Neighbourhood guide
Gangnam: Cheongdam, Apgujeong and Dosan
Mingles and most of the starred tables, the flagship stores of Dosan and Cheongdam, COEX and Bongeunsa.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Sean Young (@assanges) · CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSouth of the river, Gangnam holds most of Seoul’s starred restaurants, among them Mingles, the city’s only three-star, in the streets around Dosan Park and Cheongdam; further east, Samseong-dong has COEX, the Starfield Library and Bongeunsa.
Sights
Bongeunsa, the Starfield Library and Songeun.
Eating and drinking
Mingles (Three MICHELIN Stars); Jungsik, Kwonsooksoo, Soigné, alla prima, Evett, Restaurant Allen and Mitou (Two Stars); and many one-stars.
Book dinner here, and spend the afternoon in Dosan.
Staying
Josun Palace, the Park Hyatt, the Andaz, the Grand InterContinental Parnas and La Casa.
Our advice: the metro is quicker than a taxi across the river at rush hour.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Gangnam: Cheongdam, Apgujeong and Dosan are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro stations
- CheongdamLine 7400 m5 min walk
- Gangnam-gu OfficeLine 7550 m7 min walk
- Samseong JungangLine 9750 m9 min walk
Key sights
- COEX1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Lotte World Tower4.9 kmCycle 25 minCar or taxi 24 min
- The DDP6.4 kmCycle 32 minCar or taxi 29 min
- N Seoul Tower6.4 kmCycle 32 minCar or taxi 29 min
- Changdeokgung8.7 kmCycle 44 minCar or taxi 37 min
- Bukchon9.3 kmCar or taxi 39 min
- Gyeongbokgung9.3 kmCar or taxi 39 min
Main railway stations
- Suseo Station (SRT)5.6 kmCycle 28 minCar or taxi 27 min
- Yongsan Station7.3 kmCycle 37 minCar or taxi 32 min
- Seoul Station7.8 kmCycle 39 minCar or taxi 34 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storySeoul at the table: Mingles, the stars and the noodle housesOne three-star, ten two-stars, thirty-one one-stars and fifty-one Bib Gourmands: Seoul’s table runs from Mingles in Cheongdam to buckwheat noodles in Jongno and gomtang by the river.
The back storyKorean CuisineKimchi and the banchan that come with every meal, bibimbap, cold naengmyeon, long-simmered gomtang, barbecue at the table and dumplings by the steamer: the dishes of Korea, and where to taste them in Seoul.
The back storyWhere Seoul sleeps: the palaces, Namsan, Gangnam and the riverThe Four Seasons by Gwanghwamun, the Shilla and Banyan Tree on the slopes of Namsan, Signiel high in Lotte World Tower, Josun Palace and the Park Hyatt in Gangnam, and the Mondrian’s rooftop in Itaewon: where to stay in a city of two halves.