GrillKorean BBQ
Samgyeopsal (pork belly) and galbi grilled at your table, wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang and garlic. Staff often grill for you, and the meal usually ends with cold naengmyeon or a sizzling fried-rice finish.
Eat & make
✨ Build my tripFood — taste it, then make it
Where to eat, and hands-on classes to cook it yourself. Prices vary — we don't invent them.
Find Korea's top-rated restaurants
Ratings and rankings live inside apps — and the most visitor-friendly ones work in English. These are ordered by how easy each is to use in English.
Google MapsEnglishEnglish reviews and interface — search a dish or area, then sort by rating.Open ↗CatchTable GlobalEnglishThe 'CatchTable Global' app reserves popular restaurants in English — no Korean phone number needed.Open ↗MICHELIN GuideEnglishStars and Bib Gourmand picks for Korea, fully in English.Open ↗TripadvisorEnglishEnglish rankings and traveller reviews for restaurants across Korea.Open ↗Naver MapEnglish in appKorea's most-used map — switch the app to English (Settings → Language); its visitor reviews are receipt-verified.Open ↗KakaoMapKoreanKorean, but the star ratings, photos and review counts read at a glance.Open ↗DiningcodeKoreanKorean 'best-of' restaurant rankings built from review data — use translate for the text.Open ↗Blue Ribbon SurveyKoreanThe Blue Ribbon Survey — Korea's restaurant-award guide (in Korean).Open ↗
💡 Korean-only apps still show star ratings, photos and review counts you can read at a glance — use your phone's camera translate for the words. For curated English picks, VisitKorea's official food guides are a great start.
🍜 Where to eat
Grill
StreetTteokbokki & street food
Chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce, alongside hotteok, gimbap and fish-cake skewers from market stalls. Grab a paper cup and eat as you walk — it's the beating heart of Korean street food.
ClassicBibimbap
A rice bowl topped with seasoned vegetables, egg and gochujang — mix it all together before the first bite. The stone-bowl version, dolsot bibimbap, toasts a crispy rice crust onto the bottom.
IconKorean fried chicken (chimaek)
Extra-crispy double-fried chicken paired with cold beer — 'chi-maek' (chicken plus maekju) is a national pastime. Order it plain, in sticky-sweet yangnyeom sauce, or half-and-half to try both.
SummerNaengmyeon (cold noodles)
Chewy buckwheat noodles in an icy, tangy broth (mul-naengmyeon) or tossed in a fiery sauce (bibim-naengmyeon) — a refreshing summer favourite. Snip the noodles with the scissors provided, then add vinegar and mustard to taste.
DietHalal & vegetarian
Certified-halal restaurants cluster around the mosque in Itaewon, while Buddhist temple food offers refined meat-free cooking. Vegetarian and vegan spots are growing citywide, though it helps to check menus in advance.
CafeSeongsu cafes & desserts
Specialty coffee and inventive desserts fill converted warehouses in Seongsu, Seoul's trendiest cafe district. Come for the roasteries and photogenic interiors, and pair the visit with the neighbourhood's boutiques.
ComfortJjigae & bunsik (comfort food)
Bubbling stews like kimchi-jjigae, doenjang-jjigae and budae-jjigae, plus quick bunsik snacks — hearty, cheap and everywhere. Served in a stone pot with rice and banchan, they're the everyday comfort meal Koreans eat most.
RestorativeSamgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)
A whole young chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng and garlic in a milky broth — a restorative summer classic.
HeartyGamjatang (pork-bone stew)
A hearty, spicy pork-spine and potato stew simmered with perilla and greens — a late-night comfort favourite.
BusanDwaeji-gukbap (pork soup rice)
Busan’s signature pork-and-rice soup — a warming bowl of broth, pork and rice you season to taste.
AndongJjimdak (braised chicken)
Andong-style braised chicken with glass noodles, potatoes and vegetables in a savoury-sweet soy sauce.
StreetHotteok (sweet pancake)
A griddled street pancake filled with molten brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts — best in winter.
ClassicJapchae (glass noodles)
Chewy sweet-potato glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and a touch of sesame — a party staple.
StreetSundae (blood sausage)
Korean blood sausage stuffed with noodles and barley — a market and pojangmacha staple, often served with tteokbokki.
ComfortKalguksu (knife-cut noodles)
Hand-cut wheat noodles in a warming broth of anchovy, chicken or clam — simple, comforting home cooking.
PorkBossam (boiled pork wraps)
Tender boiled pork, sliced and wrapped in cabbage with salted shrimp, garlic and fresh kimchi.
SeafoodHoe (Korean raw fish)
Fresh raw fish, Korean-style and best by the coast — served with chogochujang or as a chilled mulhoe soup.
Cheap eatsGimbap (seaweed rice rolls)
Seaweed rice rolls packed with vegetables, egg and more — the cheap, portable classic for a quick meal or picnic.
ChuncheonDakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken)
Chicken, cabbage and rice cakes stir-fried in a sweet-spicy sauce on a hot plate — the cheese-topped version is a favourite. A Chuncheon speciality, great for sharing.
ComfortSundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew)
A bubbling, spicy stew of silky uncurdled tofu with seafood or pork, served with rice and often a raw egg cracked in at the table.
SharingBudae-jjigae (army stew)
A hearty hot-pot of kimchi, sausage, ham, instant noodles and cheese in a spicy broth — a post-war invention that is now comfort food for groups.
DelicacyGanjang-gejang (soy-marinated crab)
Raw crab marinated in soy sauce until silky and briny — nicknamed the 'rice thief' because it is so good with rice. An adventurous local favourite.
Rainy dayPajeon (savoury pancake)
A crisp scallion pancake, often loaded with seafood (haemul-pajeon). Koreans love it with makgeolli rice wine, especially on a rainy day.
DessertBingsu (shaved-ice dessert)
A mountain of fine shaved ice topped with sweet red beans (patbingsu), fruit, condensed milk or matcha — the go-to summer dessert to share.
🥟Classic
Mandu (dumplings)
Korean dumplings stuffed with pork, tofu and vegetables — steamed, pan-fried, or dropped into soup as mandu-guk.
🐷Pork
Jokbal (braised pig's trotters)
Pig's trotters slow-braised in soy and spices until tender, sliced and eaten with salted-shrimp sauce and lettuce wraps.
🥩Delicacy
Yukhoe (beef tartare)
Silky hand-cut raw beef seasoned with sesame oil and pear, often topped with an egg yolk — Korea's take on tartare.
🍲Comfort
Seolleongtang (ox-bone soup)
A milky ox-bone broth simmered for hours, served with rice and noodles — you season it yourself with salt and spring onion.
🥣Summer
Kongguksu (soybean noodle soup)
Chilled noodles in a cool, nutty soybean broth — a refreshing summer dish, usually eaten with a pinch of salt.
🔥Grill
Gopchang (grilled intestines)
Beef or pork intestines grilled at the table until crisp and smoky — a rich, much-loved dish to share over drinks.
🥢 Making experiences
Hands-onKimchi making class
Make and pack your own kimchi to take home; classes typically run with an English guide.
CookingBibimbap & bulgogi cooking
Cook a full Korean meal from scratch with a chef, then eat what you made.
TraditionalTteok (rice cake) making
Shape colorful traditional rice cakes — family-friendly and hands-on.
19+Makgeolli brewing & tasting
Learn to brew and taste Korean rice wine, usually with pairing snacks.
👩🍳Book a Korean cooking class or food tourMake kimchi, tteokbokki & more — or join a market food tourBook on Klook ↗
ⓘ Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
🗺️ Regional specialties — worth the trip
Every region has its own signature dish. Tap a city to see where to stay nearby.
🍲Busan
🐷Jeju
🍚Jeonju
Jeonju bibimbap
The definitive bibimbap — rice crowned with dozens of seasoned vegetables, beef, egg yolk and gochujang in a brass bowl. Jeonju is its spiritual home.
🏨 Jeonju →🍗Andong
Andong jjimdak
Chicken braised with glass noodles, potato and vegetables in a sweet-savoury soy sauce, big enough to share. Born in Andong's old market.
🏨 Andong →🥣Gangneung
Chodang sundubu
Silky soft tofu set with clean East-Sea seawater instead of brine — the specialty of Gangneung's Chodang village, served warm and delicate.
🏨 Gangneung →🔥Daegu
🐔Sokcho
Dak-gangjeong
Sweet, shatter-crisp double-fried chicken from Sokcho's Jungang Market — sold by the boxful and famous nationwide.
🏨 Sokcho →🍙Tongyeong
Chungmu-gimbap
Tiny plain seaweed rice rolls served with spicy squid and radish kimchi on the side — Tongyeong's portable harbour snack.
🏨 Tongyeong →🥩Suwon
🍖Gwangju
Tteok-galbi
Minced short-rib meat shaped into patties and grilled until caramelised — a refined southern specialty around Gwangju and Damyang.
🏨 Gwangju →🥮Gyeongju
Hwangnam-ppang
A thin-skinned pastry packed with sweet red-bean paste, baked in Gyeongju's old Hwangnam district — the city's classic edible souvenir.
🏨 Gyeongju →🦀Yeosu
Good to know
- A restaurant full of locals is usually a good sign.
- Many places have picture menus or English menus; convenience stores are great for cheap late-night eats.
- Side dishes (banchan) are free and often refillable.
- For halal food, the Itaewon area has the most certified options.
- Class prices and durations vary by operator — check the details when you book.
📷 Photo credits
- Korean BBQ — Photo: hellochris / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Tteokbokki & street food — Photo: jetalone / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Bibimbap — Photo: Chloe Lim / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Korean fried chicken (chimaek) — Photo: Startandstar / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Naengmyeon (cold noodles) — Photo: Korea.net / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Halal & vegetarian — Photo: Richy! / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Seongsu cafes & desserts — Photo: Philip Mallis / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jjigae & bunsik (comfort food) — Photo: avlxyz / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) — Photo: wizdata / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Gamjatang (pork-bone stew) — Photo: comicpie (a flickr user) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Dwaeji-gukbap (pork soup rice) — Photo: 사이팔사 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 kr
- Jjimdak (braised chicken) — Photo: Korean Culture and Information Service / Wikimedia Commons · KOGL Type 1
- Hotteok (sweet pancake) — Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Japchae (glass noodles) — Photo: korea.net / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sundae (blood sausage) — Photo: Popo le Chien / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) — Photo: by jslander / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Bossam (boiled pork wraps) — Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hoe (Korean raw fish) — Photo: littlepepper / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) — Photo: changupn / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) — Photo: 円周率３パーセント / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) — Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Budae-jjigae (army stew) — Photo: bryan (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ganjang-gejang (soy-marinated crab) — Photo: bryan (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pajeon (savoury pancake) — Photo: Jirka Matousek / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Bingsu (shaved-ice dessert) — Photo: tookapic / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Kimchi making class — Photo: AhmadElq / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bibimbap & bulgogi cooking — Photo: Debbie Tingzon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
- Tteok (rice cake) making — Photo: Startandstar / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
- Makgeolli brewing & tasting — Photo: jinho kim / Wikimedia Commons · CC0