More and more people from all over the world are finding their way to Seoul. Of course, they bring their culture and cuisine with them. There are tons of restaurants inspired by France in Korea, but there are a few that truly stand apart from the rest. These three French restaurants in Seoul offer class and creativity perfect for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. And so, whether you are celebrating finishing your masterโs thesis or an engagement, check out these upscale french restaurants in Seoul.
Michelin Star French Restaurant: Stay
French restaurants around the world are known for being fancy. And, nothing says fancy more than a Michelin star. This place offers world-class French cuisine paired with a breathtaking view of Seoul below.
The restaurant is located on the 81st floor of Lotte Tower. Stay elevates the concept of โeating with a viewโ as it is possibly the highest French restaurant in the world. Stay is chef Yannick Allรฉnoโs creation and he has termed a modern casual French restaurant.
It is exactly that! It has a youthful and lively setting highlighted with yellow and gold. The live Pastry Library is its hallmark feature, offering a delicious array of sweets and confections to customers.
Although you may not find classic French cuisine here, get ready to be launched into a flavor adventure with this creative menu. From a trio of Amuse-bouche to the renowned Duck Foie Gras be prepared to fall in love (your wallet in the other hand will not lol).
The price point is at the extreme high end for restaurants in Seoul. Courses range from 118,000 won to 248,000 won per person. It is expensive, but if you are looking for the French meal of a lifetime to celebrate a graduation or engagement, this is the place to go.
Stay Address: Seoul, Songpa-gu, Olympic-ro, 300 81st floor Korean Address: ์์ธ ์กํ๊ตฌ ์ฌ๋ฆผํฝ๋ก 300 ๋กฏ๋ฐ์๋ํ์ 81์ธต Operating Hours: 12:00 AM - 10:00 PM Morning Break: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Evening Break: 02:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Dining with a Story: Soigne
Soignรฉ, is one of Seoulโs most well-known contemporary eating establishments. It is nestled in a calm residential section of Seorae Maeul, the French neighborhood. The open kitchen, with its horseshoe-shaped arrangement, allows each table to fully observe the sophisticated and intensive cooking process. In fact, owner and head chef Jun Lee refers to it as โthe stageโ. The menu changes every three to four months and always includes a story.
Themes range from movies to seasons, ensuring an unusual surprise for both your taste buds and your mind. The chefโs extensive discourse on the dish, while it is being prepared, brings diners in to listen intently. This is a feature that is quite uncommon in Korean quick and impersonal culture. The greatest of Soignรฉ may be found in its two to three hour-long, full-course meal. Youโll be full at the end of it all, but have a yearning for more.
Soignรฉ (์ค์๋์) Address: 46 Banpo-daero 39-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul Korean Address: ์์ธ ์์ด๊ตฌ ๋ฐํฌ๋๋ก39๊ธธ 46 Operating Hours: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM Break: 3:00 - 5:00 PM
Affordable French Restaurant: Maison de la Catรฉgorie
For those of you who saw the two restaurants above and thought something along the lines of thatโs a ridiculously small amount of food for so much money, this is for you.
Itโs a huge step below the other two restaurants in terms of pricing. Itโs perfect for a nice night out without completely blowing through your savings. The average place is in the 20,000 to 30,000 won price range. However, they do offer course menus as well which are 50,000 won for lunch and 100,000 won for dinner.
They specialize in basic and satisfying cuisine, as opposed to many of the fine dining businesses that populate Cheongdam, where the restaurant is located. According to the KoreanHerald, La Categorie executive chef Lee Hyung-jun explained the concept as a spot where โone can get full on one plate. We are not a traditional French brasserie. We will, however, serve the portions of a traditional brasserie.โ
Their shrimp soufflรฉ and lamb are outstanding entrรฉe choices, and the ice-box cake piled with cream and cookies is a huge hit. Regarding the atmosphere: Maison de la Catรฉgorie is more than just a neighborhood brasserie. Itโs well decorated, with high ceilings and a stunning patio. Overall the place looks fancy but cozy with its authentic meals. The perfect mix!
Maison de la Catรฉgorie (๋ฉ์ข ๋ ๋ผ ์นดํ ๊ณ ๋ฆฌ) Address: 826 Seolleung-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Korean Address: ์์ธ ๊ฐ๋จ๊ตฌ ์ ๋ฆ๋ก 826 Operating Hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Break Time: 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Want to try more international cuisine in South Korea? Click Here to read about SHOIK, Seoulโs best Singaporean restaurant.
