Restaurants
The selection of Seoul restaurants is vast and varied with
everything from local specialities, such as
Saeng Galbi, to
huge American cheeseburgers and exotic Moroccan kebabs on offer.
Options for eating out in Seoul range from cheap noodle stalls to
fine-dining establishments.
The Itaewon entertainment strip has the best collection of Seoul
restaurants, serving both local and international cuisine.
Otherwise, good areas for traditional Korean food are Gangdong-gu
and Yeongdeungpo-gu, while restaurants with international menus can
be found in Gangnam-gu, Seodaemun-gu and Namdaemun.
Tipping is not customary in Korea but some Seoul restaurants may
add a service charge of 10%. Restaurant hours vary throughout the
city and reservations are recommended.
| Top Cloud Bar & Grill |
$$$$$ | Modern Eclectic |
Top Cloud's stunning location, perched on pillars extending from
the top of the Jongno Tower, ensures a perfect night out. Start off
with a ritzy cocktail in the bar to the tune of live jazz music,
then cross the glass bridge to the grill room to dine with an
awesome view across Seoul through the vast windows. Steak is their
speciality but the tequila flavoured prawn and mussel risotto is
also great. Don't miss the unique cloakrooms, but only if you have
a good head for heights! Open daily for lunch and dinner,
reservations recommended.
Address: 33rd Floor, Jongno Tower
Telephone: (0)2 2230 3000
| Sanchon |
$$$$$ | Vegetarian |
Don't miss the experience of dining at Sanchon, or sipping tea
at their attached tea house. Run by a former Buddhist monk, this
restaurant specialises in vegetarian dishes prepared with
ingredients from the mountain valleys and flavoured with subtle
herbs and roots. The menu features a perilla seed soup, radish
mushroom and red pepper wraps,
Goso-namul (seasoned goso,
a wild vegetable favoured by monks), as well as a tofu stew and
traditional Korean pastries. Traditional folk dancing every evening
is made more colourful by Nong Ju rice beer or a glass of fruit
wine. Reservations recommended.
Address: 14 Gwanghun Dong, Jongno-gu, Insadong
Telephone: (0)2 735 0312
If you want to get your teeth into some meaty Korean cuisine in
sophisticated surroundings, try the Soho restaurant, near the Seoul
Olympic Park, where the décor and seating is western and the
food is mouth-watering. Speciality of the house is
Saeng
Galbi, fresh beef ribs marinated in soy sauce and grilled in
front of you. The lunch special is renowned with locals because
servings are extremely generous. Open daily for lunch and dinner,
reservations recommended.
Address: Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu
Telephone: (0)2 488 8080
Lively Italian style is tempered with sophistication in this
casual and trendy restaurant, which tries to emulate a
Mediterranean seaside café using space, black and white
décor, and an outdoor terrace. The surroundings undoubtedly
complement the tasty menu, highlights of which are seafood pastas
and a delectable blue crab risotto. Il Mare entertains diners
frequently with fashion shows and concerts. Open daily for lunch
and dinner, reservations recommended.
Address: 653-20 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu
Telephone: (0)2 3444 8697
For the ultimate dining experience, offering a French fusion
menu or a seven course set meal, the Seoul Hilton's Seasons
restaurant scores top marks for cuisine, service and ambiance.
Executive Chef Hyo Nam Park is a recognised master of his craft who
enhances traditional French dishes with his own special touches.
Both the set menu and the à la carte change frequently. The
setting is decidedly elegant and intimate, and the service discreet
and old-fashioned. Open daily for lunch and dinner, reservations
essential.
Address: Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel, 395-5 Ga, Namdaemun
Telephone: (0)2 317 3205
| Nashville Steak House |
$$$$$ | Steakhouse |
For a taste of the USA seek out Nashville, the American
bar/restaurant that has become something of a landmark on Seoul's
Itaewon entertainment strip. Enjoy a martini or a beer and wolf
down a cheeseburger with fries, buffalo wings or a tenderloin
Texas-style steak. The chef, surprisingly, is French, but his
burgers are renowned as the best in Korea. The atmosphere is
informal and the clientele largely made up of the ex-pat community.
Open daily from 7am to midnight, reservations recommended.
Address: 128-9 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Telephone: (0)2 789 1592
| Chambaenamugol |
$$$$$ | Local |
Duck is a noted delicacy in Korea and you would be hard put to
find more delectable duck dishes than those served at the
Chambaenamugol restaurant. Most sublime is a main dish of duck
roasted in yellow clay, smoked duck or the speciality of the house,
ohyang suyuk (sliced, steamed duck breast marinated in a
variety of flavours). Open daily for lunch and dinner, reservations
recommended.
Address: 17-10 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu
Telephone: (0)2 780 5292
Chinese cuisine is popular in Seoul, as evidenced by the large
number of Chinese restaurants. One of the tried and trusted
restaurants in this genre is Wan Chai with a vast menu covering all
the traditional favourites. Named after Hong Kong's nightlife
district, Wan Chai is popular with young Koreans and serves tasty
Chinese food in a relaxed environment. Highly recommended are the
spicy noodles and spicy Hong Kong shellfish.
Address: 5-35 Jangchun-dong, Seodaemun-gu
Telephone: (0)2 392 7744
| Marakech Night |
$$$$$ | Moroccan |
Marakech Night is a colourful Moroccan restaurant with arched
blue windows, orange walls and a beamed ceiling, with Arabic music
playing in the background. The menu offers authentic, homemade
Moroccan cuisine such as lamb or chicken kebabs and Provincial
Kofta meatballs. The fresh pita bread is served with hummus,
babaganoush (eggplant, tahini, garlic) or
teruka
(tomato, green pepper garlic and parsley). Reservations
recommended.
Address: 57-16 Iteawon Dong
Telephone: (0)2 795 9441 or (0)10 5801 9444
| The Flying Pan |
$$$$$ | Café |
Located in a quiet Itaewon alleyway, The Flying Pan is a popular
café set in a lofty building and charmingly furnished with
chairs that don't match each other, at all! Menu favourites include
chicken curry sandwiches, Saturday brunch pancakes, bagels with
cream cheese and the delicious chocolate mud (brownies with wine
sauce). Open from breakfast till 9.30pm Monday to Saturday,
reservations recommended.
Address: 123-7 Itaewon-Dong
Telephone: (0)2 793 5285
