Must-try Restaurants/Cafes!

Obviously, Seoul has many fantastic restaurants and cafes that serve amazing food, so I'm going to share some of my favorite places I have been to so far!

1. Jungdon (정돈)

This is my favorite restaurant in the whole world and no, I'm not being dramatic. This place is a nice tonkatsu place. I got the chicken cutlet which came with a bunch of side dishes and it was heavenly. I could go to this restaurant every day and not get tired of it. My friends had originally planned to go to another restaurant, but we got lost along the way. After five minutes of searching on KakaoMap, we found this place nearby and decided to give it a try. It was the best decision we ever had. I WISH there was a 정돈 back in the United States because I would go there ALL the time! This restaurant easily gets 11/10 stars.

2. Robinhood Archery Cafe (로빈홋 신촌점)

This is my favorite cafe EVER. It's exactly how it sounds- it's an archery-themed cafe. The first time you go, you have to take lessons if you have never done archery before. The instructor is kind and a great teacher. Even if you walk in knowing absolutely nothing about archery, I promise you will leave knowing how to shoot a bow and arrow and hit the target. When my friends and I went, we did the lessons and played a game with six rounds. I ended up winning my game! On my first shot, I got a ten and the instructor gave me a thumbs up and called me "Robinhood." I had never done archery before but it was so exciting that I definitely will be going back soon! I also got really great tea while I was there but the archery was the best part!

3. Yonsei Cafeteria (마낫샘)

I know what you're thinking: "why is Yonsei's cafeteria on this list?" Well, hear me out. There are several different cafeterias on Yonsei's campus but this one is the best in my opinion. There are so many different options, making it a go-to for me and my friends in-between classes when we don't have time to go off campus. There is also a cafe here that has the best sweet treats that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Plus, this is also a budget-friendly option!

4. Gwangjang Market (광장시장)

This place is not really a restaurant but it has so many amazing food options. This market has several stalls selling all kinds of food. If you are looking for a place to get some traditional Korean food, this place is a must! 광장시장 is also the home to 고향칼국수 which was featured on Netflix's show "Street Food." When I visited her stall, I had the best steamed kimchi and meat dumplings I ever tasted. Even as I write this I want to go back and get some more! My friends and I also got japchae, kimbap, and cinnamon donut twists from a popular donut stall. You can get so much food for not a lot of money, so if you visit, make sure you visit hungry and ready to eat!

5. The Witch's Kitchen

My friends and I came across this restaurant by chance. It's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that doesn't even show up on KakaoMap. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this easily became one of my top ten restaurants. It was Halloween themed but it wasn't too exaggerated. It was the right amount of decoration that complimented the ambiance of the restaurant. They had so many food options and I went with the spicy kimchi rice. It was amazing! The egg on top was in the shape of a skeleton too! After we ate, they even had an area with costumes where you could take photos. My friends and I dressed up as Squid Game characters and also took photos in front of the backdrop. It was so much fun. This restaurant, despite not having any advertising, is pretty popular and for good reason. I highly recommend you visit this place if you're ever in the area!