Korean in Jongno and Insadong

Onjium

• ★ 4.7
• 1 MICHELIN star
• Korean
• ₩₩₩₩

One Michelin star for a cultural research institute disguised as a restaurant: chef Cho Eun-hee studies Joseon royal court recipes and reinterprets them.

Imun Seolnongtang

• ★ 4.4
• Korean Traditional
• ₩

Order Seolleongtang: 17-hour ox bone broth poured over sliced beef and soft wheat noodles.

Korea's first registered restaurant, open since 1904 in Jongno, still serving a single dish: 17-hour ox bone seolleongtang with sliced brisket.

Vegan Insa

• ★ 4.3
• Vegan Korean
• ₩₩

Order Vegan bibimbap: the full Korean banchan spread reimagined without animal products.

Vegan Insa in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village serves fully plant-based Korean food in a traditional courtyard house, including vegan bibimbap and banchan spreads.

Insa Dodam

• ★ 4.2
• Korean
• ₩₩

Order Dodam warm-steamed bibimbap: farm-direct vegetables on rice in the house build.

Insa Dodam is a renovated hanok off Insadong-gil that runs a lunch-only bibimbap programme, capping bowls per day to lock in same-morning vegetable delivery.

Jongno 3-ga Pojangmacha Street

• ★ 4.2
• Korean
• ₩

Order Tteokbokki and odeng (fish cake skewer in anchovy broth).

The 200-metre stretch in front of Ikseon-dong from Exit 5 to Exit 6 at Jongno 3-ga Station is Seoul's most concentrated pojangmacha (street food tent).

Maru Jayeonsik Kimbap

• ★ 4.2
• Vegan Korean
• ₩

Order Vegan kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) with seasonal vegetable fillings.

A traditional Korean lunch counter in Insadong serving plant-based kimbap and banchan, rated 4.5 stars across 400+ HappyCow reviews for consistent quality.

Insadong Geu Jib

• ★ 4.1
• Korean
• ₩₩

Order Dolsot bibimbap in the stone pot with the rice crackling at the rim.

Insadong Geu Jib is a hanok-style Korean restaurant set in a narrow Insa-dong alley, serving dolsot bibimbap, beef-tartare bibimbap and bulgogi-and-vegetable.