Legume is Asia's first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant, chef Sung Si-woo's one-star room in Gangnam delivering a plant-based tasting menu built.
Signature: Vegan tasting menu
Order: Seasonal vegan tasting menu: the only fully vegan restaurant in Korea to receive a Michelin star.
Tip: Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead; the room is small and evening reservations fill within hours of opening.
One of South Korea's three-Michelin-star restaurants, where chef Mingoo Kang weaves jang (fermented pastes) and cho (vinegars) into contemporary modern.
The restaurant that coined New Korean fine dining, where chef Jung Sik Yim's avant-garde plating and Korean pantry ingredients earned two Michelin stars.
Two Michelin stars in the ES Building's fourth floor: seasonal tasting courses where Kwonsooksoo treats Korean fermentation tradition as a living canvas.
Two Michelin stars for a seasonal tasting menu structured like a narrative, each course titled as an act in chef Jun Lee's signature Episode format.
Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood and his Korean wife Ginny Kim opened Evett in 2019; in 2025 it was elevated to two Michelin stars for its ingredient-led.
Chef Allen Suh, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, brings a Francophile sensibility to Korean ingredients at his two-Michelin-star table in the Centerfield.
Yang Good in Gangnam is a halal-certified Korean BBQ restaurant specialising in lamb, one of the few halal dining options south of the Han River.
Signature: Halal lamb BBQ
Order: Halal lamb BBQ: lamb cuts grilled tableside, halal-certified.
Tip: Gangnam has far fewer halal restaurants than Itaewon; Yang Good is the most convenient option for visitors staying south of the Han.
Found Local in Seocho is a daytime cafe and evening natural-wine bistro rotating French pet-nats alongside Korean fusion seasonal small plates.
Signature pour: Pet-nat by the glass paired with the smoked aubergine plate
Wine focus: Natural wine list rotating weekly with French and Korean producers
Food: Korean fusion bistro plates: bread service, charcuterie and seasonal grilled fish
Tip: Walk-ins are easier on weekday evenings; the Saturday tasting flight is the most efficient introduction to the rotating list.
Zest ranked No. 2 Asia's 50 Best Bars and No. 16 World's 50 Best Bars 2025, serving Korean seasonal cocktails sourced from contract farms in Gangnam.
Signature drink: Korean ingredient-driven omakase cocktails
Food: Snacks paired to cocktail menu
Le Chamber is a Cheongdam speakeasy entered through a hidden bookcase door, a fixture on Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016, pouring precise classic cocktails.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails behind a hidden bookcase door
Food: Bar snacks
The Seoul Coffee Festival is Korea's largest specialty coffee trade and consumer event, held annually at COEX in Gangnam. Roasters from across Korea and Asia.
Bills Seoul inside Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong is the Korean outpost of Sydney brunch institution Bills, known for ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb.
Order: Ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and banana
The Original Pancake House's Apgujeong outpost was the franchise's first store outside the United States, with dollar pancakes and the lemon Dutch baby.
Order: Dutch baby pancake with lemon and powdered sugar
Consistently ranked in DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs, Octagon is Seoul's premier EDM club drawing international DJs on weekend headliner nights. The Gangnam venue operates across multiple floors with a main floor, terrace, and VIP area.