Goyu is a modern Korean dining restaurant in Hwangnidan-gil, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Visiting for dinner with a child, the writer ordered cold pork with doenjang kale ssambap (wrapped rice), hanwoo yukhoe (raw beef) buckwheat noodles, and cheese potato pancake paired with Korean cheongju (rice wine), alongside neat side dishes like beef radish soup and geotjeori (fresh kimchi). It's a comfortable spot for a full evening spread with family or on a date.
Dongyang Baekban Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Main Branch is a hanok-style Korean restaurant on Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju. The tomato cheese dakbokkeumtang (braised spicy chicken stew) is made with herbal medicinal broth, boneless chicken and generous glass noodles, and comes with refillable side dishes and egg rice. A strawberry ice gyeongdan (rice cake) from the review event capped off a satisfying meal.
Tareudang is a takeout fruit mochi and yogurt shop in the middle of Hwangnidan-gil, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Visiting on a weekday meant no waiting, and a box of four — mango yogurt, kiwi yogurt, gold kiwi, and fresh chocolate — came to around ₩20,000s, with the whole-mango mochi being the biggest and juiciest of all. The domestic sticky rice mochi was wonderfully chewy, making it a great gift too.
Sonsi Sushi Yeungnam University Main Branch is a hand-crafted sushi restaurant that has stood near Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan for 10 years. Visiting for dinner with a sibling's couple, the writer ordered the value set, futomaki, aged soy sauce chicken don, and extra assorted sushi, all made richer by a low-sodium aged soy sauce brewed from Gyeongsan's local jujubes. The verdict: quality far beyond what a university-area restaurant is usually credited with.
Neolpanji Pohang Yeongildae Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant a two-minute walk from Yeongildae Beach in Pohang, Gyeongbuk. The writer arrived at 5:30pm on a Friday after work and ordered three servings of ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and the owner measured the grill temperature with a thermometer and cooked the meat at the table. With a beach walk right after dinner, Neolpanji works well for a group night out or a date.
Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch is a briquette-grilled bulgogi restaurant on Hanji 1-gil in Apo-eup, Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk. In a hall fully booked at weekend lunch, the writer ordered three servings of seasoned grilled bulgogi and a chive pancake, and a bowl of rice brought house doenjang stew, suhyangmi rice and homemade plum tea for dessert. Sonamu Sikdang is an easy lunch pick in Gimcheon, with no worry about smoke clinging to your clothes.
Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is a pork belly and pork neck restaurant on the main road in Hyeongok-myeon, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. After a walk around Hwangnidan-gil, the writer and her sister ordered the 700g mixed platter of whole female-pig pork belly and fresh pork neck with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and a bowl of rice, and the meat an AI robot pre-grilled tasted clean rather than fatty once topped with cucumber pepper, chwinamul and Jerusalem artichoke pickles. With crab in the doenjang jjigae, a complimentary steamed egg and a dedicated parking lot, Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae works just as well for a family dinner or a group gathering.
Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch is a loach soup and Korean restaurant on Bakjeonghui-ro in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, with its own parking lot, a café-style waiting area and a room with game machines. Visiting with parents and two children, the writer booked through Naver and walked straight in with no wait, ordering the mackerel and warm boiled pork sanghwang loach soup set for four plus a whole-octopus seafood pancake. With turmeric rice and a self-serve seasoning bar, Irojeong suits even diners who rarely eat loach soup.
Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch is a home-style Korean restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Grand Hall at Cheonma Art Center, Yeungnam University, in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. A family of four ordered bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap (beef and young radish kimchi rice bowl), tofu doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) and usamgyeop doenjang jjigae, then helped themselves to unlimited five-grain rice, fried eggs, seaweed and barley crackers at the self-bar, going back for rice three more times. Parking is easy once you register your car at the restaurant, making Cafe Dongi a filling family dinner for Gyeongsan and nearby Daegu.
