Splurge in Seoul

Mingles ★ 4.9

One of South Korea's three-Michelin-star restaurants, where chef Mingoo Kang weaves jang (fermented pastes) and cho (vinegars) into contemporary modern.

Jungsik ★ 4.8

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.

Legume ★ 4.7

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.

OrderSeasonal vegan tasting menu: the only fully vegan restaurant in Korea to receive a Michelin star.

TipBook 4 to 6 weeks ahead; the room is small and evening reservations fill within hours of opening.

La Yeon ★ 4.7

On the 23rd floor of the Shilla Seoul, La Yeon serves royal-tradition Korean tasting menus against a panorama of the Han River basin, holding two Michelin.

Kwonsooksoo ★ 4.7

Two Michelin stars in the ES Building's fourth floor: seasonal tasting courses where Kwonsooksoo treats Korean fermentation tradition as a living canvas.

Onjium ★ 4.7

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

Soigne ★ 4.6

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.

Evett ★ 4.6

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.

Restaurant Allen ★ 4.6

Chef Allen Suh, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, brings a Francophile sensibility to Korean ingredients at his two-Michelin-star table in the Centerfield.

Byeokje Galbi ★ 4.5

In the Michelin Guide and on 50Best Discovery, Byeokje Galbi has served premium charcoal-grilled hanwoo short ribs since 1986, handling its own butchery.

OrderGalbi (short ribs) over charcoal.

TipBook the private room for groups; the galbi course includes side dishes and a naengmyeon to close.

Imun Seolnongtang ★ 4.4

Seoul's oldest continuously operating restaurant, first licensed in 1904: ox bones boiled for 17 hours, broth poured over sliced beef and soft wheat.

Byeokje Galbi Bangi ★ 4.4

The Bangi branch of Byeokje Galbi serves premium charcoal-grilled hanwoo short ribs from in-house butchery, the same quality as the flagship since 1986.

OrderGalbi (short ribs) over charcoal.

TipLunch is less crowded than dinner; the quality of the beef is identical.

Hadongkwan ★ 4.3

Established in 1939, Hadongkwan is in the Michelin Guide for seolleongtang: ox bone broth slow-cooked to opaque white, seasoned only with salt at the table.