The Best Barbecue in South Korea
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The best barbecue in South Korea, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide, Eater, and The 50 have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Geumdwaeji Sikdang comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Seoul and Busan.
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Mongtan and Samwon Garden hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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Rank 1. Geumdwaeji Sikdang
Korean Barbecue
A gold-on-white-tile sign and a queue that stretches well past peak hours mark this Sindang-dong barbecue spot. Cast-iron grills over coal briquettes keep the heat steady while premium pork cuts render down into something firm, fatty, and deeply juicy. It's the kind of Korean barbecue restaurant that earns a Michelin Bib Gourmand by doing one thing with total commitment, and the line outside is the only argument anyone needs to make.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 2. Mongtan
Barbecue
Short ribs arrive pre-smoked over straw, so the meat already carries a deep, sweet char before it ever touches the grill at your table. This Yongsan KBBQ spot wraps the beef with marinated shaved radish and a kkaenip pesto that's garlicky and faintly anise-forward. The fried rice, pressed into a golden crust with drippings from the grill, is essentially the closing argument. There are no reservations, and the waitlist opens at 11am sharp, which tells you everything about the crowd's commitment.
The awards
- The Infatuation Where To Eat & Drink When You're Visiting Seoul
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea
Why #2, not #3
Both places show 78. This one's exact Score is 78.3 and the next is 77.9, so it ranks first. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #2 Mongtan (this place) 78.3
- #3 Samwon Garden 77.9
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Rank 3. Samwon Garden
Barbecue Korean
The sprawling garden outside, all manicured greenery visible through floor-to-ceiling glass, tells you before you're seated that this is a Korean barbecue restaurant that takes itself seriously. Staff do the grilling, which matters when the beef is this carefully sourced. It's been an old-school institution in Gangnam for decades, the kind of place families book for occasions and then quietly book again just because.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea
Why #3, not #2
Both places show 78. This one's exact Score is 77.9 and the one above is 78.3, so it ranks second. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #2 Mongtan 78.3
- #3 Samwon Garden (this place) 77.9
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Rank 4. Byeokje Galbi
Korean Barbecue
Charcoal grills are sunk directly into every booth table here, and the staff do the cooking for you, which is either a relief or a small defeat depending on how you feel about tongs. This is an old-school Korean barbecue institution, built around beef short ribs sourced from the top tier of domestic cattle. The marbling shows. A 50 Discovery pick, it draws the kind of regulars who never need to glance at the menu.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 5. Boreumsae
Korean Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boreumsae (this place) 68.544
- #5 Born and Bred 68.544
- #5 Budnamujip 68.544
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
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Rank 5. Born and Bred
Korean Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boreumsae 68.544
- #5 Born and Bred (this place) 68.544
- #5 Budnamujip 68.544
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
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Rank 5. Budnamujip
Korean Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boreumsae 68.544
- #5 Born and Bred 68.544
- #5 Budnamujip (this place) 68.544
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
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Rank 5. Gom Ba Wie
Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Born and Bred 68.544
- #5 Budnamujip 68.544
- #5 Gom Ba Wie (this place) 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
- #5 Imok Smoke Dining 68.544
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Rank 5. Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant
Korean Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Budnamujip 68.544
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant (this place) 68.544
- #5 Imok Smoke Dining 68.544
- #5 Kyoyang Siksa 68.544
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Rank 5. Imok Smoke Dining
Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
- #5 Imok Smoke Dining (this place) 68.544
- #5 Kyoyang Siksa 68.544
- #5 One Degree North 68.544
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Rank 5. Kyoyang Siksa
Korean Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
- #5 Imok Smoke Dining 68.544
- #5 Kyoyang Siksa (this place) 68.544
- #5 One Degree North 68.544
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Rank 5. One Degree North
Southeast Asian Barbecue
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Eight places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Gom Ba Wie 68.544
- #5 Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant 68.544
- #5 Imok Smoke Dining 68.544
- #5 Kyoyang Siksa 68.544
- #5 One Degree North (this place) 68.544
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Rank 13. Sancheong Sootbul Garden
Barbecue
A charcoal barbecue restaurant tucked down a back alley off Eulji-ro, modeled on the rural grill culture around Jirisan Mountain in the south. Black pork sourced from that region is the draw, salt-cured and aged before hitting the fire, with gochujang pork belly following close behind. The siksa menu of noodles and soups is there for when the table needs something to soak up the smoke. Seoul office workers and out-of-towners crowd in for a meal that feels genuinely countryside.
The awards
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Seoul, South Korea