Seochon & Inwangsan서촌·인왕산 · 로컬 가이드

Bestie tip · Order the basic samgyetang. The black-chicken version costs more and tastes the same to a first-timer. The free ginseng liquor shot is meant to be sipped, not downed.

Bestie tip · Buy coins at the café counter in the middle of the market, not at the stalls. Two coins per side dish; the oil tteokbokki stall near the entrance is the one with the queue.

Bestie tip · Buy two different ones and share; the curry one first while it's hot.

Bestie tip · Get the corn bread (콘브레드) to take to Cheong Wa Dae or the valley as a picnic.

Bestie tip · Look for menus with 정식 (set meal) or 백반; side dishes refill free.

Bestie tip · Order the dumpling soup (만둣국) and a steamed plate to share.

Bestie tip · Get one hot noodle and one bibim noodle to share, plus a seafood pancake if you are drinking.

Bestie tip · Order the spicy gochu ganjjajang and a small tangsuyuk to cool down.

Bestie tip · Get the hitsumabushi and follow the three step card they give you; put your name on the list early.

Bestie tip · Order the green curry and the basil pork with egg; ask for Thai spicy only if you mean it.

Bestie tip · Order pork neck first, then add belly; finish with kimchi fried rice on the grill.

Bestie tip · Try the perilla oil makguksu with a buckwheat jeon on the side.

Bestie tip · Order one plate soy and one plate spicy to compare; eat it standing or take it to the market lunchbox café.

Bestie tip · Order chueotang with rice and try a pinch of the sancho pepper powder on the table in the soup.

Bestie tip · Book ahead for dinner and order a handmade pasta of the day plus one antipasto to share.

Bestie tip · Order the assorted sushi set (modeum chobap) and sit at the counter if there is space.

Bestie tip · Take the outdoor seats at the back for the view; inside is for when it's cold.

Bestie tip · Buy a bag of beans to take home; the staff will grind for your brewer.

Bestie tip · Sit on the top terrace in the late afternoon.

Bestie tip · Grab a scone and a sausage roll and eat them on the way up to Suseongdong Valley.

Bestie tip · Take a window seat; it is a good place to plan the evening without music blasting.

Bestie tip · Come after the sunset hike for a beer or highball; daytime is coffee and cake.

Bestie tip · Order a hand drip of the day and ask the barista for the lightest roast on the list.

Bestie tip · Get a single origin pour over and sit in the courtyard if the weather allows.

Bestie tip · Bring a notebook, take a table by the shelves and order a latte; it is fine to linger.

Bestie tip · Buy a sandwich and a loaf in the morning and take them up to Suseongdong Valley for a picnic.

Bestie tip · Order one bingsu for two; the seasonal fruit one is the reason to come.

Bestie tip · Order a warm jujube tea and the traditional sweets plate.

Bestie tip · Arrive before noon on weekends to skip the wait.

Bestie tip · Order something with warm red bean if the day is cold.

Bestie tip · Pick bread from the counter first; seats go fast at lunch.

Bestie tip · Order brunch before 11:30, then walk up to Suseongdong valley.

Bestie tip · Look at the case first; the daily cakes change.

Bestie tip · Check what is on in the gallery before you sit down.

Bestie tip · Buy them warm and eat one on the spot; they lose their crunch fast.

Bestie tip · Grab bread here before walking up to Suseongdong valley.

Bestie tip · Check what's on first; the museum closes between exhibitions. Tickets are cheaper online and skip the line.

Bestie tip · Go up from the Suseong-dong side and come down by the city wall to Sajik Park; it's stairs the whole way, so sneakers, not sandals.

Bestie tip · Walk up to the 'Poet's Hill' behind it for a view over the city wall.

Bestie tip · If the door is closed it's closed; it opens irregularly. Peek in on your way to Tongin Market.

Bestie tip · Small concerts happen some evenings; check the poster at the door.

Bestie tip · Hanbok wearers get in free; traditional styles only.

Bestie tip · Climb the path behind the house for a look over Seochon roofs, then walk on to Suseongdong Valley.

Bestie tip · Check what show is on, then cross to the palace wall for photos.

Bestie tip · Walk out the back of the museum to the garden first while your legs are fresh; the pavilions and old pine are the reason to come.

Bestie tip · Pair it with the Yun Dong ju Literature House a few minutes away and keep your voice down; it is a working library.

Bestie tip · Treat it as a ten minute stop on the walk between Tongin Market and the hanok alleys; check the small reading room upstairs.

Bestie tip · Buy 10 coins (₩5,000). Tteokbokki fried in oil (기름떡볶이) is the stall to find; it's the market's original dish.

Bestie tip · Find the stone bridge (Giringyo) and stand downstream of it: that's the exact angle of Jeong Seon's painting.

Bestie tip · Listen before you see it: the thwack of arrows hitting the target 145 metres away.

Bestie tip · People live here; keep it to a quiet walk with no loudspeakers or drone shots.

Bestie tip · Order one seafood pajeon and a kettle of makgeolli for two; that's a full evening.

Bestie tip · Put your name down before 18:00 on weekends; the shellfish plate and the seafood ramyeon are the safe bets.

Bestie tip · Sit at the bar and ask for something built on a Korean spirit you have never tried.

Bestie tip · Tell the bartender a flavor or a fruit you like and let them build the drink.

Bestie tip · Sit near the turntable and ask for a song; a glass of house wine keeps it cheap.

Bestie tip · Get a whole fried chicken and a draft beer; go before the dinner rush or expect a line.

Bestie tip · Ask for a glass recommendation and share a charcuterie or cheese plate.

Bestie tip · Order a highball and a mixed skewer set to start.

Bestie tip · Ask the bartender for something seasonal and light to start.

Bestie tip · Sit at the bar and ask for something with a Korean ingredient.

Bestie tip · Order a highball and a few skewers, then add one bigger plate.

Bestie tip · Ask for a glass of whatever is open that night.

Bestie tip · Share a small plate with your glass; the kitchen is small, so order early.

Bestie tip · Write a song request on paper if they take requests that night.

Bestie tip · Come after 20:00, when the music gets turned up.

Bestie tip · Sit near the front to watch the street.

Bestie tip · Order one hot stew style dish to share, plus soju.

Bestie tip · Ask what anju is popular that day and order that with a pitcher.