Insa-dong (인사동) - Area information - Korea travel information

Insa-dong (인사동)

Insa-dong (인사동)

2.8Km    2024-05-17

62, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-734-0222

Insa-dong, located in the heart of the city, is an important place where old but precious traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, teahouses, and cafes.

The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. There are about 100 galleries in the area offering every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. The most famous galleries are Hakgojae Gallery, which functions as the center of folk art, Gana Art Gallery, which promotes many promising artists, and Gana Art Center.

The teahouses and restaurants are the perfect complement to the galleries. They are hidden deep within the twisting alleyways, making it feel like a treasure hunt. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique.

Every Saturday from 14:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00, the main street is blocked to vehicular traffic and it becomes a cultural space. Stores set up booths outside and Korean candy merchants and fortune teller stalls can easily be found; there are traditional performances and exhibits as well. Insa-dong is especially popular among international tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture first-hand, and also purchase pieces of fine art.

Bukchon-ri Dullegol (북촌리둘레골)

Bukchon-ri Dullegol (북촌리둘레골)

2.8Km    2021-03-19

44 Insadong 14-gil Jongno-gu Seoul
+82-2-747-9700

A restaurant with Korean traditional house-themed interior design. The representative menu is Korean table d''hote. This is a Korean cuisine located in Insa-dong, Seoul.

Salon Sulla (살롱순라)

Salon Sulla (살롱순라)

2.8Km    2021-03-30

75, Yulgok-ro 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-6409-0027

It is a restaurant, decorated in a hanok style, that sells Western dishes. This Western dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The most famous menu is pollack roe pasta.

Jalppajin Memil Ikseon Branch (잘빠진메밀 익선)

2.9Km    2024-03-18

73 Yulgok-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-70-4531-1214

Jalppajin Memil is a specialty restaurant that directly kneads 100% buckwheat dough to make buckwheat noodles. They offer both bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles) and mul makguksu (buckwheat noodles). Additionally, they serve memil jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe), memil mandu (buckwheat mandu), and tender suyuk (boiled pork slices). They have a selection of 10 different kinds of makgeolli (unrefined rice wine) including chestnut, citrus, corn, and mulberry, allowing customers to choose according to their preference. Their famous makgeolli sampler set, which allows customers to taste five different types of makgeolli in small quantities, is popular.

Sarangchae (사랑채)

2.9Km    2016-12-30

6, Insadong 16-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-737-1155

Sarangchae is located in Insa-dong, one of the most famous neighborhoods visited by tourists. Majority of the restaurant's customers are foreigners, and they offer reasonably priced Korean dishes that are highly popular among foreign visitors.

853 (팔오삼)

853 (팔오삼)

2.9Km    2024-03-15

16 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-70-8832-0853

853 is a pork barbecue restaurant located in a renovated hanokin Insa-dong, offering various cuts of pork such as shoulder, belly, blade-end fatback, and pork neck. They use thick cuts of domestically sourced pork and grill them to perfection, ensuring they are juicy and flavorful. Customers can enjoy dipping their meat in one of four sauces: Himalayan rock salt, mustard seeds and wasabi, salted cutlassfish intestines, and barley mixed paste. Their flying fish roe riceball mixed with pickled radish salad, burdock root, flying fish roe, perilla leaves, and mayonnaise pairs perfectly with the meat.

GOGHI (고희)

GOGHI (고희)

2.9Km    2021-03-26

17, Jahamun-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-734-4907

A good café to have a meal as it has a brunch menu as well as drinks. This cafe is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The representative menu is americano.

Okjeong (옥정)

Okjeong (옥정)

2.9Km    2021-03-19

18, Insadong, 12-gil, Jongro-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-5412

A traditional Korean restaurant serving hanjeongsik (Korean table d'hôte) for 30 years now. The representative menu is Korean table d''hote. This is a Korean cuisine located in Insa-dong, Seoul.

Boan1942 (보안1942)

2.9Km    2023-08-17

33 , Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Prior to becoming an art space in 2007, Tongui-dong Boan served as a place for rest for travelers from 1942 to 2005. After a short suspension, the place was renovated into a cultural space in 2017 to carry on the historical legacy and provide creative inspiration under the concept of "Boanstay." 

Boan1942 is divided into a cultural space consisting of a cafe, project workshop, book shop, and exhibition area, and Boanstay on the 3rd and 4th floors that offer temporary lodging services to the cultural nomads. Located in Seochon, the center of culture, history, and convenient traffic in Seoul, Boanstay offers a splendid view of Seoul's historical and cultural assets such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheong Wa Dae, and Seochon Hanok Village.

<Credit: Boanstay>

Vestis - Gyeongbokgung Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (베스티스 경복궁)

2.9Km    2024-04-18

1F, 17, Jahamun-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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