Best restaurants in Korea for every situation
34 restaurants in the Korea on a Plate guide for an early breakfast, ranked Monthly 30 first and then by Google rating. Each has hours, a price per person and what to order.
In this guide: Ttukbaegijip (Earthen Pot House), Geumseonggwan Naju Gomtang (Naju-style Beef Soup), Geumsu Bokguk, Mapo-ok, Chodang Tobagi Halmeoni Sundubu.
At a glance: Price per person ₩3,500–₩34,000 (middle ₩11,000). Average Google rating ★4.1. 5 of 34 are open late or 24 hours.
Updated 2026-10-05
| Restaurant | Area | Order | Per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ttukbaegijip (Earthen Pot House) | Jongno | Ureong Doenjang · soybean paste stew with freshwater snails | ₩9,000 | ★4.5 |
| Geumseonggwan Naju Gomtang (Naju-style Beef Soup) | Myeongdong | Naju Gomtang · Korean beef soup served with rice, Naju style | ₩12,000 | ★4.4 |
| Geumsu Bokguk | Haeundae · Jung-dong | Bokguk · clear pufferfish soup with bean sprouts | ₩20,000 | ★4.2 |
| Mapo-ok | Hongdae | Seolleongtang · milky ox-bone soup | ₩19,000 | ★4.2 |
| Chodang Tobagi Halmeoni Sundubu | Chodang-dong · Sundubu Village | Sundubu · seawater-set soft tofu, plain or in a hot pot | ₩13,000 | ★4.2 |
| Haeundae Gaya Milmyeon | Busan | Milmyeon · chilled wheat noodles | ₩10,000 | ★4.1 |
| Ujin Haejangguk | Jeju City · Samdo 2-dong | Gosari haejangguk · bracken-fern and pork-bone soup | ₩11,000 | ★4.1 |
| Ssangdungi Dwaeji Gukbap | Nam-gu · Daeyeon | Dwaeji gukbap · pork and rice soup | ₩11,000 | ★4 |
| Imun Seolnongtang | Jongno | Seolleongtang · ox bone soup | ₩15,000 | ★4 |
| Mukyodong Bugeoguk-jip | Myeongdong | Bugeo-guk · dried pollack soup | ₩12,000 | ★4.5 |
뚝배기집
₩9,000 per person
Hours 07:00–21:30
Ttukbaegijip is a small stew restaurant near Jongno 3-ga serving four stews in earthenware pots: snail doenjang, plain doenjang, soft tofu and kimchi stew, all priced ₩8,000–₩9,000. DiningCode reviewers most often describe it as unpretentious, good value and popular with locals.
금성관 나주곰탕
₩12,000 per person
Hours 08:00–22:00
Geumseonggwan Naju Gomtang serves Naju-style gomtang made with hanu (Korean beef) near Namdaemun Market, along with galbitang, pan-fried beef slices and boiled beef platters. DiningCode lists it for gomtang and dongdongju rice wine, and reviewers most often call it unpretentious, casual, generous and popular with locals.
Haeundae main branch
금수복국 해운대본점
₩20,000 per person
Open 24 hours
A Michelin Guide Busan-listed institution near Haeundae Station, this pufferfish specialist has served bokguk around the clock on its ground floor for years. It's a classic Busan hangover cure and an introduction to a dish visitors rarely find outside Korea's coastal cities.
마포옥
₩19,000 per person
Hours Mon–Fri 07:00–21:00; Sat–Sun 07:00–17:00
Running since 1949 and now in its third generation, Mapo-ok is regularly named among Seoul's oldest seolleongtang houses. The slow-simmered ox-bone broth is the kind of unfussy, warming meal locals eat any time of day, including breakfast.
초당토박이할머니순두부
₩13,000 per person
Hours 08:00–20:00
One of the long-running tofu houses in Chodang-dong, the seaside neighborhood where tofu is set with seawater instead of standard coagulants, giving it a delicate, custard-like texture. It's a quiet, homestyle counterpoint to Gangneung's beach and coffee-street crowds.
해운대 가야밀면
₩10,000 per person
Hours 09:00–20:40
Get to know Busan through its signature cold wheat noodles. The icy broth, chewy noodles and bright garnishes make a refreshing change from the grill.
우진해장국
₩11,000 per person
Hours 06:00–22:00
One of Jeju City's most recommended early-morning soup houses, specializing in a Jeju-only style of haejangguk built around bracken fern instead of the cabbage used on the mainland. It opens at 6am and draws locals starting their day alongside travelers wanting a hearty meal.
쌍둥이돼지국밥 본점
₩11,000 per person
Hours 09:00–22:00
Discover one of Busan’s signature comfort meals in Daeyeon. Pork soup with rice is the starting point at Ssangdungi.
이문설농탕
₩15,000 per person
Hours 08:00–21:00
Settle into a bowl of milky ox bone soup in Jongno. Imun is a long-established stop for a gentle, savory meal between neighborhood walks.
무교동북어국집
₩12,000 per person
Hours Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00; Sat–Sun 07:00–15:00
Running since 1968 in the old Mukyo-dong office district, this single-menu restaurant serves the mild, clear pollack soup Seoul office workers turn to as a gentle hangover cure. It opens early and is built for a quick, quiet meal rather than a leisurely dinner.
Sinyongsan
능동미나리 신용산점
₩10,000 per person
Hours Mon–Fri 10:00–23:00; Sat–Sun 09:30–23:00
A beef-soup restaurant near Sinyongsan Station known for gomtang finished with a heap of fresh minari (water dropwort). The broth is clear and deep rather than heavy, and the herb gives it a fresh, green edge. It opens in the morning and runs until 23:00.
Main branch
청와옥 본점
₩10,000 per person
Hours 08:00–22:00
A sundae-gukbap restaurant a few steps from Olympic Park, open from 08:00 to 22:00 every day. The soup comes full of sundae and pork with rice, and stir-fried spicy squid is the usual side to share. It is one of the most popular soup houses around Jamsil.
마포소문난원조족발
₩34,000 per person
Hours Daily 07:00–24:00
One of the long-standing trotter shops in the jokbal alley inside Gongdeok Market, where several similar houses sit side by side. The pig trotter is braised, sliced and served warm with salted shrimp sauce, wrapping leaves and soup. It keeps unusually long hours for the style.
원조누드치즈김밥
₩5,000 per person
Hours 05:00–18:00
This Gwangjang Market stall, about 220 m from Jongno 5-ga Station, is listed on DiningCode for gimbap and japchae. The short menu covers japchae gimbap, cheese-tuna gimbap, a set of rolls, fish cake and japchae, and reviewers most often call it down-to-earth, good value, lively and casual.
전주왱이콩나물국밥
₩9,000 per person
Hours 07:00–21:00
Look beyond bibimbap and try Jeonju’s bean-sprout rice soup. Waengi is a stop for a warming bowl near the old-town streets.
통큰누이네 육회빈대떡
₩6,000 per person
Hours 09:00–22:20
This Gwangjang Market spot, about 100 m from Jongno 5-ga Station, is listed on DiningCode for bindaetteok and yukhoe. The menu pairs mung bean pancakes with beef tartare dishes, mini gimbap and makgeolli, and reviewers most often call it down-to-earth, lively, casual and good value.
이여곰탕
₩13,000 per person
Hours 00:00–24:00
Iyeo Gomtang is about 330 m from Sinyongsan Station on Yongridan-gil and is listed on DiningCode for Korean-beef gomtang. Alongside the soup it serves yukhoe bibimbap, gomtang noodles and beef jeon, and reviewers most often describe it as clean, down-to-earth and casual.
딸부자네불백 신사본점
₩11,000 per person
Hours 00:00–24:00
Ttalbujane Bulbaek's Sinsa main branch is open 24 hours and serves bulbaek, flame-grilled bulgogi set meals, in spicy pork and beef versions, along with stir-fried octopus, kimchi stew, beef rib meat and naengmyeon. DiningCode reviewers most often describe it as unpretentious, casual, good value and lively.
동화식당
₩14,000 per person
Hours 07:00–21:00
A market eatery in Namdaemun Market serving braised and grilled fish with rice: galchi (hairtail) jorim and gui, braised or grilled mackerel, grilled flounder, plus sundubu and cheonggukjang stews. DiningCode reviewers most often describe it as down-to-earth, under the radar, lively and good value.
Mangwon Market
진성만두
₩6,500 per person
Hours Daily 10:00–19:00
A dumpling stall inside Mangwon Market making large thin-skinned mandu on the premises and selling them the same day. There are two fillings, pork and kimchi, and you can mix them. It is takeaway only, which is how most of Mangwon Market is eaten.
전주해장국
₩10,000 per person
Hours Daily 07:00–22:00
A small, worn-in soup shop on a back street between Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon stations that has been serving the same pork spine soup for decades. The broth is doenjang-based with potato, greens and meaty neck bones, and it opens at 07:00 for people coming off a night out or heading to work. The menu is essentially one dish.
본전돼지국밥
₩12,000 per person
Hours 08:40–21:00
Start your Busan food journey near the station with a warming bowl of pork soup and rice. Bonjeon is a convenient stop around a train journey.
올래국수
₩11,000 per person
Hours 08:30–15:00
Discover Jeju’s pork-noodle tradition. Ollae serves noodles with tender pork slices in a savory pork-bone broth.
다복집
₩13,000 per person
Hours 06:30–22:00
A Korean restaurant inside Seoul Station serving seolleongtang (ox-bone soup), bibimbap, seafood sundubu, yukgaejang and ttukbaegi bulgogi at everyday prices. DiningCode reviewers most often describe it as lively, casual, down-to-earth and clean, and it is tagged for quick service.
In this guide: Ttukbaegijip (Earthen Pot House), Geumseonggwan Naju Gomtang (Naju-style Beef Soup), Geumsu Bokguk, Mapo-ok, Chodang Tobagi Halmeoni Sundubu.
Mapo Wonjo Tteokbokki, about ₩3,500 per person.
Mukyodong Bugeoguk-jip: ★4.5 from 3,972 reviews.
Geumsu Bokguk, Mapo Somunnan Wonjo Jokbal, Iyeo Gomtang, Ttalbujane Bulbaek (Many Daughters' House) Sinsa Main branch, Manbok Gisa Sikdang (Manbok Drivers' Diner).
Every place is in the Korea on a Plate guide, written by an editor who runs four restaurants in Seoul. The list is filtered from published hours, prices and tags; nobody pays to be listed.
More situations: 24-hour restaurants in Korea · Late-night food in Gangnam, Seoul · Solo dining in Korea · Group dinner restaurants in Korea · Where to eat on your first trip to Korea · Cheap eats in Korea under ₩15,000 · Top-rated restaurants in Korea · Non-spicy Korean food · Spicy Korean food · Restaurants near the sights in Seoul and Busan
What a Seoul restaurant owner ordered, paid and noticed.