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Seoul

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

Geumcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Gasan-dong Korean restaurant, spicy ribs with soju: Gim Myeongtae

Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch is a braised short rib restaurant at 132-1 Gasan-ro in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, across from the Gasan-dong Community Center. On an early evening visit, the small spicy braised short ribs cost 33,000 won, paired with a bottle of Saero soju at 5,000 won, simmered with wide glass noodles and finished with self-made flying fish roe fried rice for 3,000 won. Gim Myeongtae suits a night when you want a spicy dish, a glass of soju and fried rice to close it out.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Chinese restaurant near Seoul Arts Center for pre-concert lunch

Seongung is a Chinese restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, on the basement level of Seocho Peace Building beside Nambu Bus Terminal Station Exit 5, a short hop from Seoul Arts Center. For a lunch before a concert at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, this visit ordered Shandong shoji (cold sliced chicken), eoyanggaji shrimp (eggplant and shrimp in spicy garlic sauce), paljin tangmyeon at 12,000 won and chadol jjamppong, and both the cooked dishes and the noodle mains delivered. With free parking plus private rooms and group seating, Seongung suits family gatherings as easily as a quick meal before a show.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ near Hapjeong Station: four-cut hanwoo set at No.9

Eutteum Aged Hanwoo No.9 Hapjeong Branch is an aged hanwoo (Korean beef) grill restaurant on the first floor of the Mapo Han River Prugio 2nd Complex shopping arcade near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. Two diners shared the Hanwoo Special Set 600g (deckle, sirloin, sae-usal, skirt) for 165,000 won, plus a 1++ hanwoo doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) at 7,000 won and bokbunja wine at 15,000 won, with staff grilling each cut to the table's pace and a house-made fish sauce and basil sauce for different cuts. With ankimo (monkfish liver) and yukhoe (beef tartare) among the complimentary side dishes, Eutteum Aged Hanwoo No.9 is a solid choice near Hapjeong Station when you are treating guests.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Yeongdeungpo, SeoulBars

Dangsan Station izakaya: sashimi platter and grilled rockfish, Kaken

Kaken is an izakaya about 33 meters from Exit 2 of Dangsan Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, serving sashimi and grilled fish side by side. Friends who had just left their jobs came to Kaken for a second round and ordered the sashimi platter made with that day's catch, grilled rockfish, and soju. Even on a full stomach from the first stop, the thick, chewy sashimi at Kaken kept the chopsticks moving.

Written Sep 2, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae lamb BBQ with rare loin skewers: Hanseong Yang Kkochi

Hanseong Yang Kkochi Gyodae Branch 2 is a lamb skewer and Chinese restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 14 of Gyodae Station. On this visit the writer, a regular, ordered the lamb loin skewers (₩23,000) — a rare cut said to yield only a small portion per lamb — along with fried eggplant in sauce (₩18,000) for the first time and the usual fried rice (₩7,000). The lamb has no gamey smell and the cooked dishes are strong, but parking at Hanseong Yang Kkochi is tight, so the subway is the easier way to come.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Jongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongak Station pizza pub: a whole pizza each at Didi's Pizza Pub

Didi's Pizza Pub Jongno Main Branch is a pizza pub near Jongak Station and the Jongno-gu Office in Seoul that serves handmade dough pizzas with beer. Two of us came at lunch and each ordered a whole pizza — the handmade dough Didi's Pizza at 14,000 won and the handmade dough Didi's Buldak (fire chicken) Pizza at 14,800 won — and the long, pide-shaped dough came out plump with cheese that stretched. The dough at Didi's Pizza Pub is on a different level from frozen dough, and both pizzas were cleared between us.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho pizza restaurant with squid gnocchi tteokbokki: Dooblock Isu

Dooblock Isu is a pizza and pasta restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, a short walk from Exit 5 of Chongshin University (Isu) Station. Two people shared the diavola pizza at 22,800 won and the whole squid gnocchi tteokbokki at 24,800 won, ordered with a chosen spice level, and the contrast between chewy rice cakes and soft potato gnocchi plus the seafood savouriness left both plates empty. Dooblock Isu suits blind dates and wedding-invitation gatherings that want something other than the usual pasta.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Mexican restaurant in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul with free parking: Chilango

Chilango Seolleung Main Branch is a Mexican restaurant on Yeoksam-ro 67-gil in Gangnam, Seoul. A taco plate for two costs 54,000 won, served with meat, seafood and vegetables to wrap to taste, and Chilango has about 3 free parking spots on site plus a pet-friendly terrace. The ingredients taste clearly different from franchise tacos, making Chilango Seolleung worth a return visit.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Seogyo-dong pork belly restaurant, 200g for ₩9,900: Mapo Gui Madang

Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is a frozen pork belly (naengsam) restaurant on World Cup Buk-ro in Seogyo-dong, Mapo, Seoul. Frozen pork belly is ₩9,900 for 200g, and two people ate 4 servings, refilled the scallion kimchi twice, and finished with jjolmyeon (spicy chewy noodles). The scallion kimchi alone carried a full bowl of rice, so Mapo Gui Madang is worth a return trip whenever a frozen pork belly craving hits.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Songpa, SeoulRestaurants

Garak Market sashimi shop: 70,000-won live platter to go, Narae Susan

Narae Susan is a sashimi shop at Garak Market in Songpa, Seoul, located in Unit 48 on the first floor of the Garak Mall sales building. A premium live mixed sashimi platter (70,000 won) was reserved ahead and packed for takeout with name tags on each cut, a free serving of abalone sashimi and a yellow cooler bag. The thick-cut slices and the careful packing both satisfied, so Narae Susan is the pick for sashimi takeout at Garak Market.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangseo, SeoulBars

Magok Station whisky bar in Seoul, solo sherry vs peat: The Malt Magok

The Malt Magok is a casual single malt whisky and cocktail bar on the 2nd floor of Hillstate Eco Magok Station, right outside Exit 3 of Magok Station in Gangseo, Seoul. Visiting alone, the writer ordered the one-person fruit and cheese platter with the cocktails Pretty Conti and Love Affair, then compared Edradour 10 Year, Signatory Caol Ila 2013 and Ardbeg Corryvreckan one after another with the owner's guidance. Tasting sherry and peat side by side gave a clear answer: smoky peated whisky is the writer's style.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Men's see-through dandy cut, down perm at Gangnam hair salon Koara

Koara Haircare Gangnam is a hair salon on the B1 floor of A Tower on Teheran-ro, 30 seconds from Exit 12 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. A men's see-through dandy cut combined with a side-hair down perm and volume magic straightening tamed curly hair that kept flaring out at the sides, leaving the fringe light enough to show a little forehead and the sides pressed down naturally. Koara Haircare Gangnam is worth a visit if you want a men's cut that looks tidy without any fussy morning styling.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored