Gaemijip is a word-of-mouth restaurant featuring nakji bokkeum (spicy stir- fried baby octopus) and spicy seafood stew.

Gangwonjeong has been around for about 20 years, and is famous for its samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup). The flavor of the broth and tenderness of the chicken are exceptional. Chicken is stuffed with sweet rice, dates, chestnuts, ginko nuts, ginseng, and whole garlic cloves of garlic and garnished with shredded spring onions, sunflower seeds, and black sesame seeds. Kimchi makes the best accompaniment.    

Luden Loquen SPACE (Cafe LN) is a unique hanok cafe, located at the end of the alley where Bukcheon Hanok Village starts. The cafe is not just an average café where you can drink tea or coffee but because of location and design it has an added sense of cultural value. Locals come to enjoy the best tea in town, brewed using high quality tea leaves with information on its origin attached. (For example, the gukhwa-cha (chrysanthemum tea) at the café comes from the Andong region.) In addition to traditional drinks and sweets, the coffee shop offers a variety treats that combines Korean ingredients and modern desserts. The hanok (traditional Korean house) building has been reinterpreted through a modern design.

Also referred to as “Tto-tteok,” Ttobogetji Tteokbokki is a popular tteokbokki restaurant that has many branches in Hongdae. Upon order, tteok (rice cake), egg, eomuk (fish cake), and three different vegetables are served together with an order of tabletop tteokbokki. Additional menu such as noodles, fried potatoes, and fried rice are also available.

This shabu shabu restaurant usesi high-quality Korean beef and is famous because of its gravy and tender meats. Organic vegetables and wild flowers delivered from various places such as Ulleung Island and Jirisan Mountain give a delicious taste. Also, the rice porridge after having a noodle casserole is worth trying.* Designated Best Korean Restaurant by the Seoul Metropolitan Government

Yogorino Hongdae Branch is an ice cream shop opened by Zico, who is a working Hip Hop musician, and, additionally, a member of Block B, the idol group. Yogorino is an Italian dessert brand, which mainly sells frozen yogurt, artisan ice cream, parfait etc. They also sell beverages, such as Americano coffee and other beverages, which you can buy along with the dessert. Out of 1000 store branches located in 30 different countries, the Hongdae branch Yogorino is the only Yogorino store in Korea. ​

Limbyungjoo Sandong Kalguksu offers hand-made noodle dish cooked with fresh ingredients.      

               

Salam is a small but popular Turkish restaurant located near the Seoul Central Masjid (Seoul Central Mosque) in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Traditional Turkish dishes like beef and lamb kebabs and lamb with vegetables are displayed on a large table next to the kitchen, allowing you to see the dishes before making your choice. The restaurant is particularly popular among Islamic diners.

Opened in 1981, this diminutive restaurant has been attracting customers with its mouthwatering ramyeon noodles for more than 20 years. The restaurant’s unique ramyeon recipe includes an ultra-spicy broth with lots of red pepper seasoning, chewy noodles, egg, and bean sprouts. Even Koreans, who are used to eating spicy kimchi, sometimes shed tears while eating this fare. Besides the food, the ambience is fun, with interesting messages written by customers attached to the ceiling and the walls. The restaurant has created its own jargon that is recognized only by regular customers: ramyeon is called ppal-gye-tteok (spicy red soup with egg and rice cake), and yellow pickled radish is called pineapple, to name a few of the coined terms. The menu board lists the price of ramyeon as W30,000 confusing first-time visitors. But don’t panic: an extra zero (0) was just added for fun! TIP: (1) Take some souvenir pictures using the walls and the ceiling as a background (2) Try putting some cold rice in your ramyeon for an interesting, less spicy taste.