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Seoul

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

Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean BBQ, 400g platter and yukhoe bibimbap: Gungmin Hanwoo

Gungmin Hanwoo House Samseong Station branch is a hanwoo grill restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, a 9-minute walk from Samseong Station Exit 4. Two diners ordered the 400g premium platter (tenderloin, seolhwa sirloin, top sirloin and whole rib finger) plus No.9 yukbi (yukhoe bibimbap), and the water parsley banchan came packed with yukhoe (raw beef). The cuts are thick enough to grill medium rare — charred outside, juicy inside — which made this one of the more satisfying Korean BBQ dinners near Samseong Station.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Yongsan, SeoulCafés

Sinyongsan laptop-friendly café with QR ordering: HYBE Playground

HYBE Playground is a four-floor café and lounge near Sinyongsan Station in Yongsan, Seoul, set inside a 1970 inn building that was remodeled and standing right across from HYBE headquarters. Working remotely on a weekday, the writer took a 2nd-floor window seat and ordered peach cake, a sandwich and iced drinks by QR code while looking out over Yongsan. Coffee, dessert and the space itself all worked together, making HYBE Playground a café worth returning to with a laptop.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangseo, SeoulCafés

Magok café for Marco Polo tea with hot water refills: Pict Roastery

Pict Roastery Magoknaru Branch is a roastery café on the 2nd floor of Castle Park, across from Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo, Seoul. Arriving just after 1pm with a former coworker once the lunch rush had passed, we ordered matcha basque cheesecake for 7,500 won, an americano for 4,900 won and Marco Polo tea for 6,500 won, then asked for hot water refills to stretch the tea out. Pict Roastery stays calm in the early afternoon, which makes it an easy place to sit and catch up.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Songpa, SeoulRestaurants

Jamsil agujjim restaurant in Seoul: 48,000 won for three, Ttoksuni

Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Branch is a Korean restaurant near Olympic Park on Wiryeseong-daero in Songpa, Seoul, serving agujjim (spicy braised angler fish with bean sprouts). The tables were already packed before noon, and three of us shared a medium Ttoksuni Agujjim at 48,000 won on the default spice level and left completely full. The bean sprouts stayed crunchy, the angler fish was plump, and the self-bar side dishes plus plum tea and rice puffs by the door made Ttoksuni Agujjim an easy lunch or group-dinner pick in Jamsil.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangdong, SeoulRestaurants

Late-dinner chicken galbi in Cheonho's Jjukkumi Alley: Ondogye

Ondogye is a charcoal chicken galbi (grilled marinated chicken) restaurant that has held its spot in Cheonho's Jjukkumi Alley in Gangdong, Seoul, for years. Arriving late in the evening meant no wait, and the order was garlic salt, soy sauce and spicy sauce chicken galbi, one serving each, grilled from start to finish by the staff, with fried chicken gizzard served free. Dipping the spicy chicken galbi in the owner's white sauce was the standout combination, making Ondogye a chicken galbi restaurant worth going back to.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulCafés

Sinsa Station bakery café: six breads under 20,000 won, K-Chop Sarada

K-Chop Sarada Sinsa Direct Store is a budget bakery café newly opened in the alley of Gangnam-daero 156-gil near Sinsa Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Sarada bread (bread filled with salad) is priced from 1,500 won up to the 3,000-won range, so six kinds still came to under 20,000 won, and an americano was 1,900 won. K-Chop Sarada is an easy stop near Sinsa Station for a quick meal or a bag of snacks to take away.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Eunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Nokbeon-dong restaurant with a 10,000-won sundaeguk: Samo Sundaeguk

Samo Sundaeguk Nokbeon is a sundaeguk (pork and blood sausage soup) restaurant in Nokbeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, run by the same family since 1986 and now in its third generation. A basic bowl of sundaeguk costs 10,000 won, and the broth — made from pork bones with no additives, according to the restaurant — tasted savory and clean even before salted shrimp or seasoning went in. Samo Sundaeguk Nokbeon is worth keeping on the shortlist for a hot, filling meal in Nokbeon-dong.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong date restaurant near Hongdae: Pastiar steak set for two

Pastiar is a European-style Western restaurant on the second floor of a Yeonnam-dong alley in Mapo, Seoul, a 6-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. From a window seat, the steak set for two — sous vide steak, shrimp toowoomba pasta, one glass of red wine and one grapefruit ade — cost 53,000 won, and even the fruit syrup and the carrot rapee were made by the owner, so everything tasted clean. Pastiar is an easy recommendation for a dinner date or a first date in Yeonnam-dong.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangdong, SeoulRestaurants

Gangdong noodle restaurant with unlimited rice refills: Myeon Sikdang

Myeon Sikdang Godeok Station Branch is a ramen and rice-noodle chain restaurant on the first floor of the Lotteria building by Exit 4 of Godeok Station in Gangdong, Seoul. Three people ordered spicy tonkotsu ramen, mala shabu rice noodles and tonkotsu ramen with 2 pieces of mozzarella cheese katsu and 4 potato croquettes for under 10,000 won each, and rice refills are unlimited when everyone orders a main, so they went back for more. Myeon Sikdang is a value pick that nails the basics.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulBars

Yeonnam-dong cocktail bar with movie cocktails and sofa seats: Bar

Bar Catalyst is a cocktail bar on the 3rd floor of a building in a Yeonnam-dong alley in Seoul, about 470m from Hongik University Station Exit 3. Four friends reserved the sofa seats in advance and ordered cocktails inspired by the films Wall-E and About Time, classics like the Rusty Nail and Manhattan, plus grilled brie and crème brûlée. The movie cocktails arrive with their own props, making Bar Catalyst a good fit for a group night out or a Yeonnam-dong date.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae sashimi bar for a soju night with friends: Eosa Chulto

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is a live-fish sashimi restaurant and drinking spot within walking distance of Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. After work, a group of friends worked through thick-cut sashimi, 8 bottles of soju and a spicy fish stew (maeuntang) to finish. If you like the sashimi-soju-stew-more-soju routine, Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch fits perfectly.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam Chinese restaurant with a self-serve bar: Jjamppong Jijon

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is a large second-floor Chinese restaurant a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul, with free parking. Two of us ordered rice-flour sweet and sour pork (20,000 won), signature jjamppong (13,000 won) and jjajangmyeon (9,500 won), and the self-serve corner had blue lemon ade, yuja tea, free extra rice and even individually wrapped hair ties. The sweet and sour pork was crisp outside and chewy inside and the jjamppong was packed with clams, so Jjamppong Jijon is a 100% return visit.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored