What to Eat in Gangnam: Korean Beef, Garosu-gil Cafés and Cheap Lunch Sets

Gangnam has the most expensive restaurants in Korea and, two streets away, some of the best value lunches in Seoul. The trick is knowing which meal to eat where. Prices are typical ranges as of September 2026.

Beef, and what it actually costs

Gangnam is where Koreans go for hanwoo, domestic beef, and it is priced accordingly.

• Hanwoo galbi or deungsim — ₩45,000–70,000 per portion, and a portion is 150–180g. Two people ordering properly will spend ₩120,000–200,000 before drinks.
• Imported beef — ₩25,000–35,000 a portion, and honestly very good at a fraction of the price.
• Samgyeopsal (pork belly) — ₩17,000–22,000, still more than elsewhere in the city.

How barbecue works: staff bring raw meat and you grill it at the table, cutting with scissors as it browns. Side dishes, lettuce and ssamjang are free and refillable. Finish with kimchi fried rice or naengmyeon cold noodles, ₩3,000–8,000 extra. Most places have a two-portion minimum.

If you want the hanwoo experience without the full bill, order one portion of hanwoo and one of pork, share both, and fill up on the sides. Nobody will think it strange.

The barbecue clusters are around Sinsa, Gangnam Station’s back streets and Yeoksam.

Lunch sets: the local secret

Gangnam is an office district, and at lunchtime it feeds tens of thousands of workers on a budget. Between about 11:30 and 14:00, restaurants that charge ₩30,000 in the evening serve set menus at ₩10,000–15,000.

What to look for: a board outside with a small number of dishes and a price, and a queue of people in office clothes. Common sets are grilled fish with rice, doenjang stew, bibimbap, dumpling soup and pork cutlet.

This is the single biggest money-saver in the district. Eat your main meal at lunch here and something cheap in the evening.

Garosu-gil and Sinsa: cafés and brunch

Garosu-gil in Sinsa is a tree-lined street of cafés, bakeries and brunch places, and the surrounding side streets (Serosu-gil) hold the smaller independents.

Expect ₩6,000–8,000 for coffee and ₩15,000–25,000 for brunch — noticeably above the Seoul average, and the setting is what you are paying for. Weekend queues of 20–40 minutes are normal at the popular places.

Dessert cafés here are a genuine speciality: elaborate cakes, croissant hybrids and seasonal fruit plates, priced ₩9,000–15,000 a slice.

COEX and Samseong

The COEX food hall is the practical option: dozens of counters from Korean to Japanese to Western, ₩9,000–15,000 a meal, air-conditioned and open late. Useful when it rains and useful with a group that cannot agree.

The mall also has full-service restaurants on the upper floors and a large Starfield Library area to sit afterwards.

Apgujeong

Fine dining and high-end Korean. Several Michelin-listed restaurants sit around Apgujeong and Cheongdam, with tasting menus from ₩120,000 upwards and reservations needed weeks ahead. If that is your plan, book before you fly.

At the other end, the Apgujeong Rodeo back streets have reasonable noodle and rice-bowl places for ₩10,000–13,000.

Cheap eats that are actually good

• Gangnam Station underground — the food courts under the station are ₩8,000–12,000 and perfectly decent.
• Convenience stores — GS25 and CU do surprisingly good lunch boxes for ₩5,000–7,000, with a microwave and hot water on site.
• Kimbap chains (Gimbap Cheonguk and similar) — a full meal for ₩7,000–10,000, open long hours, English menus with photos.
• Express Bus Terminal food court — fifteen minutes away, and where the prices drop properly.

Vegetarian, vegan and halal

• Gangnam has more vegan cafés and salad places than most of Seoul, mostly around Sinsa and Yeoksam, driven by office demand.
• Korean stews and side dishes usually contain anchovy or beef stock. Ask rather than assume.
• Halal is limited here. Itaewon is 20 minutes on Line 9 then a transfer, and Myeongdong has certified options — see the Myeongdong food guide.

Practical notes

• Reservations matter more in Gangnam than anywhere else in Seoul. Popular barbecue places fill from 19:00.
• Lunch is 20–50% cheaper than dinner at the same restaurant.
• Two-person minimums are the norm at barbecue. Solo travellers do better at noodle shops and food courts.
• Cards work everywhere; tipping does not exist.
• Service charges appear at high-end places, so check the bill.

Wrapping up

Eat your best meal at lunch, share one portion of hanwoo rather than ordering two, and use the COEX food hall when you cannot decide. Save the café budget for Garosu-gil, where the setting is the product.

More in this series: the Gangnam overview, hotels and things to do.