7 of the Best Places to Eat in Seoul: Korean Fried Chicken, Dumplings & More

Last updated on October 5th, 2025

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Here are 7 of the best places to eat in Seoul, South Korea—favorites I visited constantly during my three-month stay in this incredible city with our circus job.

While there are many incredible spots to eat in Seoul, finding them can be quite the challenge.

Especially since Google Maps isn’t the default map app in Korea—check out our Seoul travel guide for more info on this—it’s hard to find and rate restaurants, compared to other places in the world.

I almost considered not doing this post, since a few of my favorite places to eat in Seoul seem to have permanently closed since I was last there, narrowing down the list even further.

But that made me want to share these few spots even more, in the hopes that they give you a solid starting point for great places to eat in Seoul—so you don’t arrive empty-handed.

From unmissable Korean fried chicken to some of my favorite Korean street food in Myeong-dong, to a popular soup in the historic Bukchon Hanok Village, here are some of the best places to eat in Seoul, South Korea.

7 of the Best Places to Eat in Seoul, South Korea

1) Daily Beer: Flavorful, delicious fried chicken

An unmissable thing to eat in Korea is their delicious fried chicken, and our go-to place while living in Seoul for three months was Daily Beer Korean, a small fried chicken shop in the Insa-dong neighborhood.

This spot was around the corner from where we lived, so we ended up visiting a lot and trying different flavors of their fried chicken.

Our favorite ones were the garlicky soy-sauce one and a red sauce one, which I can’t remember for the life of me what it was, and can’t find anywhere. But whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong; they are all super tasty!

We loved this spot so much that we had their fried chicken for our New Year’s Eve dinner, which I was told by a local friend is a tradition in Korea.

2) Baeknyeon Tojong Samgyetang: Locally-loved ginseng chicken soup restaurant

You will particularly love this one if visiting Seoul during the colder months, as it’s the perfect comfort food for those chilly autumn days.

Baeknyeon Tojon Samgyetang is a famous spot known for its whole chicken, chicken soup. Meaning you get a full chicken in every bowl of soup—but don’t worry, they are relatively small.

The broth is clear and simple, with added ginseng for more health benefits, and some hearty rice, for the perfect comfort meal.

One of my favorite random things about this place is the spicy garlic cloves they serve as a side dish—they are SO good! I could eat multiple bowls of them.

This locally-loved chicken soup restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the best places to eat in Seoul, especially if you need a break from heavier meals.

3) Myeongdong Kyoja Main Restaurant: The locals’ favorite dumpling soup

On the other hand, another comforting, but slightly heavier soup is the delicious and unmissable dumpling soup at Myeondong Kyoja Main Restaurant.

This spot is one of the best places to eat in Seoul, and the crowds, both local and tourists, know it, so be ready to wait a little while if visiting during meal hours.

To guarantee a shorter waiting time, visit between meal times. This is what I did most of the time, and I didn’t have to wait at all.

The dumping soup is the way to go, but there are other tasty things on the menu to try. However, the famous soup is one of the best things we ate while living in Seoul for three months, so make sure to try it!

4) Oreno Ramen: The most comforting chicken ramen

There’s something about Korea and soup, apparently. Another one of the best places to eat in Seoul is Oreno Ramen, a ramen chain serving the most delicious and creamiest paitan ramen.

While technically Japanese, this acclaimed and Bib Gourmand-recognized ramen chain is very popular with the locals, and for good reason.

Their classic chicken ramen is served in a creamy and comforting broth, with juicy chicken slices, and a perfectly half-boiled egg—it’s incredible!

The one that I frequented the most is their location in Insa-dong, but there are a few other locations in the city, such as one in the young Hongdae and the busy Gangnam.

5) Kkangtong Mandu: Locally-approved dumpling restaurant

Another one of the best restaurants to eat in Seoul is Kkangtong Mandu, a locally-loved dumpling restaurant a few steps away from the Bukchon Hanok village.

This dumpling spot is popular with the locals, and as with most good meals in Seoul, you can expect a small line here, so arrive early to line up, whether it is for lunch or dinner.

Their menu consists of Korean classics, such as noodle soup, Korean pancakes, and, of course, dumplings, the star of the show.

The dumpling soup is good, but make sure to try the steamed dumplings instead.

6) Gwangjang Market: Tasty Korean pancakes stand

One of the best places to eat in Seoul, South Korea, is without a doubt the famous Gwangjang Market, and one of my favorite stands there is a Pajeon (Korean pancake) stand by the main entrance.

Pajeon is a type of salty pancake consisting of eggs, scallions, and other ingredients that can vary from seafood to beef and pork, kimchi, and other vegetables.

While it might sound a bit different from what you are used to, believe me, you have to try it!

It’s basically a tasty omelet-type meal, in a pancake form. When in doubt, you can always share it, so you can keep trying other treats at the market.

7) Myeongdong Night Market: Flavorful dumplings stand

One of the things we ate the most while living in Seoul for 3 months has to be the dumplings at the Myeongdong Night Market.

While there are many tasty food stands to try in the popular market, are favorite stop was this dumpling stand right in front of the Holika Holika shop in Myeongdong.

The stand seems to be there since around 5 pm, so it was our perfect in-between-meals snack when shopping around the area.

The dumplings are super tasty and affordable, making for the perfect quick meal while exploring this buzzing area of the city.

Final thoughts on the best places to eat in Seoul, South Korea

While there are countless little eateries, Korean street food stands, and BBQ joints to eat at while exploring the unique Seoul, finding them can feel very challenging.

As mentioned, Google Maps doesn’t fully work in South Korea, so a lot of restaurants are not on it, and locals don’t use the app for rating businesses, so you really are left to your own devices.

This is why I truly hope that this concise list of some of the best places to eat in Seoul, South Korea, gives you at least a good starting point, guiding you to my favorite spots I frequented while living in Seoul for three months.

I definitely have an itch to return to Seoul, so surely this list will grow on my next trip. But for now, which of these places would you visit first during your trip to Seoul? Let us know in the comments.