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Seoul

Cafés, restaurants and places in Seoul, written by bloggers who went there.

Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae Korean restaurant with a free photo zone: Baengni Gomtang

Baengni Gomtang is a beef gomtang (clear Korean beef soup) restaurant in an alley off Wausan-ro 29-gil, near Hongdae Entrance Station in Mapo, Seoul. Visiting with her mom, the writer ordered beef gomtang and tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties), emptied a clear, mild bowl topped with sprout ginseng right down to the bottom, and took a keepsake photo at the free photo zone on the way out. Baengni Gomtang is an easy choice for a family meal when you want something warm and not spicy.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulCafés

Yeoksam coffee shop with Sanghamokjang aged deep latte: Roastery Stan

Roastery Stan Yeoksam Main is a coffee and sando (sandwich-style pastry) café 378m from Exit 3 of Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The iced americano costs 3,700 won, the Sanghamokjang Deep Latte 4,700 won and the strawberry sando 9,000 won, and the coffee poured heavy-bodied with no bitterness, burnt notes or sourness beside a clean, lightly sweet strawberry sando. With only four tables inside, Roastery Stan Yeoksam Main works best as a takeout stop, and Yeoksam office workers grab cups here after lunch.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam café with pistachio cream latte: Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a large dessert café near Gangnam Station in Seoul, about a 10-minute walk away and close to Sinnonhyeon Station, spread across a whole three-story building. With four kinds of canelé and five kinds of tiramisu in the showcase, the order at Upper and Under was Basque cheesecake, a plain financier, a pistachio cream latte and an iced americano, eaten at a floor-to-ceiling window seat upstairs. The smoky-edged cheesecake, soft as sundubu inside, and the crisp-then-chewy financier make Upper and Under a café worth returning to for the rest of the shelf.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ private room for 12 in Gangnam, Seoul: Yuklab Gangnam

Yuklab Gangnam is a charcoal-grilled beef and lamb Korean BBQ restaurant on the second floor near Exit 11 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. Yuklab Gangnam has one private room that seats about 12, window-side tables for four, and a bar table where wine and whiskey corkage is allowed, and the 2-person rib set costs 64,000 won with jingalbisal (marbled beef rib meat), lamb ribs and seasoned ribs grilled in that order. Smoke was drawn away beside the grill, so the room stayed comfortable even with a large group — a solid pick for a team dinner.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Nowon, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ group dinner for 5 with mixed naengmyeon in Nowon: Hanam

Hanam Doeji Jip Seokgye branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the restaurant street near Seokgye Station in Nowon, Seoul, where staff grill the pork for you. Five diners ordered two mixed platters (49,000 won each) along with water naengmyeon and pollack sashimi naengmyeon, and worked through charcoal pre-seared pork belly, premium neck meat, fresh short ribs and grilled kimchi. Pouring the water naengmyeon broth over the pollack sashimi naengmyeon made the single best bite of the visit.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulBars

Seoul bar with non-alcoholic highballs near Sadang Station: Dophan

Dophan is a wine bar and gastropub in Seocho, Seoul, on the second floor of the Oneul Sotbap building about a 10-minute walk from Sadang Station. On a weekday evening at Dophan's bar table, seasonal fruit balsamic burrata and perilla oil cappellini with dressed greens came paired with a green tangerine mojito and a tea leaf highball, and every highball here can be ordered non-alcoholic. With a private group room as well, Dophan works just as well for company dinners and pre-wedding gatherings as for a quiet drink for two.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Dongdaemun, SeoulRestaurants

Short rib soup dinner near Kyung Hee University: Hoegi Wang Galbitang

Hoegi Wang Galbitang is a galbitang (beef short rib soup) and braised short rib restaurant at 54 Imun-ro in Dongdaemun, Seoul, sitting between Hoegi Station and Kyung Hee University. After an evening on campus, the writer walked over and ordered the fortifying teuk wang galbitang, which came with big meaty short ribs, a clear broth and self-serve unlimited rice. For a hearty, mild-tasting Korean dinner near Hoegi Station, Hoegi Wang Galbitang is a solid pick.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Daeheung smash burger lunch with a coworker: Bored & Hungry Mapo

Bored & Hungry Mapo is an American-style smash burger restaurant a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Daeheung Station in Mapo, Seoul. Over lunch with a coworker, the order was a classic cheeseburger and a peanut bacon cheeseburger with seasoned fries and corn ribs, and the sides were so generous that part of them went home in a takeout box. Between the graffiti exterior and the checkerboard-floor retro interior, Bored & Hungry Mapo is an easy place to shake off a routine workday.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Seongdong, SeoulCafés

Seongsu cake café for gift-wrapped birthday cakes and wine: Notldun

Notldun is a cake and dessert café in Seongsu, Seoul, right beside Seoul Forest on Seoul Forest 2-gil. For a birthday, the Pistachio Festival and the Salty Caramel Mille-feuille were 13,000 won each and came individually wrapped, and the mille-feuille paired especially well with wine. Notldun is an easy recommendation when you need a gift or celebration cake.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Jongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongak Station sushi: brushing soy sauce with ginger, Choe Uyeong

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is a sushi restaurant on the basement level of a building on Jongno 5-gil near Jongak Station in Jongno, Seoul. Two premium sushi sets of 17 pieces at 33,000 won each and a 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon brought tuna belly, sea urchin, abalone and monkfish liver to the table, eaten by using a slice of ginger as a brush to dab soy sauce on the fish side only. With 2 hours of free parking in the building, Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is a great-value sushi spot you can drive to.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo skewer bar with Wando abalone hot pot rice: Yakitori Shomong

Yakitori Shomong is a Japanese izakaya between Gongdeok and Daeheung stations in Mapo, Seoul, grilling yakitori over binchotan charcoal with seats that look onto the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail. The writer ordered the 3-skewer and 6-skewer courses with truffle thigh and chicken wing add-ons, plus a hot pot rice topped with three Wando abalone and a kaisen tomato nabe. Because the 6- and 9-course menus come with free corkage on sake, wine and whiskey, Yakitori Shomong is worth visiting with your own bottle.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored
Songpa, SeoulRestaurants

Bangi-dong Korean BBQ across 3 floors with free parking: Yukmong

Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Bangi-dong, Songpa, Seoul, occupying a whole building from basement 1 to the 2nd floor for group dinners and private rooms. The writer ordered the Korean pork sampler set at 69,900 won, added galbi-samgyeop (rib and pork belly) and fried-egg kimchi fried rice for a total of 101,900 won, with staff grilling every cut tableside from start to finish. With rooms in the basement and both the basement and 2nd floor available for full rental, Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch fits larger Bangi-dong get-togethers.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored