Pork set with grilling service at a Bukchang-dong Korean BBQ

I had an appointment near City Hall and stopped by with a friend for meat afterward, ending up at Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch. There are so many popular spots for office workers around City Hall Station that I had trouble deciding, but that day I was craving charcoal-grilled meat, so I looked up Korean BBQ restaurants near City Hall and landed on Geumseong Hoegwan.

Location and hours

• Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch, 30 Namdaemun-ro 1-gil, 1F, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Open daily 11:00 - 23:00
• Group seating, Wi-Fi, reservations, high chairs

Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch sits inside the Bukchang-dong restaurant alley.

It's an easy walk from City Hall Station, so getting there by public transit was convenient. Namdaemun Market, Gwanghwamun, and Deoksugung Palace are all nearby too, so it's a good stop if you're already exploring around City Hall Station.

Atmosphere and seating

The interior felt clean and tidy overall. The wood tones blended nicely with the classic-style decor, and the huge chandelier on the ceiling caught my eye, giving the place a stylish feel.

Every table had its own grill plate and ventilation, so the meal stayed comfortable even while grilling.

The relaxed atmosphere seemed well suited to gatherings or office dinners. It's genuinely popular with the office workers around City Hall Station, so it would work well if you're looking for a dinner spot near City Hall Station.

What's on the menu?

Here's the menu at Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch :) It's a charcoal BBQ restaurant where you can enjoy both pork and beef, with pork options like galbi-bon-samgyeop, pork neck, and seasoned galbi, plus beef options like Korean beef nunkkotsal (snowflake beef) and beef king galbi.

Beyond the grilled meats, there are meal options like galbitang (short rib soup), yukhoe bibimbap, and Korean beef yukhoe naengmyeon, along with mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon that pair well with meat — a hearty lineup all around.

We ordered the pork one-geun set, which comes with galbi-bon-samgyeop and pork neck together.

Side dishes and weekday sundubu-jjigae service

They first set the table with a generous spread of side dishes and sauces. Kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, pickles, corn salad, wasabi, and more were all laid out. The table already looked plentiful before the meat even arrived, which put me in a good mood.

On top of that, we also got a complimentary sundubu-jjigae, which comes free with weekday main orders. Having a hot stew alongside the meat made the meal feel even more satisfying. On weekends, kimchi-jjigae is served free with main orders instead, so that's worth knowing if you're planning a visit.

The taste of the pork one-geun set and the grilling service

Soon the pork one-geun set we'd ordered arrived. The galbi-bon-samgyeop and pork neck came out in thick portions, looking really appetizing.

A staff member put the meat on the grill and cooked it for us. Watching the meat turn golden brown over the charcoal made me want to dig in right away. The grilling service meant I could just relax and enjoy the meal.

The galbi-bon-samgyeop was savory with juicy, moist fat, while the pork neck was mild and tender — I liked how the two cuts had slightly different flavors.

It was delicious on its own, but pairing it with the side dishes one by one let the same meat taste different depending on the combination.

In summary

Geumseong Hoegwan is a solid choice if you're looking for a dinner spot around City Hall Station — the meat menu is varied and the location is convenient. You can pick pork or beef depending on your taste, and there's a good range of meal options to pair with the meat for a hearty spread.

If you're near City Hall Station craving good charcoal-grilled meat, or looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant in Bukchang-dong, I'd recommend it. It was a comfortable place to eat with a friend, and the atmosphere suited office dinners and group gatherings just as well.