Seoul eats

Korean dishes worth trying in Seoul, how to order them and where to find them.

Bibimbap
비빔밥 · Citywide
Warm rice topped with seasoned vegetables, beef or egg, and chili paste you mix in yourself. Mild, adjustable, and an easy first Korean meal.
- Families of 4+
- First-timers & explorers
- Weekend trippers
Family-friendly
Photo: Chloe Lim / CC BY 2.0
Cafés & Desserts
카페·디저트 · Citywide (Seongsu-dong, Ikseon-dong, Yeonnam-dong, Bukchon)
Bingsu, hotteok and croffles plus serious coffee: where to cafe-hop in Seongsu-dong, Ikseon-dong, Yeonnam-dong and Bukchon, and how cafes work.
- Weekend trippers
- Shoppers & foodies
- First-timers & explorers
Cafés · Photo spots · Rainy day
Photo: CYAN / CC BY-SA 4.0
Chimaek (Fried Chicken & Beer)
치맥 · Citywide & Hangang parks
Korean fried chicken and beer, eaten at chicken pubs or delivered to a picnic mat in Hangang Park. Plain chicken keeps it easy for kids.
- Weekend trippers
- First-timers & explorers
- Families of 4+
Street food · Nightlife · Family-friendly
Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service / CC BY-SA 2.0
Convenience Store Eats
편의점 먹거리 · Citywide
CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24 sell triangle kimbap, cup noodles and lunch boxes on nearly every block. Cheap, fast, but not always open 24 hours.
- First-timers & explorers
- Shoppers & foodies
- Families of 4+
Street food · Rainy day
Photo: Startandstar / CC0
Gwangjang Market
광장시장 · Jongno
A historic Jongno market whose Food Alley serves bindaetteok, mayak gimbap and yukhoe daily 09:00–23:00, Sundays included. Bring cash.
- Shoppers & foodies
- First-timers & explorers
- Weekend trippers
Markets · Street food
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / CC0
Kalguksu & Mandu
칼국수·만두 · Citywide (Myeongdong, Bukchon)
Hand-cut noodle soup and Korean dumplings: a mild, filling combo that suits kids, with two long-running Seoul specialists in Myeongdong and Bukchon.
- Families of 4+
- First-timers & explorers
- Weekend trippers
Street food · Family-friendly
Photo: jslander / CC BY 2.0
Korean BBQ
삼겹살·한국식 BBQ · Citywide
Pork belly and other cuts grilled at your table, cut with scissors and wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang. A shared, social dinner, not spicy.
- First-timers & explorers
- Shoppers & foodies
- Families of 4+
Nightlife
Photo: Trixia De Guzman / CC BY-SA 4.0
Mangwon Market
망원시장 · Mapo-gu (Mangwon-dong)
A local neighborhood market near Mangwon Station with a street-food alley of croquettes, hotteok and tteokbokki, a short walk from the Han River.
- First-timers & explorers
- Weekend trippers
- Shoppers & foodies
Markets · Street food · Photo spots
Photo: Enamoradadecorea / CC0
Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles)
냉면 · Jung-gu (Pil-dong, Chungmuro)
Cold buckwheat noodles in icy, mild beef broth. Seoul's classic Pyongyang-style shops cluster in Jung-gu near Chungmuro Station.
- Weekend trippers
- Shoppers & foodies
- Families of 4+
Street food · Family-friendly
Photo: Mobius6 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Namdaemun Market
남대문시장 · Jung-gu
Seoul's giant traditional market, with a spicy braised hairtail alley, a kalguksu alley and hotteok stalls. Many shops close on Sundays.
- First-timers & explorers
- Shoppers & foodies
Markets · Street food
Photo: Sgroey / CC BY-SA 4.0
Samgyetang
삼계탕 · Seochon (near Gyeongbokgung)
A whole young chicken stuffed with sticky rice and ginseng, simmered into a mild soup. Tosokchon near Gyeongbokgung has served it since 1983.
- Families of 4+
- First-timers & explorers
- Weekend trippers
Family-friendly
Photo: karendotcom127 / CC BY 2.0
Tteokbokki & Street Food
떡볶이·길거리 음식 · Sindang-dong & citywide
Chewy rice cakes in a sweet-spicy chili sauce, Korea's best-known street snack. Eat it table-cooked in Sindang-dong or from market stalls.
- First-timers & explorers
- Shoppers & foodies
- Families of 4+
Street food · Markets · Family-friendly
Photo: Teemeah / CC BY-SA 4.0