5 romantic restaurants in Seoul for the best date night
Seoul is the largest city in South Korea, and it is well-known for its beauty. The city has existed in some form since 4,000 BC, and today it is one of the world's most technologically advanced and cultured cities.
If you have traveled to this amazing city with your partner or made a connection and want to go on a romantic first date, take some time to plan a romantic evening that you will both remember for years to come. There is no shortage of cool and unique places to go for a meal in Seoul because this city is full of noteworthy sites and skilled chefs. Sparking romance is easy when you choose from the lovely locations in this guide.
Before you head out to have a night out on the town with that special someone, make sure that you don’t forget about your bags. Visit a Bounce storage location in Seoul to drop everything off, and we'll keep it safe while you enjoy your night of delicious food, craft cocktails, and tables with a view.
Seoul's culinary scene has everything from modern Korean restaurant locations in downtown Seoul to vegetarian dishes served in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. The best romantic restaurants in the city can also allow you to enjoy a meal with food served in a rotating dining room, a la carte menu dining, or even more casual meal options like small plates for those who like to share. Seoul, South Korea, is the perfect place to make romantic memories. There are so many places to have a meal that it can get a bit overwhelming. Let us take the guesswork out of the equation for you by offering up these lovely suggestions to ensure a date night that you and your partner won't soon forget.
La Seine
This is a five-star hotel restaurant that is located about ten minutes from Namsan Park and not too far from Lotte World. You will be steps away from the Myeondong shopping street area as well when you dine at the iconic N Seoul Tower. There are actually two restaurants at the hotel, but we are recommending the La Seine restaurant for your romantic evening. There are excellent vegan and vegetarian options, and you can also choose to eat at the beautiful luxury lounge bar instead of the dining room.
If you don’t want to have to pick and choose from a small menu, you will love this location for your romantic evening in Seoul. This is actually a buffet dining experience with a fancy twist, and you can enjoy access to Asian, Japanese, and Western fusion dishes, as well as a Korean grill. Despite being a buffet, this restaurant has an amazing view and incredible service, so don’t let the food selection style discourage you from booking a romantic dinner here.
Our recommendation
You will need to make the most of the cocktail menu or the wine list here because both are of the best quality. We also recommend that you check out the various levels of the dining room before you make a reservation since you can get different seating types and views from each floor. The food varies on each level of the Seoul Tower as well, which makes this an important part of planning your dinner at La Seine. The staff will be happy to help guide your choice as part of their incredible service when you call for a reservation.
Location
Jung-gu, Eulji-ro, 30 롯데호텔서울 Main Tower 1층 Seoul, South Korea
Price level
$$$$
Boccalino
This beautiful Italian restaurant is in the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. The entire property is lovely, and you will be impressed with the beautiful and modern design of the hotel and the restaurant. This is an Italian location, but there are some fusion items included as well. They have a sharing menu for four, and you can actually select this option if you want to try a lot of different plates in one meal. You just better be hungry!
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and they will help you to come up with the right wines from the extensive wine menu to pair with each course of your meal. There is also a full bar, which means that you can get any of your favorite cocktails if you are not feeling like a glass or two of vino.
Our recommendation
Since this is an Italian restaurant, you can count on delicious pasta dishes like the homemade spaghettoni with black truffle and garlic confit sauce. The prawn crudo is one of the best starters on the menu, but you will also love the cured beef carpaccio if you are not a seafood fan. There are always a lot of incredible desserts to choose from to close out your meal as well.
Make sure that you call for a reservation and ask to dine by the windows so that you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city as the city lights come on. Seoul is stunning at night, and these locations that offer you an expansive view of the city in the evening are worth every penny.
Location
97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Price level
$$$
La Yeon
For access to traditional Korean cuisine with beautiful white tablecloths and an incredible view, La Yeon is the right choice to make. This restaurant is extremely elegant, and you will love how thoughtful and personalized the service is. This location serves aperitifs from 5:30 to 7:00 pm as well if you want to pop in early to start out your evening with this fun added perk.
There is a lot of seafood on the dinner menus, and if you love things like octopus, you will want to try the chilled marinated octopus along with your main course selection. They also offer hot pot, which can be quite filling if you are looking for a lot of food for your money. La Yeon also has a “nibbles” menu, which can be perfect if you want to drop in for a snack and a dessert rather than a full meal.
Our recommendation
Because this hotel is located so far above the city, perched on the 23rd floor of the Shilla Hotel, try to get a window seat when you make your reservation. You should also plan to dine as the sun is setting so that you can look out over the city as the sun sets and the lights come on across Seoul.
The “nibbles” menu is our favorite recommendation, and you could choose to use this menu to guide all of your meal selections when you head to La Yeon. For tapas lovers, this is a really ideal bonus since all of the small plates on this menu are served in the tapas style.
Location
249 Dongho-ro, Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Price Level
$$$$
Joo Ok Restaurant
The menu here is known for its creativity, and Chef Shin Chang-ho loves to take simple ingredients and present them with a fun twist. Making memorable Korean and fusion dishes is his specialty, and the menu choices rotate with the seasons. Joo Ok is a great place to head if you have never tried Korean food and you want to be introduced to it without having to jump in with both feet. Shin Chang-ho has stated many times that he loves to share Korean cuisine with people who have never tried it, which is why he makes his menu as approachable as possible for visitors to Seoul.
The staff will be happy to help you to pick the right kinds of food for your spiciness preferences, and they can be counted upon to make it easy to pick and choose from some of the really creative cocktails that are offered on the drinks list. The plating here is delightful and creative as well, making every single dish so beautiful that you might want to just enjoy looking at it before you tuck in.
Our recommendation
This modern Korean restaurant lets you look out over the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty and the associated gardens below, which is one of the big draws to this spot for locals as well as tourists. There are some skyscrapers and other large buildings that might block your view on some sides of the restaurant, so you should request a table with an unimpeded view when you call to make reservations.
As far as food goes, the signature dishes on the menu are also usually some of the best in the city, so you should at least check these out when you sit down. These tend to be made with locally sourced ingredients, which means that they will be bursting with flavor.
Location
KR Gem KR The Plaza Hotel, 199 Sogong-ro, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Price level
$$$
N.Grill
This really cool location actually rotates while you dine. For a swanky, trendy dining room and access to a menu with a wide array of different types of cuisine, there is nowhere else in Seoul that you should go. N.Grill makes it possible for you to enjoy the city from every direction as you slowly rotate while you eat. The cuisine here is French, but there are still fusion offerings and classic Korean plates that you can enjoy. There is also an excellent wine list and cocktail menu, and the desserts are to die for.
If the view has brought you to this spot for your romantic evening in Seoul, you will also want to take the time to head over to the observatory deck that is located on the same floor as the restaurant. This spot is free of charge and gives you and your date the chance to get some pictures and really take in the beauty of your surroundings as you slowly spin around high above the city.
Our recommendation
A window table is really a must when you come here to dine because of the slow rotation that the restaurant does all night long. However, the other row of slightly more interior tables still has a great view if you can't get a window seat for your romantic evening reservation. This location is also right in the midst of Namsan Park, which adds to the beauty of the scene below. Seeing the city spread out below you while you enjoy five-star dining is an experience that you won’t soon forget.
Location
Yongsan-gu, Yongsan 2(i)ga-dong, Namsangongwon-gil, 105 7층 Seoul, South Korea
Price level
$$$$
Conclusion
If you love a romantic dinner, you will have no trouble finding the perfect place to enjoy an evening out on the town in Seoul. For those who don’t want to close the night out too early, why not check out some of the best rooftop bars in Seoul? If you’d rather do something more casual and wander the streets with a snack in hand, the city has plenty of options for tasty street food. Simply put - there is no wrong way to plan an amazingly romantic evening in Seoul.
Seoul offers something for everyone, and you will have an incredible time in this memorable city, no matter which of these delicious restaurants you choose to dine at. Make sure that you follow our recommendations for reservations and our tips and tricks to get the best experience when you sit down to eat at each of these fantastic locations. Making memories is easy when you choose to head to Seoul for a vacation and a date night.
