Where to eat in Gangnam
South of the river around Apgujeong, Sinsa and Cheongdam, where Seoul's grand old barbecue houses moved as the city grew. Beyond bulgogi and galbi, there's a 24-hour hanwoo house famed for raw-beef bibimbap, kimchi stew by Garosu-gil and long-loved dumpling shops.
10 places our guide covers in Gangnam, with what to order, how long the wait is and how to eat each dish.
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Hanilkwan (Apgujeong) 한일관 압구정점
Korean BBQ · Gangnam · Since 1939
Seoul's grand old name for bulgogi, serving since 1939. Its Seoul-style bulgogi is thin, sweet-savory marinated beef cooked at the table in a little broth, and the lunch sets add grilled galbi, rice and a spread of side dishes. A polished, family-friendly dining room where Koreans celebrate birthdays and meet in-laws.
Try: Seoul-style bulgogi
Short wait - 🍲
Kim Buk-sun Keun Nambi-jip (Sinsa) 김북순큰남비집 신사본점
Home-style meals · Gangnam · Since 2002
A kimchi-stew house by Garosu-gil that has been packed since 2002. Each person gets their own little pot of kimchi jjigae with pork, tuna or Spam, and regulars add a rolled omelet or the choran ttukbaegi, a soft egg stew with shrimp and squid. Office workers and foreign visitors share the tables.
Try: Pork kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew)
Short wait - 🍖
Daegam Wang Jokbal 대감왕족발
Jokbal & bossam · Gangnam
An old-school jokbal (braised pig's trotters) house tucked between shops across from the Hyundai Apartments in Apgujeong. Locals come for the kkodeul jokbal, served cold and chewy in the old style, and the owner's homemade kimchi. On fine evenings people eat at tables outside.
Try: Kkodeul jokbal (cold, chewy trotters)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🥩
Dosan Jeongyuk (Cheongdam) 도산정육 청담본점
Korean BBQ · Gangnam
A busy pork barbecue house in Apgujeong Rodeo where staff grill aged pork belly and neck at your table from start to finish. Celebrity visits have made it a favorite with foreign visitors, and the evening line shows it.
Try: Aged samgyeopsal (pork belly)
30-60 min wait - 🥟
New Mandu-jip 뉴만두집
Street snacks · Gangnam
A Michelin Bib Gourmand dumpling house in Apgujeong Rodeo, making North Korean-style hand-made dumplings since the early 1980s. Order the manduguk, big dumplings in a clear, gentle broth, with crisp stuffed-pepper pancakes or a nutty soybean stew on the side.
Try: Manduguk (dumpling soup)
Short wait - 🥩
Samwon Garden 삼원가든
Korean BBQ · Gangnam
Gangnam's landmark galbi house: a big traditional restaurant with a garden and waterfall, where Seoul families have celebrated for decades. Order the house marinated beef short ribs or plain prime Korean beef ribs, grilled at your table, or come at lunch for a bowl of galbitang and cold noodles.
Try: Samwon traditional marinated galbi
Short wait - 🥟
Sandong Gyojagwan 산동교자관
Korean-Chinese · Gangnam
A tiny Chinese dumpling house by Apgujeong Station, run in the tradition of Korea's long-settled Chinese community (hwagyo). Its pan-fried dumplings, crisp outside and full of juice, are among the most praised in Gangnam, and the five-spice pork and stir-fried eggplant are worth sharing.
Try: Gun-mandu (pan-fried dumplings)
Locals' pick30-60 min wait - 🍜
Seolmaene 설매네
Home-style meals · Gangnam
A basement Korean restaurant that Apgujeong residents have relied on for more than thirty years. At lunch it's a bowl of kalguksu or manduguk; in the evening tables share bossam, dumpling hot pot, tangpyeongchae (mung bean jelly salad) and spicy stir-fried octopus.
Try: Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🍶
Sinsajeon 신사전
Pubs · Gangnam
A big, lively jeon (Korean pancake) and makgeolli house off Garosu-gil. Its trademark is honeycomb makgeolli: staff cut a slab of honeycomb at your table to sweeten your rice wine. Order a platter of mixed jeon or the cheesy potato pancake, and expect plenty of foreign visitors around you.
Try: Sinsa-dong makgeolli with honeycomb
30-60 min wait - 🥩
Yeongcheon Yeonghwa (Cheongdam) 영천영화 청담점
Korean BBQ · Gangnam
A Cheongdam house for hanwoo, Korea's prized native beef, open around the clock. It is best known for yukhoe bibimbap, rice topped with seasoned raw beef, and for grilled hanwoo rib meat. Foreign visitors, especially from Japan and China, fill the tables alongside locals.
Try: Hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef bibimbap)
30-60 min wait