Gangnam

Seoul, South Korea

Upscale district with fine dining and luxury shopping

Places in Gangnam

Jungsik Two Michelin stars and Korea's most influential contemporary restaurant. Korean flavors, French technique.
Mingles South Korea's only three-Michelin-star restaurant (2025) by Chef Kang Min-goo; seamless blend of European, Japanese, Korean
Colon Contemporary cocktail bar with precision drinks and Korean ingredient exploration

Best time to visit: Spring (April-May) for cherry blossoms, Fall (September-November) for foliage. Summer is humid; winter is cold but festive.
Getting around: One of the world's best subway systems. T-money card works on buses and taxis too. Very walkable districts.
Currency: Korean Won (₩)
Language: Korean. English improving but limited. Translation apps essential.
Timezone: KST (UTC+9)
Current trends: Korean fine dining gaining global recognition; fermentation focus; heritage ingredient revival; contemporary takes on traditional dishes; single-ingredient restaurants

Hongdae — University district with live music, street art, and nightlife that never stops.
Euljiro — Lighting wholesalers and metalworkers by day, hidden bars by night. Seoul's coolest collision.
Bukchon — Preserved hanok village between two palaces. Wander carefully; people live here.
Seongsu-dong — Rapidly growing neighbourhood with young chefs and contemporary concepts
Ikseon-dong — Historic hanok village with modern dining replacing traditional houses