Korea's 10 Best Korean Restaurants in Gangneung

A premium seafood table where the ocean leads: sashimi glistens like tide pools, grilled fillets lift a clean, briny perfume, and broths taste of depth, not salt. Loved by locals yet magnetic to food-focused travelers, it’s the spot for anniversaries or a quietly grand meal. Dinner unfolds as a course, pacing each bite so the day’s catch speaks clearly.

• Order this: Chef’s seasonal course; ask for the day’s best grilled fish alongside raw selections.

The bowl arrives billowing with chili steam; tofu quivers like fresh curds, soaking up a jjampong-style broth that’s spicy, savory, and sea-sweet. Locals queue religiously, and visitors join the line for that house-made tofu purity and honest heat. Expect a wait; the first spoonful makes patience taste worthwhile.

• Order this: Jjampong soondubu; add rice and crack an egg in for silkier richness.

Makguksu with a cool, nutty glide; buckwheat gimbap that keeps its chew; and perilla-soft tofu soups that hug the palate—this is where families refuel after the beach. Loved by locals and happily adopted by travelers, the menu bridges tradition with playful, well-tested ideas.

• Order this: Buckwheat gimbap plus icy makguksu; share the black pork stew if you’re a group.

A cool broth as clear as mountain shade, buckwheat noodles with gentle spring, and suyuk sliced tender and clean—this long-loved name (relocated from Jumunjin) keeps it quietly excellent. Locals lean on it year-round; travelers come for that textbook balance of broth, acidity, and aroma.

• Order this: Mul-naengmyeon with warm suyuk; chase with a sip of broth to reset your palate.

Set among Chodang’s famed tofu houses, this spot wins locals over with fresh napa wraps, springy noodles, and a squid-and-green-onion pancake that arrives crisp and fragrant. It’s an easygoing table for couples or families, close to beach walks and photo stops.

• Order this: Napa wraps with pork and noodles; add the squid-pa jeon for that seaside crunch.

Potato ongsimi with a bouncy, chewy bite; makguksu with addictive tang; and suyuk that’s clean and tender—this compact, station-adjacent spot is a local go-to that travelers quickly adopt. Seats turn fast, flavors linger longer.

• Order this: Ongsimi and makguksu combo; add suyuk and the pollock salad for the perfect sidekick.

Same soul—handmade noodles, ongsimi, clean broths—now with easier parking and roomier tables near the shore. Locals steer groups here; visitors love strolling straight to the beach after lunch.

• Order this: Makguksu and ongsimi duo; share suyuk if you’re four or more.

A love letter to Gangwon potatoes: pancakes fried to a lace-edged chew, ongsimi with that satisfying bounce, and perilla-scented dough soups that warm you from the inside. It’s a locals-first spot that travelers gladly chase for a wholesome, rustic table.

• Order this: Potato pancake to start; perilla acorn sujebi and ongsimi to follow.

A big, bright dining room and kalguksu that tastes like someone’s perfected home recipe—broth round with jang depth, noodles soft yet resilient. Beloved by locals with a loyal following from far beyond Gangneung, it’s the midday comfort you’ll crave again.

• Order this: Jang kalguksu; add house kimchi and a simple rice side to catch the broth.

Sunset turns the room gold; the night shifts to moonlight and mellow beats. Plates follow a “natural flavors first” philosophy—beef tartare wrapped in seaweed, crisp and cool—and cocktails weave in Korean traditional spirits with smart balance. It’s where locals unwind and travelers toast the day’s waves.

• Order this: Plum highball and seaweed-wrapped yukhoe; add local soju/beer if you prefer classics.