Seoul travel Guide: Places to Visit and Restaurants to Eat At
- melissalouie
- Jan 26, 2023
- 25 min read
Updated: Jan 29, 2023
Through my four month exchange in Seoul, South Korea, I was able to travel around to the different areas and discover some places that I would recommend to any traveler to visit beyond the typical tourist sites.
Seoul is one of my favourite cities by far due to its aesthetics, fashion, food, and affordability. I love the fact that your are able to leave your items at your seat without someone taking it. When my family was visiting, this fact blew their minds and was an adjustment for them coming from North America. Seoul is also known for their aesthetics. For someone who is really into design, you can see people walking around in their best outfits, cafes that are super instagram worthy, and shops that are so aesthetic and clean. To top it off, Seoul has areas to cater to different price points. If you want to spend more money one day, you can find yourself in Gangnam. If you want to spend less the next day, you can find yourself in Hongdae. Even if you need to grab a quick midnight snack, the convenience store has got you covered. There are so many delicious foods you can try at the convenience store, like their perfectly salty soft boiled eggs, their Triangle Gimbap, and their instant ramen. You can even find some alcohol here if you don't feel like spending so much at a bar or club. Additionally, the public transit system is very reliable, and with the help of the local maps (mentioned in the tips section) makes it so easy to navigate around Seoul.
In this blog post, I will go over some of my favourite areas, what they are known for, what to do in those areas, and the best restaurant and cafes in those areas. At the bottom of the blog, there are a couple travel tips to make your trip to Korea more easier.
Disclaimer: everyone enjoys different things when they travel, thus you may have a different experience than what I have or have different preferences as well. For me, I tend to place a heavy emphasis on food when I travel, thus all the areas I suggest are focused around good and trendy restaurants and cafes. Korea is also known for their fashion and beauty. Most of these areas that I recommend are also great for shopping, entertainment, and aesthetics.
The list below is in no particular order of most to least favourite. Click on the images to go to their instagram pages or google page.
Hongdae 홍대
Hongdae is probably one of my favourite areas. I frequented this area to go shopping, get food, go clubbing, and more. When I went to Korea for the first time in 2019 and again this time in 2022, I stayed in Hongdae with my family at the Ryse Hotel. The location of the hotel was great as it is on the side of the main Hongdae shopping strip. When doing research on where to stay in Korea, most sites will tell you to stay in Gangnam as it is the "centre of Seoul," however I would like to disagree. From a younger mindset (I'm 21 years old), I found that staying in Hongdae was more central to all the areas that I wanted to visit and enjoyed.
What makes Hongdae so great?
Hongdae is a university area – Hongdae is a short form for the area's university, Hongik University ("Hong" short for Hongik, "dae" short for university in Korean). With this area being shaped around the youthfulness of the university demographic, makes it an entertaining and affordable area. In the warmer months you can find street performers on the street either dancing to popular K-Pop songs or serenading you with their beautiful singing voices.
Another benefit of Hongdae being a university area is the affordability of the clothing shops. There are many shops that cater to the streetwear and girly styles that Korea is known for. I can say that I personally spent a lot of money at these stores. They do vary in prices for each shop from $3 to $100 depending on what you are purchasing. Just beware that some of these stores don't allow you to try on the clothes to prevent potential makeup or body fluids getting onto the items. The stores that DO allow you to try on their clothes are more on the "expensive" side (items going for $10 - $100+ depending on the item).
For people of legal drinking age, there are a ton of bars and clubs to go to. I have to admit that I spent almost every weekend in Hongdae to go clubbing. The clubbing scene is more on the casual side. You can see a lot of people rocking streetwear at the clubs. Hongdae is also one of the cheaper areas for clubbing, in comparison to the Gangnam area. It is easy to find clubs with free entry, making it easy to go club hopping. A typical night out would start at 11:30pm to 12:00am and ends at 5:30am or later. Clubs in Korea usually open until 8am as buses start to run again around 5:00am. Depending on the clubs, it is usually a best practice to familiarize yourself with some popular Korean HipHop songs. Beware that some clubs in Korea don't let foreigners in. Some good clubs to check out that are foreigner friendly are A:tension, International Club, XX, Awesome, and B1. These clubs are generally concentrated in the same area and are very walkable from each other.
I saved the best for last. In terms of food, a lot of the restaurants are catered for groups rather than solo but there are some great restaurants for the solo travellers like myself.
Kyochon Chicken
Chicken and beer is a must try in Korea. Although this restaurant is a chain, it is one of my favourite Korean fried chicken place in Korea. I would recommend trying the honey flavour. The Kyochon in Hongdae is also a very walkable distance from the hotel I recommended earlier.
Yetmat Seoul Bulgogi (옛맛 서울 불고기)
I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance and it is probably my favourite place to get a nice clean soup. You can only get their soup during lunch hours. They only have 3 items on the menu, but their most popular item is the Pork Bone Soup (갈비탕) - a clear bone broth soup with noodles, potatoes, fall off the bone pork pieces, egg strips, green onion, and a side of rice, kimchi, and pepper. There is always a line, so go right when it opens or at a good time. You need to go inside to grab a number slip, which they will call out in Korean for when your table is ready. It is definitely a restaurant that you can only find locals.
Colline Cafe
This cafe is super aesthetic and even had several K-Dramas filmed here. There are a couple floors, so check out the floors before picking your seat. Any cafe in Korea in general gets really busy, so beware of not finding a spot at peak hours. I recommend trying their grapefruit Ade and their creme brûlée cheesecake. This cafe is on the pricier side.
Gami Udong
Looking for a nice little restaurant for some udon? This place is perfect for the solo traveller or small groups. It is located right behind the the main Hongdae shopping strip. I recommend trying the side of Karagae as it's nice and crispy and juicy. You can ask the waitresses for an English menu if needed.
Jirou Ramen
This restaurant is extremely small, making it perfect for the solo traveller or for small groups. They have rich broth and a good fatty piece of chasiu. When you go here you may find yourself waiting for a seat, just write your name and order on their clipboard outside of their restaurant.
Sogogi Geurigo Domabansang
Korean BBQ is a popular meal is Korea. Beef is usually a premium for Korean BBQ. This restaurant is most popular for their assortment of Korean Beef. Really good pieces but also pricy. You can find a long wait at this restaurant. Make sure to write your name on their waitlist.
Ichimori Ramen (이치모라멘)
Another ramen recommendation that is perfect for the solo traveler or small groups. Bar seating and a couple tables are available. The broth has a lot of flavour, the egg is perfectly soft boiled, and the chasiu was nice and fatty.
Yogane Dakgalbi (유가네닭갈)
You can probably find a few locations of this restaurant around Seoul since it's a chain, but the one in Hongdae is right by the street performances. I recommend getting the spicy chicken dish with the cheese fondue around the sides. Once you are done eating, it is normal to get an order of rice with seaweed and fish roe, which gets fried in the sauce left behind by the chicken. It's like a savoury dessert to top off the meal.
Goldstar Beer
This bar is also a chain, as you can find a couple locations around Seoul. Korean bars tend to have a different vibe than English or Irish bars that most people know of. They go for a more aesthetic, fancier, cleaner, conversation centred feeling. My friend ordered for us and I would say that my must get items are the grape beer and the blueberry cheese crackers. Both are on the sweet side but so delicious. As a warning, the menus are in Korean. These bars are usually busy, so you will most likely have a good atmosphere.
Hapjeong 합정
Right next to Hongdae, you can find a couple cute areas to visit. The first one is Hapjeong. IT is a super walkable distance from Hongdae. I mostly went to Hapjeong for their restaurant and cafes. Here is a list of places I enjoyed.
Four B
There are a few locations of Four B around Seoul, but the one in Hapjeong is the largest one I have seen so far. There are 3 floors and outdoor seating on the balcony and on the main floor. They roast their coffee in house and have delicious bagel sandwiches. The location in Hapjeong is also a walkable distance to the YG building if you wanted to pass by YG to look at their architecture or to potentially see a celebrity.
Type Hangang
This cafe blew up on TikTok – that is how I found it. It has a super nice view overlooking the Han River. The cafe itself is very modern, clean, and aesthetic. I would recommend going in the morning on a weekday if you plan to study here or just sit and relax because it does get busy. I went here on a weekend and there was a line of people waiting for a seat. I recommend getting an Americano and Basque Cheesecake as their flavours complement each other.
Stance Coffee
This little coffee shop was really cute and great for studying or chilling. You order and they bring your drinks to you, which is unpopular at Korean cafes (you usually get a buzzer). I would recommend trying the Vienna Einschpener. You can find this drink at many Korean cafes, and it is a must try.
Kandasoba
I went to this ramen place relatively early and they already had a line up before they opened for dinner. You purchase your meal through their Kiosk and then they sit you at one of their bar type seats. Really interesting take on ramen.
Yeonnam 연남동
Another very walkable neighbourhood to Hongdae is Yeonnam. This neighbourhood is super cute and is home to several aesthetic cafes and trendy restaurants. You can even find some nice boutique clothing shops that cater to the more business casual style. These clothes are little bit more pricier than the Hongdae area. There is the main strip that has a little park, where you can walk around and sometimes spot a street performer playing music. Then if you walk into the back of this park area, you can find some winding streets. They are super narrow, that it's hard to spot cars driving here. The alleys are the cutest and best part of Yeonnam. You can probably go cafe hoping in this area or just enjoy walking around and people watching during peak hours.
Unfortunately I didn't try too many places in Yeonnam, as there are so many. Literally! There are restaurants and cafes stacked on top of each other, as each floor is a different store. Yeonnam expands more than these two main areas as well. If you walk a little further than the alleyways, you can find a strip with the two way streets divided by some trees, filled with a few cute cafes. You can also find some more double story cafes on the main (car) road as well. I wish I got to try more food in this area, but here are some of my favourites. Definitely try some other ones in the area than the ones I've suggested.
Yann Couvreur
This French patisserie has a good variety of mini cakes and pastries. They are on the pricier side, but are super delicious. I went there a couple of times and each dessert I tried, did not disappoint. There are two floors with a good number of seats but I have heard that it can get quite busy and difficult to find a spot. This cafe is super aesthetic on the the outside too. You can find it on the main strip of Yeonnam in the park area.
Quennell Brill
In my last week there, I decided to go beyond the typical Yeonnam area I went to, and found a lot more cute cafes. This was one of them. The Peach Ade was delicious. The aesthetics of the cafe are modern and simplistic.
Moghwasi Lounge (목화씨라운지)
This cafe was one of the other cafes I found when exploring. It has a more rustic vibe to it and is super aesthetic. Along the same street you can find a lot more cafes, so if this one doesn't suit your taste, there are other ones you can try. The Basque cheesecake was delicious and the Americano was presented in the cutest china. The only con was that there is no wifi if you want to do some studying or surf on the internet without using data.
Ikseondong 익익선동
This extremely cute hanok village is right next to Insadong. Most travel sights will tell you to visit Insadong, however I find that Insadong is very tourist centric. I'm not saying that any of the other areas are not tourist centric, but Insadong is one of those places you can go to once and don't need to revisit. Insadong is a place perfect for the typical souvenir gifts to bring back home whether for yourself, friends, or family.
Ikseondong on the other hand are for those who like aesthetic, instagram worthy cafes and restaurants. Sometimes the cultural centre even holds pop-up events. For instance during December 2022, Dior held a pop-up beauty exhibit and store.
Ikseondong is also relatively close to other areas such as the Gyeongbukgung Palace, Myeongdong, and the Gwangajnag Market. If you are up for it and it's a nice day, I would recommend going to the Gyeongbokghung palace in the morning to take some pictures and walk around. As a little tip, you get free entry if you are wearing a hanbok (Korean traditional clothing). After you are done at Gyeongbokgung, I would walk over to Ikseondong to rest up at a cafe and to walk around.
Just like the other areas, I haven't tried all of the delicious places, but here are some of my favourite restaurant and cafes I visited in this area.
Nagwonjang
This cafe is on the modern side, which is hard to find in this area. It has several floors and a lot of seating, but it can be very difficult to find a spot during peak hours. I really enjoy the Blueberry Tart (not sure if that was the actual name), as it's not too sweet or heavy. The cakes and pastries are self serve and you can find them laying out on a table on the first floor. You order your drinks and pay on the second floor.
Cheongsudang
You can always find a line up at this cafe. It has gotten pretty popular on social media for its cool entrance. The interior of this cafe is really cool as well, as there are natural plants growing in the center of the table. I would recommend their dessert as it is very unique in the sense that it's almost like a bread pudding but with a creamier and cheesier taste. It does take a while for the food to come out as well so bare that in mind.
Insadonggeujip
This restaurant is in Insadong, but is really good for more of the traditional Korean food that you think about. I would highly recommend the beef ribs. They are marinated perfectly and the tenderness made it fall off the bone. Just make sure you eat it right when they serve it as the meet does get tougher as it cools. I also tried the Spicy Pork and Pajeon and they are both good. They serve lots of side dishes as well. You can find tourists and locals at this restaurant.
Sinchon 신촌
Since I was in Korea for an exchange program, I spent most of my time in Sinchon. If you decide to go to Sinchon, I would recommend walking around the Yonsei campus. The campus has some really nice architecture, mixing modern buildings with classic European style buildings with the ivy vines hanging off of it. Many popular K-Dramas were filmed on the Yonsei campus such as True Beauty and Cheer up. In my opinion, there is not much to do in Sinchon as a tourist, so I would not recommend blocking off too much of your stay for Sinchon. Since Sinchon is a university town, the area is centred around students, thus being a more affordable area and younger area.
Here are some restaurants I enjoyed.
Doksipmun Seolleongtang (독립문 설렁탕)
This was the first restaurant I ate alone in as it was perfect for those who are a solo traveler or need a quick eat. The place is very clean and the food is good. They only have 3 options on the menu, but every time I went here, I ordered the bulgogi.
Delicious Sundubu Jjigae House (맛있는순두부찌개집)
If you are looking for some authentic tofu soup, this is the place for it. They are open 24/7 making it super convenient. They also serve the soups with a lot of delicious side dishes, unlimited rice, and unlimited eggs.
Cochon Tonkatsu
This was probably the cheapest tonkatsu I've ever eaten! It only costs 4,000 won for one meal here. The tonkatsu itself was really good and the service was fast. This place is good for solo travellers or small groups. The tonkatsu comes with miso soup, pickled radish, salad, rice, and sesame that you grind up to mix with their tonkatsu sauce.
3F Cafe
This cafe is super cute and aesthetic, from the decoration to the drinks and food itself. Their Ades and Strawberry Lattes are very delicious. The cafe does get pretty busy in the afternoons as you can find students studying here.
The Pie Hole
Popular among many of the Yonsei students, The Pie Hole is a go to place if you have a sweet tooth. Every different pie I've tried here is always good. The aesthetic of the cafe is really cute as well.
Tasty Cube (정육면체)
This Japanese ramen bar is in the Michelin guide. They have a cool twist to their ramen that is different from the traditional Japanese ramen you think of. I would also suggest ordering a side of chicken with your choice of ramen. As a warning, there is usually a line up, so I would recommend going right before peak hours and to only go as a very small group (they only have bar seating).
Sosinessu (소신이쏘)
You can find one of the most tender braised beef ribs at this restaurant. It comes with some noodles, mushrooms, and rice cakes (tteok). The portions do appear smaller, so if you are a big eater, it's best to get an extra serving. Once you are done the beef ribs, I would recommend ordering some rice with the flying fish roe, which they mix into the left over sauce from the pot. This restaurant always has a line up, so be prepared to wait.
Sinchon Meat Warehouse
Probably my favourite Korean BBQ place in Korea for pork. Their meat pieces are nice and thick and the price per piece won't break your bank. I would recommend ordering the pork belly and the pork shoulder. They offer lettuce and perilla leaves upon request. The great part about this restaurant is that they help you cook your meat and even use a timer for optimal browning of the meats. The way I like to eat it is by dipping in salt the first bite, then wasabi the second, third ssamjang sauce, and lastly wrap it in a lettuce leaf with some marinated onion, ssamjang, and green onion. This restaurant also serves a cherry tomato, oyster mushroom, and slice of squash or yam with every order.
Cafe Moon Bear
This cafe is perfect for studying or just chilling with friends. Their drinks are delicious and I would recommend trying one of their Madeleines. My favourite is the Raspberry or Earl Grey flavoured Madeleines.
Dolaun Wejeongbubudaejigae (돌아온 의정부부대찌개)
This place had one of the best army stews and seafood pancake I've had. The pancake was perfectly crispy and soft, while the soup was delicious. I don't normally like spam, but the soup made me like it. The restaurant interior itself is nothing fancy.
Ewha
Ewha is another university area, but is more catered to a female demographic. This is due to the fact that Ewha University is a women's university. I would recommend walking around the Ewha campus as there is some really nice architecture here. If you walk along the streets in the Ewha area, you can find many women's clothing shops. There are not as many as pre-pandemic, but there are still a good number. The clothes here are very affordable as you can find clothes as low at 4,000 won. You can even find some nice bags here for an affordable price.
Ewha and Sinchon are very close to each other and are even a walkable distance from each other. I would allocate around a day to finish visiting both of these areas.
As for food in this area, I haven't tried too many. I do, however, have my favourite cafe located in this area.
One's Own Cafe
This cafe is home to my favourite sandwich by far. I liked their smoked ham and Jalapeño sandwich (can't remember if that was it's name). It has a mixture of sweet and spicy flavours. I definitely recommend giving this a try... but beware, it can be addicting and might make you want to go there again. Another great item to try is their cloud drinks. They are usually espresso based drinks with their special thick whipped cream on top. This cafe is on the smaller side, so either get there right when they open or go at non-peak hour times. You can also order takeout at this cafe, and is still delicious.
Myeongdong 명동
Myeongdong is probably one of the largest and most well known shopping areas in South Korea. It is home to several clothing stores from small boutique stores to large brand names like Zara and Nike. If you are into beauty products, I would recommend going to the 3CE store here as they have several floors, with a different concept on each floor. Definitely more of a cool art exhibit rather than a typical store. There are also several beauty stores selling you the top Korean skincare products. There will even be stores that try to offer you free masks if you go into their store. This area has been affected by COVID-19 as there are not as many stores as there used to be pre-pandemic, but there are still a good number of stores. Myeongdong is catered to more tourists, so most stores will have the duty free features. Just make sure to bring your passport. If you are in need of purchasing another suitcase for a reasonable price, go to Myeongdong Underground Shopping centre. You can find a few stores that sell suitcases. Across the street from the main Myeongdong area, you can find the Lotte Department Stores. During Christmas time, they have lots of light installations that are worth checking out. All year round, Lotte Youth Department Store has a K-pop store open in their basement, which is worth checking out if you are looking for some K-pop souvenirs.
As for Myeongdong's food, you can find several street vendors along the main strip. I would recommend trying their mini custard or red bean filled pastries and their egg bun. Myeongdong is also famous for their Kalguksu restaurant.
Myeongdong Gyoza
Michelin star rated Korean noodle and dumpling restaurant. The kalguksu in this restaurant has a nice, clear, meat based broth with some soft noodles, dumplings, onions, and zucchini. If you go with some friends, I would recommend ordering a side order of the dumplings. The noodles alone are super filling. Each order comes with a side of their spicy kimchi. Since this restaurant is always busy, with lines out the door, their wait staff are more on the quick paced side. You order and pay as soon as you sit down. The food comes out pretty quick as well. They give you a piece of gum as well so that your breath won't smell too strong afterwards. There are two locations in Myeongdong and I believe both are good.
Gwangjang Market
Although Gwangjang Market is not in Myeongdong, it is relatively close to it. If you are to pick one market to go to in Seoul, it should be Gwangjang Market. There are so many different foods to try in this market. I would recommend trying the Kalguksu (the Netflix Kalguksu is located in this market), tteokboki, mung bean pancake, beef tartar (there's a Michelin guide beef tartar place here), and heotteok (fried pancake with filling inside). There are so many vendors to choose from for each type of food, but you probably can't go wrong with any of them. During the day you can also look at the stores. These stores sell other items like materials, blankets, and more.
Gangnam 강남
Gangnam is a relatively expensive and large area. There are so many smaller neighbourhoods within Gangnam such as Garosugil, Apgujeong, and Seongsu. I will go in depth on these areas in the next few sections.
As for the main Gangnam area, I would recommend walking around the main strip and in the areas behind it. I would also recommend doing some shopping in the Gangnam underground shopping area. These clothes are super affordable, but the downside is that you can't try on most of the clothes here. There are so many shops for clothing and accessories, so you can find yourself spending a lot of time here to try and go to all the stores. Most of these stores are more on the girly style side. On the Main Street you can find some more of the bigger brands such as 8seconds, New Balance, and Musina Standard.
Gangnam is also home to the Coex Mall and Starfield Library. The Starfield Library is a really cool library to check out as you can find ceiling high book shleves. The library is also connected to the Coex Mall if you wanted to do some shopping. I would recommend checking out the National Geographic store, as they only have these stores in Korea. If you go outside of the Coex Mall, you can also find the famous Gangnam Style Statue.
Since Gangnam is further from the area I was staying at, I didn't go here too often. Here are a couple of my favourite places that I got to try. Definitely try some other places beyond what I have recommended, as I haven't tried all of the good places in this area yet.
Premium Jangin Dakgalbi
One of Korea's popular dishes is their Dakgalbi. It comes with some spicy chicken and melted cheese in the middle. You can add topings such as ramen and rice cakes to your chicken. Once you are done eating the chichen, you can ask for some rice with seaweed and flying fish roe to be mixed in with the leftover sauce in your pan.
Something About Coffee
A cute cafe with a lot of drink and dessert selections. They have a table filled with self serve desserts, plus a case full of cakes. Their black sesame drink was delicious, and I definitely recommend trying it. They have indoor and outdoor seating.
Apgujeong 압구정
Apgujeong is a neighbourhood inside of the larger Gangnam area. It is known for their cafes, luxury stores, and more. Just like the main Gangnam area, Apgujeong is a bit more on the expensive side. A great area to visit in Apgujeong is the Apgujeong Rodeo. Here you can find several instagram worthy cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs, and some boutique shops. I would definitely recommend going cafe hopping here. Apgujeong is also home to a luxury street where you can find large buildings full of luxury brands such as Dior, Gucci, Burberry and more.
I have not included any cafe or restaurant recommendations, there are so many cool, unique, and good cafes and restaurants in this area. I would recommend you do your own research to find out what you like the best.
Seongsu 성수
When you look up Seongsu on other travel sites, they will tell you that Seongsu is the Brooklyn of Seoul. Seongsu has a more rustic and warehouse vibe, rather than the more modern and clean look that people know Seoul for. When you arrive in Seongsu via subway, you can exit through Exit 3 (I think) to get to one of the main streets. Here you can find some cafes and cool clothing stores. Once you turn onto one of the smaller streets, you can find yourself walking past some more cool cafes and clothing stores. It doesn't seem like much, but it's suprising to find some of the coolest shops and cafes in an area where you would least expect it. What I would recommend for tourists is to subway to Seongsu station, go to a cafe in this area, then walk towards the Seoul Forest – which is about a 20 minute walk from the Seongsu Station. Seoul Forest is like the Central Park of Seoul. There is a lot of space to walk around and is especially beautiful during the fall. Then you can walk over to another area near the Seoul Forest that takes you to some more cafes, restaurants, and boutique shops. I would say this area is more modern than the other Seongsu area, and is more on the cuter side. I would recommend seeing both parts.
Aside from the aesthetic, shopping, and foods that Seongsu has to offer, I would recommend you try a dance class at the 1 Million Dance Studio. This studio is very famous on YouTube and even has classes held by professional dancers who've competed on dance shows like Street Man Fighter and Street Women Fighter. The classes are more on the challenging side. I would recommend you to arrive around 30 minutes earlier than the class time to line up for the class. Although you sign up for a spot on their website beforehand, you line up to enter the classroom. The earlier you are = the more chances of getting a better spot.
Here is my recommendation of cafes and restaurants to try in this area.
Grandmother's Recipe (할머니의레시피)
If you are looking for some more traditional Korean food, this is one of the places I would recommend. Their plating of the food was spectacular, and you can tell they pay attention to all the details of the food. They also gave lots of side dishes along with our meals. I would recommend ordering one of their sets. We did come near the end of lunch, so there was less people and the waiters were prepping for dinner, but it was still a nice experience at this restaurant. Definitely would recommend.
Cafe Onion
Cafe onion is a chain, as they have a location near Ikseondong as well. I got to try it in Seongsu and it was really good. It had a more rustic and warehouse vibe to it. The pastry and coffee was really good as well. They have many pastries laid out for you to select. If you come here to study, the tables have popup charging ports if your computer needs a little charge. Along with all the other cafes in Seoul, this one does get pretty busy during peak hours.
MiDoin
MiDoin is another chain restaurant. The location in Seongsu was really cute as it has a Parisian feel to it. the food is very delicious and flavourable. I would recommend getting their steak rice with their sauce.
Daerim Warehouse
This cafe is located on the main road when you first exit the Seongsu Station. It is a really big cafe with a lot of seating. It really lives up to the warehouse name as the aesthetic is very rustic and looks like a warehouse. The also have some art installations in each room. The pastries are layed out on a table when you enter, with many options to choose from.
Matdaum Seongsu (맞닿음 성수점)
This place is a little bar on the main road in Seongsu. I went to this place after doing a dance class at 1 Million Dance Studio with my friends. We got their odong stew which comes in a big pot, some noodles, veggies, and some odong (fish cake). we also had their tteokboki and shrimp tempura which were both delicious. But it wouldn't be a bar without some beer and soju.The foods we ordered went perfectly with the alcohol. Just as a caution though, I would recommend bringing some cash for this restaurant as foreign cards don't work here. We made that mistake going our second time, and we had to franticly search for an ATM.
Jinjak Dining (진작 다이닝)
Looking for an aesthetic japanese fusion restaurant? This is the place. They have some delicious Japanese style pasta, as well as some more traditional Japanese rice dishes. I only got to go here once, but I wish I could've gone here more times to try out the different dishes they had to offer. The interior of this place is very modern and airy. Be prepared to wait to be seated, as there is a line up.
Dongdaemun 동대문
Deongdaemun is best known for the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It is probably a place you have seen a lot when doing your research on places to visit in Seoul. I wouldn't recommend blocking too much time off here though. The design plaza is really nice to walk around and take some pictures with the architecture. You can also walk around inside to see the art exhibits, shops, and library. They even have a SM Town store. As for the general Dongdaemun area, there are a lot of buildings that sell clothes and materials. I would do your research if you are planning to do some shopping here. Most of the buildings are more for materials like fabric, charm making, and more.
Tips for an easy travel around Seoul, South Korea:
Purchase a SIM card or pocket wifi at the airport. You can purhcase these ahead of time for pick up on Klook. Although many places offer free wifi, it is always best to have a backup and more reliable source for fast internet connection when travelling. This is especially helpful when navigating around the city.
Purchase a transit pass. These can be purchased at the airport or at any convenience store. They even sell them at other stores like Artbox. You can find some really cool designs for your transit card pass too. They typically go for 3,000 won but can cost more for a pass with a cool design. These passes make it so much easier to take transit in Seoul. You can load them at the subway stations with cash or at the convenience stores with a Korean credit card. The taxis can even take their payments through transit pass.
Download Naver or Kakao Maps. These are the two most popular map apps in Korea. You can still try using Google Maps, however it is not as reliable as these two apps I've suggested. I like using Kakao Maps better, but I know that my other foreigner friends liked using Naver more. Download them both and see which one you like better. Kakao maps helped me look for places to eat as there is a function to look up cafes and restaurants in your area. You can then look through the list or on the map to see which one interests you the most. If you use one of these apps, you are less likely to get lost as it's really easy to know which bus to take, which direction you go in, and how much you need to walk to places. The transit in Korea is pretty reliable too and comes on time, most of the time. They offer different routes, like ones with less walking, ones that require less transfers, and ones that only take one type of transit.
Download Papago or Google Translate. I would recommend downloading one of these apps or both as they will help you with communicating in Korea, especially if you don't know much Korean. Both apps have features to help you translate an image, which is useful for reading menus, signs, and more. It can even help you communicate with a local if you need to look for directions or bargain with a shop employee.
Etiquette:
Stand on the right side of the escalator. When people are in a rush, they get impatient. It is a best practice to stand on the right side of the escalator if you do not plan to walk up it. It is especially important during rush hour as it keeps the traffic flowing and prevents any angry Korean people from yelling at you.
Don't talk loudly on the public transit. I've heard some stories from my foreigner friends of when they got yelled at by the bus driver for talking too loud. I've also seen some bus drivers yelling at some locals for being too loud while talking on the phone. To prevent getting yelled at or getting some weird stares at you, I would recommend not talking too loud and not taking any phone calls while on the public transit.
Pick up and return trays and garbage. In Korea they are very anal about their garbage and cleanliness. In cafes and restaurants you can often find yourself with a buzzer for when to pick up your order from the counter. When you are finished your food, you should bring your tray with all your garbage and dishes on it back to the return counter. The only time you don't need to do this is when they bring your food to you. In addition, if you plan to eat in, make sure you tell the server as they don't allow plastic cups to be used when dining in. Lastly, if you plan to take some food to go, be prepared to hold on to the garbage until you find a trash can. Trash cans are hard to come by when walking around the city as they are very particular with separating their garbage properly. So keeping that in mind, make sure you put your garbage in the right container when you find one.
Don't sit on pregnancy and handicap seating in public transit. Most locals will not be found sitting on these chairs unless it is absolutely needed or if they fit the criteria to be sitting on these seats. It's best to not to be found sitting on these seats, especially during busy times, if you want to reduce the weird stares coming your way.
No need to tip. Coming from different countries where tipping is a norm, no tipping may feel strange. Nobody in Korea really tips, and can sometimes be rude. Instead you just pay the price of the food or whatever you are purchasing with tax and nothing more. Even though there is no tipping, you will still get amazing service.
I hope this blog helped you figure out some places to visit and give you some insight on how to have a smoother travel in Korea. Feel free to check out my instagram stories, where I have posted some pictures of where I have eaten and visited. Once again, there are so many more places to visit and try. The lists above are not limited to the many amazing things that Seoul has to offer. So go out and explore!
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