5 MUST EAT Restaurants in Seoul Korea Travel Guide

Two trips to Korea now, and honestly, I’m convinced: nowhere on earth does eating quite like this place. Here, every meal is a communal celebration—tables crowded with dishes meant to be shared, laughter echoing through every corner, and an energy that’s downright infectious. Koreans know how to have a good time, and their warmth makes every bite taste better. I probably said this over and over in the restaurant's descriptions, but it all just feels like pure comfort food, on top of obviously tasting incredible! Some of my absolute favorite eating experiences are in Seoul, and I can't wait to get back! Saying that, it might be a little harder to experience the city solo, because meals are so set up for groups, but I still had an incredible time.

Below are 5 of my favorite restaurants in Seoul, but I have the full list of every dish, every drink, everything I did, hotel, and tips and tricks, all on my Substack below!

Each restaurant listed has a short description, what I recommend you order, and linked is a google map with every single spot! If you have any favorites I missed, let me know in the comments!

Artist Bakery- Salt Bread is the newest viral food trend in Seoul, and you can find it all over, but I got my fix at Artist Bakery. They have dozens to try both sweet and savory, but I got plain, matcha, earl grey, and potato with American cheese! They are kind of a cross between bread and a croissant, and I loved them! Be ready for a wait though!

Gwangjang Market- Gwangjang market was the first, and still biggest traditional market in South Korea, and since 1905, is still home to some of the best street food that Seoul has to offer! It can be overwhelming with so many stalls, but honestly, a lot of them had very similar dishes, so we just let our nose and our eyes guide us to what we needed to try! There was a stand with bindae-tteok which is a mung bean pan fried pancake. One with naengmyeon which is a cold noodle soup, which is super refreshing, especially if you are there in the summer. Definitely grab some tteokbokki, which are Korean rice cakes which you can find bubbling away in gochujang. If you watched Streetfood on Netflix then you definitely remember Yoonsun Cho and her stand serving kalguksu, or Korean soup with knife cut noodles. They also had some amazing mandu filled with both kimchi and pork. This is a must visit!

Eongteoli Fried Chicken- I knew Eongteoli fried chicken would be good, when I walked in to the smell of beer, oil, and cigs and saw the owner sitting watching a movie. While more of a late night spot, we had the place to ourselves to see the magic happen as we walked in late afternoon.This is no frills in the best way! There is no menu, they just say “chicken, beer?” and if you want to eat, you just say yes. Out comes a giant beer and some of the crispiest fried chicken you will ever have! These types of experiences are why I travel!

Myeongdong Night Market- Every night from 5pm until late, you can find almost 200 different stalls set up with all kinds of Korean treats both sweet and savory! Too much to try, but I got some Korean egg bread aka gyeran-ppang, a tornado potato which is a spiral fried cut potato on a stick, some Korean fried chicken, and a bowl of japchae.

One Star Old Fashioned Hamburgers- Step into One Star Old Fashioned Burgers and you are transported to an old school fast food burger joint from the 1980s, wood paneling and all! But beyond aesthetics, you are going to get some of the best burgers in the city! I got the secret Full Belly Burger, created by local expat food blogger @fullbellytravels which is a double smash pattie made with their daily ground beef blend, on a sesame seed bun with caramelized onions, american cheese, large pickles, and a ton of mustard. Do not skip the fries and giant onion rings too!