These Seoul And Busan Restaurants Were Awarded Michelin Stars

If you are planning a holiday in Seoul or Busan, here are some places with excellent food to bookmark. This week, the renowned Michelin Guide released its latest list featuring as many as 220 restaurants in South Korea, including Seoul. It launched an inaugural list in Busan, the country's second-largest city, with 43 new entries, and three restaurants received one Michelin star each.

Mosu, a fine-dining restaurant located in Seoul, was honoured with three Michelin stars in the latest guide. Additionally, six restaurants have been presented with two stars, while 26 have received one star. Among these 26, three restaurants in Busan have been granted a one-star rating: Palate, a French restaurant renowned for its avant-garde cuisine, Fiotto, a pasta bistro, and Mori, a Japanese omakase restaurant.

“After seven editions of Michelin Guide in Seoul, we have arrived at Busan for the first time in this eighth edition,” Michelin Korea's managing director Jerome Vincon said during the 2024 Michelin Guide unveiling ceremony at Busan Signiel on Thursday, February 22. “Busan has a rich culture and a strong Korean heart while being an international city. Being open to the world leads to generosity, being open to new ideas leads to creativity, facing challenges leads to courage, and being curious leads to endless striving for excellence."

“They all frankly had a great time experiencing Busan’s food scene, which we found was driven by talent, passion and generosity,” said Michelin Guide's international director Gwendal Poullennec, talking about guide inspectors in Busan for the first time. “We now take on the mission of introducing Busan’s food scene to the world.”  

The Stars

Three restaurants in Seoul were awarded stars for the first time.

• Vinho, an Asian contemporary restaurant located in Gangnam District, Southern Seoul, offers a variety of dishes that blend traditional Korean flavours with modern techniques.

• Haobin, a Chinese eatery situated in Jung District, Central Seoul, serves authentic Chinese cuisine that is both flavourful and elegant.

• L'impression, a contemporary fine dining restaurant located in Gangnam District, offers a sophisticated dining experience with a menu that showcases creative, beautifully presented dishes.

The Michelin Guide also granted additional stars to two other restaurants in the Gangnam district. Japanese Mitou and French fine dining eatery Restaurant Allen have each been elevated to the two-star category thanks to their exceptional culinary offerings. Mitou's Japanese cuisine features fresh, seasonal ingredients, while Restaurant Allen's French-inspired dishes are known for their exquisite taste and presentation. Overall, the Michelin stars awarded to these five Seoul restaurants are a testament to the city's vibrant and diverse culinary scene.

During the ceremony, a total of 40 restaurants were recognised in Busan for their exceptional culinary offerings. Among these, 25 were named Select restaurants, while 15 were awarded the Bib Gourmand distinction. The list includes places showcasing a diverse range of cuisines from not just South Korea, but also Japan, Hong Kong, France, and Taiwan.