The best Myeongdong Restaurants – Seoul
Seoul’s Myeongdong neighbourhood is in the very heart of the bustling city. Full of high-rise buildings, shopping malls and endless streets of shops, bars and restaurants, it’s a top place to stay when visiting Seoul. You can easily get to the top attractions and there are hotel options for all budgets.
If you’re visiting Myeongdong or are staying in this area, you’re going to want to try the many foodie delights. The neighbourhood is full of excellent restaurant and street food options. In this guide, we’ll share some of the very best restaurants in Myeongdong. We’ve hand chosen and visited each dining spot on our list and they all have excellent online reviews.
Add them to your map and start discovering the best cuisine on offer in Seoul’s Myeongdong!
Myeongdong Tonkatsu
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Tongkatsu is a dish that’s quickly rising in popularity in South Korea. Loved by young people, the dish is a Korean version of the breaded Katsu pork cutlet that you’d find in Japan. Myeongdong Tonkatsu is one of the best places in the area to try this delicious crispy cutlet! You can have it by itself with rice, or with a variety of sauces and toppings.
Myeongdong Tonkatsu serves a combination of classic Tonkatsu options, but also some unique variations. Breaded shrimp is a great alternative for those that don’t fancy pork. You can also get several other dishes, though we suggest sticking to the Tonkatsu. Order it with a beer and enjoy!
Eun & Jeong Myeongdong Dak-Galbi Budaejjigae
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Eun & Jeong Myeongdong is another Myeongdong restaurant that specialises in a particular type of dish. Dak-Galbi is a spicy dish of chicken with mixed vegetables, traditionally served in a simmering pot. Perfect for sharing, this dish is tasty and hot, but not overly so. It’s a top choice for friends catching up for lunch, or a hearty family dinner.
Eun & Jeong Myeongdong Dak-Galbi Budaejjigae cook this dish very well and are known to be one of the best places in Seoul to try Dak-Galbi. The restaurant is hidden away on a side street and you’ll need to walk up a flight of stairs to reach it. The interior is wooden and lowly lit with a nice ambience, perfect for an evening dinner. When you’ve nearly finished your Dak-Galbi, a server will come around and add lots of cheese to it. This takes the flavour and goodness to the next level!
Yeji Sikdang
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Yeji Sikdang has some of the best reviews of all the restaurants in Myeongdong, and this is exactly how we found it. The raving reviews are enough to capture your attention! It’s a small, local eatery with a very traditional feel. Rather than one dish, it serves up a selection of many popular Korean dishes, including Bimmimbap, Bulgogi, Japchae and a variety of noodle options.
The dining experience at Yeji Sikdang is no frills. It’s all about the delicious food on offer. It offers authentic and affordable Korean dining in a busy tourist area. You may like it so much, you’ll come back for lunch the next day! As the restaurant is quite small, we recommend visiting outside of peak dinner or lunch hours to ensure you get a table.
Andong Jjimdak Myeongdong
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Andong Jjimdak is a dish of Korean Braised Chicken, and that’s exactly the dish that inspired this restaurant. Andong Jjimdak Myeongdong is a traditional Korean restaurant that specialises in this warming stew dish. It’s a small, basic restaurant with wooden bench seating and you likely won’t find many tourists in sight. This gives you an idea of how authentic it is! Walk in, pull up a table and order from their limited but well-appointed menu.
The main dish to try is the Korean Braised Chicken, which is served in a pot with stir fried vegetables and several small side dishes. You can also order a few variations of the dish, including a seafood option. Andong Jimdak is a great Myeongdong restaurant for those that want to sample authentic Korean dining. You won’t leave hungry, that’s for sure!
Odarijip Myeongdong
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Odarijip Myeongdong is a restaurant that offers Korean BBQ, but also a wide variety of other dishes. It’s an excellent restaurant to visit if you’re not quite sure what dish you want, or if you’re travelling with a group that has different tastes. With excellent reviews and a cool, quirky interior, it’s a modern Korean restaurant that always provides a great experience on an evening. Visit after 7pm on specific nights of the week to enjoy live K-Pop music as you eat.
The owner of the restaurant is a music producer. This explains the many music inspired photos and memorabilia you’ll find on the walls of the restaurant. It creates a warm and inviting atmosphere to enjoy authentic Korean food. Dishes to choose from include cold noodles, Korean pancakes, Japchae, Bimmimbap and many more. You can never go wrong with their Korean BBQ offering either. A blue crab marinated in soy sauce is their signature dish.
Sushi Cho
View on Google Maps | Cost guideline: $$$$
Sushi Cho is one of the best Myeongdong restaurants for those that want a fine dining sushi experience. Featuring a sophisticated Japanese-style interior with low lighting and premium furnishings, this restaurant is perfect for a special occasion, or any event where you want to impress your guest.
Menu options include all the varieties of sushi you could think of, plus some Korean soups, stews, and side dishes. It’s all about high quality sushi at Sushi Cho. The restaurant has a Michelin star and the prices to show for it. Expect to pay on the upper end of the scale for this high-end dining experience.
Hangaram
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If you’re searching where to eat in Myeongdong and want a restaurant with a nice, ambient interior and lots of South Korean food options, consider Hangaram. It’s one of the best Myeongdong restaurants for a special date night. It’s also perfect for when you want a beautiful setting to enjoy your meal. Prices are marginally higher than other restaurants, but it’s still a pretty affordable place to eat.
The environment in Hangaram is warm and cosy with a real welcoming feel. The menu is diverse, with all sorts of weird and wonderful Korean dishes you probably haven’t heard of. However, it also features classics such as Bimmimbap and grilled pork belly. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try the eel? It’s a dish that’s loved by many Koreans!
The best Korean BBQ restaurants in Myeongdong
Some of the very best restaurants in Myeongdong specialise in Korean BBQ. A type of cuisine known worldwide, many visitors have Korean BBQ as a ‘must-try’ on their itinerary, and you should too! We personally tried it at least 6 times over 2 weeks.
Read more about Korean BBQ in our top 20 food to try blog post. Here are some of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Myeongdong:
Myeongdong Korean BBQ Beef All You Can Eat Mongbeulli
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Out of all the Korean BBQ restaurants we’ve visited in South Korea, Myeongdong Korean BBQ Beef All You Can Eat Mongbeulli was the best value for money. It was also a contender for the best BBQ spot we visited! Whilst a lot of Korean ‘unlimited’ BBQ’s only offer pork (unless you go to an expensive restaurant), Mongbeulli offers all-you-can-eat beef. And not just one cut of beef. You’ll find high quality ribeye, striploin and more.
The restaurant is in the heart of the Myeongdong street market area on the second floor of a shopping complex. The atmosphere is busy, dimly lit and vibrant. It’s a fun place to enjoy a interactive meal! For a set cost, you can select your own meats to cook on your table BBQ, along with plenty of side dishes. In addition to the popular beef cuts, you’ll find pork belly and a selection of other pork meat cuts.
Myeongdong Korean BBQ All You Can Eat Pig Company
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Pork, and particularly pork belly, is the most popular Korean BBQ food. Myeongdong Korean BBQ All You Can Eat Pig Company specialises in exactly that! Situated on a side street just away from the market, this restaurant is a great value option for anyone that’s super hungry. You pay a set cost (which is quite affordable for Korean BBQ). You then proceed to choose the cuts of pork you’d like and cook them at your table.
Myeongdong Korean BBQ All You Can Eat Pig Company is a busy but very traditional BBQ dining experience that’s best enjoyed with friends and family. The food is delicious and the quality is very good for the money. It’ll be a real struggle to stop yourself from eating, trust us!
Wangbijib Myeongdong Center Store
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Mangbijib Myeongdong Center Store is part of a chain of popular Korean BBQ restaurants. There are a few branches in the area. However, the Myeongdong Center restaurant has some of the best reviews. It offers premium BBQ meats and a nice ambient atmosphere. It’s a nice place to enjoy an evening meal, particularly if it’s your first Korean BBQ experience.
Unlike the Myeongdong Korean BBQ restaurants we’ve listed above, which have ‘all you can eat’ experiences, Wangbijib offers more traditional BBQ dining. You choose a meat or selection of meats you’d like to BBQ and they get brought to your table. Choosing a combo BBQ set is often more expensive than ‘all you can eat’, but the quality of meat is often higher.
Bonus restaurants: Mom’s Touch / Lotteria
Last but not least, before we reach the street food section of our article, we’ve included a couple of bonus fast food restaurant options. If you’re searching where to eat in Myeongdong and want something quick and tasty, consider the following restaurants. ‘Lotteria’ is South Korea’s version of McDonalds or Burger King. Whilst you’ll find all the western fast-food restaurants recognise, in our opinion, the local varieties are much better. Lotteria is extremely affordable and the burgers are excellent.
‘Moms Touch’ is a Korean fast food restaurant that specialises in all things fried chicken. Korean Fried Chicken is a must try during your visit and Moms Touch is a great place to try it. You’ll find branches of both Moms Touch and Lotteria in Myeongdong.
Street Food
Myeongdong has some excellent restaurants, but it also has one of the best street food markets in the city. Whilst in the area, we recommend wandering down the busy streets on an evening. The market comes alive with delicious, wonderful and sometimes weird food options.
Myeongdong Street Food Market is a great place to stop for dessert after visiting a restaurant, or an affordable late-night snack. You’ll find everything from BBQ chicken skewers and prawns on a stick, to Tteokbokki, Japchae and Korean pancakes. When it comes to sweet treats, you’re spoilt for choice! The streets of Myeongdong are known for their many Oreo churro stands. They’re amazing!
Thanks for reading our guide on some of the best Myeongdong restaurants. We hope we inspired you with dining options and you now have plenty of places to eat whilst visiting Seoul. Sample as many different dishes as you can, try at least one Korean BBQ and don’t forget dessert.
Be sure to read our guide on the top 20 foods and snacks to try in South Korea for more foodie inspiration.
By Ricky
Author bio:An adventurer at heart that loves anything outdoors. Beaches, mountains and amazing scenery is everything I love about travel! I also enjoy home comforts and need a nice place to relax and re-charge after every trip.