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Depending on one's palette, quality food in Seoul can be dirt cheap or relatively pricey. Street food in Seoul is safe and tasty, and high-end restaurants are generally a good value as well. Much Korean cuisine is made specifically to be shared with a group so solo-travelers may get some strange looks eating alone.
The exquisite temple food at Balwoo Gonyang could convert the most diehard carnivore to vegetarianism—for the course of a meal at least. Cooking-monk Master Dae An's creative take on temple cuisine is as enlightening as it is creative. Each course introduces diners to different mountain herbs and Buddhist cooking techniques, reflecting Dae An's belief that food should be delicious, healthy, and fun. Some highlights of the ever-changing menu include ginseng with citron sauce, lotus-leaf rice, and a truffle-like mushroom soup. Not just for vegetarians, Balwoo Gongyang is for anyone wishing to expand their palate.
On the 81st floor of the Lotte World Tower, this highly lauded fine dining restaurant serves elegantly prepared contemporary Korean fare with sky-high views. Multi-course lunch and dinner menus highlight local ingredients in everything from stuffed abalone to dry-aged striploin, every bite better than the last.
Chef Yim Jung-sik made waves with this restaurant that takes traditional Korean fare, such as bibimbap and gimbap (Korean sushi rolls) and transforms them into a fine dining experience. Jungsik specializes in course meals that draw from a variety of influences, but are always given a distinctly Korean touch. The service is kind, attentive, and discreet, the atmosphere chic, and the wine list is custom-curated to pair with the current menu. There is a reason why Michelin gave this place two stars.
Traditional Korean cooking "mingles" flawlessly with new techniques at this fine dining restaurant, where exquisite preparations of quality ingredients make for an extra special lunch or dinner. This is the high-end experience for which Gangnam is known, so it's a must if you're looking for the place to indulge in the luxury of the neighborhood.
Set in a beautiful dining room that evokes 1930s Shanghai, this elegant Chinese restaurant in L'Escape Hotel is a favorite among Seoulites. Bold and spicy Sichuan flavors punctuate the menu, which is filled with delectable elevated classics and dim sum. The signature 42-day-old, applewood roasted Peking duck has a crispy skin and is prepared tableside.
Often at the top of lists ranking the best fine dining in Seoul, this lauded French restaurant within the multicultural artspace Piknic has a minimalist dining room that allows artfully prepared dishes to shine. Opened in 2018 by Chef Lee Chung-hu, the restaurant is known for Lee's innovative use of ingredients and his emphasis on home-grown vegetables. The restaurant, with views of Namsan Tower, serves lunch and dinner and is reservation only.
This fine-dining outlet is the signature restaurant of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul hotel. The rich ambiance, with its marble floors and coffered ceiling, underscores the steep menu prices, but it’s worth it to find a New York–style steak 7,000 miles away from the Big Apple. In addition to the USDA dry-aged rib eye, porterhouse and T-Bone, there are a few salads and limited seafood options. There are also prix fixe menus for two to four people that include starters, sides, and desserts. Try to arrange a table by the window for prime views of Heunginjimun Gate.
The very definition of Gangnam luxury is this brand-new seafood buffet on the 52nd floor fo the World Trade Center Seoul. Gaze out at the cityscape below as you dine on king crab, lobster, shrimp, prawns, tuna belly sashimi, and more. The interior is modern and classy without feeling stuffy, and the restaurant also boasts an impressive wine list to go with all of that top-notch seafood. Just bring a powerful credit card, because for a meal like this you've got to pay to play.
Reservations are essential for this highly lauded fine dining establishment where traditional Korean cuisine shines in a multi-course tasting menu. Local ingredients highlight the flavors of the region to produce dishes like sea bream, beef ribs, abalone, black bean tea, and more.
With elegant interiors reminiscent of Belle Epoque Paris, the sumptuous 29th-floor dining room at Mariposa is decorated with motifs featuring its namesake butterfly. Although set within the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel, the restaurant maintains an independent and intimate feel, more so due to its hyper-local tasting menus including abalone and black pork from Jeju Island, beef raised on Jirisan mountain, and fish sourced from the nearby Noryangjin Fish Market. Superb views, terraces, and the attached M29 bar with its signature cocktails round out the many reasons to visit.
Dining at this rotating restaurant at the very top of N Seoul Tower is mostly about the 360-degree views and sophisticated ambience, but the French-Korean cuisine is also decent, if pricey. Multi-course meals include an amuse bouche, main, and dessert; dishes could include seabass with bouillabaisse, Korean steak, and lobster thermidor. There are three seatings for dinner, so reservations are required. Admission to the observatory is included in the price of your meal.
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