13 splurge places in Seoul, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Seoul. All Seoul food.
Mingles ★ 4.9
Gangnam-gu · 19 Dosan-daero 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06016
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
Gangnam-gu · 11 Seolleung-ro 158-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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
Gangnam-gu · 652 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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.
Tip: Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead; the room is small and evening reservations fill within hours of opening.
La Yeon ★ 4.7
Jung-gu · 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
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
Gangnam-gu · 37 Apgujeong-ro 80-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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
Jongno-gu · 49 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03043
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
Gangnam-gu · SINSA SQUARE 2F, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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
Gangnam-gu · 10-5 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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
Gangnam-gu · 231 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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
Seocho-gu · 89 Donggwang-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul
In the Michelin Guide and on 50Best Discovery, Byeokje Galbi has served premium charcoal-grilled hanwoo short ribs since 1986, handling its own butchery.
Tip: Book the private room for groups; the galbi course includes side dishes and a naengmyeon to close.
Imun Seolnongtang ★ 4.4
Jongno and Insadong · 38-13 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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
Songpa-gu · 1-4 Yangjae-daero 71-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul
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.
Tip: Lunch is less crowded than dinner; the quality of the beef is identical.
Hadongkwan ★ 4.3
Jung-gu and Myeongdong · 12 Myeongdong 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
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.