🍜 Food & Drink

Gwangjang Market

Seoul, South Korea

About Gwangjang Market

Founded in 1905 as Korea's first permanent daily market, Gwangjang is still one of Seoul's biggest traditional markets. The central food alley is where solo travellers eat: take a stool at a stall counter for bindaetteok (crispy mung bean pancakes fried to order) and mayak gimbap, the small, moreish rice rolls. Pointing at what looks good works perfectly well.

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📍88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

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Why it works for solo travelers

✓ Comfortable to eat here on your own — you won't feel out of place dining solo.
✓ Budget-friendly ($).

More solo-friendly food & drink in Seoul →Seoul solo travel guide →

Quick info

Price range

More Food & Drink in Seoul

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Tosokchon Samgyetang

Open since 1983 in a sprawling hanok near Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 2), Tosokchon is Seoul's most famous place for samgyetang — a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng in a milky broth. It was a favourite of former president Roh Moo-hyun and seats around 400, so even the long queue moves quickly. Every bowl is a single serving, so eating alone is the norm.

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Myeongdong Street Food

Myeongdong's pedestrian shopping streets turn into Seoul's best-known street-food strip every evening, with carts setting up from late afternoon and crowds peaking from about 7 to 10pm. Expect tornado potatoes, grilled cheese lobster, hotteok and gyeranppang (egg bread). It's touristy and pricier than the markets, but easy and fun to graze alone, and close to the Namsan cable car.

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Noryangjin Fish Market

Seoul's big seafood wholesale market, now in a bright modern building next to Noryangjin Station. The routine is simple: buy live fish, shellfish or crab from the vendors on the main floor, then take it upstairs to one of the second-floor restaurants, which charge a small table fee to slice it as sashimi or cook it for you. A lively, unpretentious solo meal.

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