Recommendations
Seoul Guide
Our favourite restaurants, cafés, nightlife, and things to do across Seoul — curated and updated as we explore.
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Gaggen
A ten-seat Apgujeong kaiseki counter run by a husband-and-wife team out of Tokyo's Kurogi and Kanda — and a newly minted 2026 Michelin star.
2F, 19-1 Apgujeong-ro 80-gil, Gangnam-gu — Suin-Bundang Line, Apgujeong Rodeo Station
Read moreLucky Pop Seongsu (Gacha)
Seoul's 2026 gacha craze in one four-floor Seongsu tower — claw machines downstairs, capsule-toy walls up top, and a photo zone for staging your pulls.
52 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu — Line 2, Seongsu Station (8–10 min walk)
Read moreHan River Paddleboarding
Seoul's biggest new summer water sport — stand-up paddleboarding the Han, with the main SUP cluster launching from Ttukseom Hangang Park.
Ttukseom Hangang Park, Seongdong-gu — Line 2 / Suin-Bundang Line, Ttukseom Station
Read moreRestaurant San
Chef Jo Seung-hyun brought his Benu pedigree home to Gangnam — and Asia's 50 Best named the result its 2026 One To Watch.
Gangnam-gu — Line 3, Apgujeong Station (~7 min walk)
Read moreEscondido
Asia's first Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant — a hidden Hannam-dong basement counter where chef Jin Woo-bum grinds his own masa for a nine-course tasting menu.
B1F, 61-7 Hannamdaero 20-gil, Yongsan-gu — Line 6, Hangangjin Station Exit 1
Read moreMingles
Asia's #4 restaurant and Korea's only three-Michelin-star, three-Black-Pearl institution — Chef Kang Min-goo's modern Korean dining room in Cheongdam is the city's most decorated table.
58 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu — Line 7, Hak-dong Station Exit 1
Read moreSeoul's Six on Asia's 50 Best
Six Seoul restaurants on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 — the most ever for any Korean city. From Mingles at No. 4 to 7th Door at No. 49, here's what each one is.
Multiple locations — Cheongdam, Gangnam, Jongno, Seongsu
Read moreBistro Notre
Culinary Class Wars chef Yoon Nam-no's first solo restaurant — a modern French bistro in Apgujeong Rodeo funded by a ₩600 million loan and stocked with Bernardaud china.
2F, 13 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu — Line 3, Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 5
Read more물멍 Han River Cafes
Seoul's 2026 summer trend — sitting in front of the Han River and letting your mind go completely empty. The best window-seat cafes for doing absolutely nothing.
Multiple Han River cafes — Yeouido, Mapo, Ttukseom, Banpo
Read moreSeoul Rainy Day Guide
What to do when the 장마 arrives — from the pajeon-and-makgeolli ritual to COEX's underground world, jjimjilbang saunas, and 24-hour gaming cafes.
Multiple indoor venues — COEX, Gangnam-gu — Line 9, Bongeunsa Station Exit 7
Read moreSeoul's Best Gimbap
Six Seoul gimbap specialists that have elevated Korea's humble seaweed rice roll — from a 60-year-old Gwanak institution to Sinchon's most-Navered lunch counter.
Multiple locations — Gwanak, Sungshin, Yeonhui, Mangwon, Sinchon, Myeongdong
Read moreHongdae Saju Cafes
English-friendly Korean fortune telling over traditional tea — Hongdae has the city's highest concentration of saju cafes accessible to foreigners without a word of Korean.
Hongdae, Mapo-gu — Line 2/AREX/Line 6, Hongdae Station Exit 9
Read moreWhere Celebrities Shop Seoul
The complete circuit — Cheongdam's luxury flagships, Apgujeong Rodeo's fashion energy, Garosu-gil's Korean cult brands, and Hannam's quieter boutiques.
Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu — Line 7, Cheongdam Station Exit 8
Read moreBest Naengmyeon in Seoul
Seoul's definitive cold noodle restaurants — Michelin Bib Gourmand institutions and a 70-year-old hidden gem inside Namdaemun Market, all worth queuing for.
Multiple locations — Jung-gu, Gangnam, Songpa
Read moreSeoul Tattoo Artists
Korea's landmark Tattooist Act passed in 2025, and Seoul's artists — the global names behind fine-line, watercolour, and traditional-motif styles — are finally operating in the open.
Multiple studios — Hongdae, Itaewon, Seongsu, Mapo
Read moreMatcha Cafes Seoul
Eight of Seoul's most popular matcha cafes for Gen MZ in 2026 — from Seongsu's robot-whisked bowls to Bukchon's hanok tea rooms.
Multiple locations — Seongsu, Myeongdong, Bukchon, Mangwon, Gangnam, Yeonnam, Samcheong-dong
Read moreXurreria San Roman
Authentic Spanish churros with thick chocolate dipping sauce in a Yeonnam-dong laneway — the most talked-about dessert café among Gen Z in Seoul right now.
Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu — Line 2/AREX/Line 6, Hongdae Station Exit 3
Read moreMakercity Sewoon
Seoul's 56-year-old electronics megacomplex, reinvented as a maker hub — mechanical keyboards, circuit boards, and a rooftop view over Cheonggyecheon.
159 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu — Lines 1, 3 & 5, Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 12
Read moreGangnam Dermatology Clinics
World-class skin boosters, HIFU lifting, and laser treatments at a fraction of Western prices — with English-speaking staff.
Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu — Line 3, Apgujeong Station Exit 2
Read moreHan River Run Clubs
Seoul's hottest 2026 morning trend — join international running crews along the Han River and earn your post-run chimaek.
Yeouido Hangang Park, Yeongdeungpo-gu — Line 5, Yeouinaru Station Exit 2
Read moreKorea's Royal Palaces
All five grand palaces of the Joseon dynasty, still standing in Seoul — from Gyeongbokgung's mountain backdrop to Changdeokgung's UNESCO Secret Garden.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu — Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5
Read moreYeonnam-dong
The quiet Seoul neighbourhood with a converted railway-line park, independent cafés, and some of the city's most liveable streets — just north of Hongdae.
Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu — Line 2/AREX/Line 6, Hongdae Station Exit 3
Read moreMangwon-dong Cafes
Seoul's best-kept coffee neighbourhood — serious specialty roasters and a working traditional market in a pocket of Mapo that hasn't been overrun yet.
Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu — Line 6, Mangwon Station Exit 1
Read moreJenny House
The celebrity hair and makeup studio that has styled over 500 Korean names since 2002 — Cheongdam's most respected beauty appointment for visitors who want the real thing.
56 Seolleung-ro 146-gil, Gangnam-gu (Cheongdam-dong) — Line 7, Hak-dong Station Exit 1
Read moreTosokchon Samgyetang
Korea's most beloved summer ritual — a whole chicken simmered with ginseng in a clay pot, at Seoul's most iconic samgyetang institution near Gyeongbokgung.
5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu — Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2
Read morePersonal Colour Analysis Seoul
Seoul's most-booked tourist beauty experience — a trained consultant drapes fabric swatches under controlled lighting to identify exactly which colours your complexion is built to wear.
Multiple studios — Gangnam, Hongdae, Sinchon
Read moreFritz Coffee Company
Seoul's most consistent specialty roaster — a warm converted building in Mapo-gu with excellent beans and in-house baking.
17 Saechang-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu — Lines 5, 6 & AREX, Gongdeok Station, 5 min walk
Read moreWonjomanlgobchang
Hanwoo beef intestines grilled over a table grill in Mullae — a 4.9-star institution and one of Seoul's best late-night meals.
17-1, Gyeongin-ro 79-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu — Line 2, Mullae Station Exit 7
Read moreJamsil Baseball Stadium
Home of the LG Twins and Doosan Bears — the loudest, cheapest, most joyful night out in Seoul, and its final season in 2026.
10 Olympic-ro, Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu — Lines 2 & 8, Jamsil Station, Exit 5 or 6
Read moreSeonchae Seongsu
A basement Korean dining bar near Ttukseom with a seasonal menu, considered pairings, and a date-night atmosphere that earns every bit of the hype.
B1F, 11 Achasanro 1-gil, Seongdong-gu — Line 2, Ttukseom Station Exit 2
Read moreSillim-dong Sundae Town
A steam-filled cluster of blood sausage restaurants near Seoul National University — local, unfussy, and one of Seoul's most authentic neighbourhood food experiences.
Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu — Line 2, Sillim Station
Read moreBukhansan National Park
Seoul's own mountain — granite peaks, ancient fortress walls, and mid-trail ramyeon, all accessible by subway.
Doseonsa Temple Trailhead, Ui-dong, Dobong-gu — Bukhansan Ui Light Rail, Solsam Station
Read moreLotte Mart ZETTAPLEX Seoul Station
The definitive mart attack destination — Seoul's largest Lotte Mart, directly connected to the AREX airport line.
Seoul Station, Jung-gu — Lines 1 & 4, AREX, Gyeongui-Jungang Line
Read moreSongnidan Yangjojangi
Craft makgeolli brewed in-house on Songnidangil — the most interesting thing you'll drink in Seoul this year.
2F Rex Plaza, 11 Baekjegobun-ro 45-gil, Songpa-gu — Line 8, Songpanaru Station
Read moreSeongsu-dong
Seoul's industrial-turned-creative district — converted factories, indie cafés, pop-up boutiques, and Seoul Forest next door.
Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu — Line 2, Seongsu Station Exit 3
Read moreGangnam District
More than the song — Seoul's wealthiest district has the city's best pork barbecue, cocktail bars, a Buddhist temple between skyscrapers, and a mall under it all.
Gangnam-gu, Seoul — Gangnam Station, Line 2
Read moreSeoul Black Pearl Restaurants
Eight Seoul restaurants on China's most influential fine dining guide — the complete breakdown of every Meituan Black Pearl table in the city.
Multiple locations — Cheongdam, Gangnam, Jongno
Read moreGwanghwamun Gate
Six centuries of Korean history in a single gate — the ceremonial entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the symbolic heart of Seoul.
Gwanghwamun Gate, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu — Line 5, Exit 2
Read moreSeoul K-Beauty Shopping
Products launch here months before going global — shop Myeongdong's flagship strip, Olive Young, and Amore Seongsu with prices 20–40% lower than overseas.
Myeongdong, Jung-gu — Lines 4 & 2, Myeongdong Station Exit 6
Read moreSeoul Museums
Nine world-class museums matched to what kind of traveller you are — from the National Museum's 220,000-piece collection to Leeum's contemporary art.
National Museum of Korea, 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu — Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Ichon Station Exit 2
Read moreCheongyang Seafood at Noryangjin
₩85,000 omakase built entirely around what's swimming fresh this week — Seoul's most honest luxury meal.
Noryangjin Fish Market 1F, Stall 40, Dongjak-gu
Read moreInsadong Hangari Sujebi
Hand-torn noodle soup in a clay pot, in the heart of Insadong — one of Seoul's most quietly beloved bowls.
Insadong 8-gil 14-1, Jongno-gu — Line 3, Anguk Station Exit 6
Read more