2026 Michelin Guide Seoul & Busan: Explore Flavors Without Going Broke

Using the Michelin Guide in Korea doesn’t have to mean blowing your whole travel budget on one tasting menu.

With Seoul and Busan now sharing a combined guide (and the 2026 edition marking the Guide’s 10th year in Korea), it’s actually one of the easiest tools for finding reliable, good-value meals, if you know how to read it like a tourist, not a food critic.

At the time of writing (February 2026), the 2025 Seoul & Busan selection is live, and Michelin has announced that the 2026 edition will be released in early March. The structure, categories, and app you’ll use as a traveler remain the same, so this guide will still apply when you’re looking at the 2026 list.

Here’s how to use the Michelin Guide for Seoul & Busan smartly, so you eat really well without wrecking your wallet.

The MICHELIN Guide Seoul & Busan covers restaurants across both cities and sorts them into a few key categories:

• MICHELIN Stars (★ / ★★ / ★★★)
  • ★ = very good restaurant in its category
  • ★★ = excellent cooking, worth a detour
  • ★★★ = exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey
• Bib Gourmand
  • Places selected for good quality, good value. In other words, affordable but especially tasty.
• “Selected” restaurants
  • Recommended spots that inspectors like but that don’t fall under Stars or Bib. Still vetted, still solid.
• MICHELIN Green Star
  • Restaurants recognized for strong sustainability practices, such as local sourcing and low-waste cooking.

For the 2025 Seoul & Busan Guide, which is the most complete selection currently available:

• There are 232 total restaurants: 184 in Seoul and 48 in Busan.
• Stars
  • 1 restaurant with three stars (Mingles, in Seoul)
  • 9 restaurants with two stars
  • 30 restaurants with one star (27 in Seoul, 3 in Busan)
• Bib Gourmand
  • 77 restaurants total: 58 in Seoul and 19 in Busan.

The 2026 edition will update those numbers, but the categories and logic stay the same, and you’ll access everything via the Michelin website or app.

The trick is not to treat the Guide as a “bucket list” of ultra-fine dining, but as a map of reliable food near where you’re already going.

In the Michelin app or website, you can:

• Filter by city (Seoul or Busan)
• Zoom the map around areas you’re visiting (palaces, markets, beaches, stations)
• Filter by:
  • Type: Starred, Bib Gourmand, Selected
  • Cuisine (Korean, contemporary, BBQ, noodles, etc.)
  • Price range

For tourists, some good default rules:

• Use the map like “What’s good near me?”, not “What’s the fanciest in the city?”.
• Save one or two starred splurges if that fits your budget, and use Bib/Selected for most meals.
• Always check opening hours, days off, and whether reservations are needed, many top places close at least one day a week (often Mondays).

Here’s how each category behaves in terms of money and vibe:

1. Starred Restaurants = Occasional Splurge

With 1 three-star, 9 two-star, and 30 one-star restaurants in the 2025 selection, Seoul & Busan have a serious fine-dining scene.

• Expect set-course menus, longer meal times, and higher prices.
• Many offer better-value lunch menus compared to dinner—great if you want the experience without the biggest possible bill.
• Perfect for: one “big night” or a special trip meal.

2. Bib Gourmand = Your Best Friend as a Tourist

The Bib Gourmand list is literally defined around great food at reasonable prices.

• Includes noodle shops, BBQ joints, casual Korean restaurants, local favorites.
• In the 2025 Seoul & Busan list, there are 77 Bib Gourmand restaurants, including many everyday places Koreans actually eat at.
• For most travelers, this is the sweet spot: high chance of a great meal, a bill that feels normal for a city trip, and less pressure than fine dining.

3. “Selected” = Hidden-Angle Gems

“MICHELIN Selected” places are vetted but not starred or labeled Bib.

• Often mid-range prices.
• Interesting concepts: modern Korean, neighborhood bistros, specialist shops.
• Great when you want something good near a specific landmark without booking months in advance.

If you’re trying to stay on-budget, think:

1–2 Starred meals for the whole trip, mostly Bib & Selected for everything else.

You can use the Guide for very normal tourist situations:

Near the Palaces (Seoul)

Instead of randomly picking a tourist-trap restaurant near Gyeongbokgung or Bukchon, open the app and:

• Zoom around the palace area.
• Filter for Bib Gourmand or Selected.
• Look for Korean, BBQ, or noodle places within walking distance.

You’ll likely find:

• Makguksu, kalguksu, or naengmyeon spots
• Korean set-menu restaurants with banchan spreads
• Places locals actually go for lunch

Around Hongdae / Itaewon / Gangnam

These neighborhoods are full of food, but quality is uneven.

• In Hongdae / Hapjeong, use the map to find Bib/Selected spots for casual Korean, fried chicken, or modern bars with good food.
• In Itaewon, look for Bib/Selected options with international cuisines plus Korean staples.
• In Gangnam, mix a starred meal (if it fits the budget) with cheaper Bib/Selected spots for everyday lunches and dinners.

In Busan: Markets + Michelin

Busan’s Jagalchi, BIFF Square, and Nampo-dong areas are full of street food and markets. You’ll probably do a market crawl and sit down for a proper meal.

You can:

• Enjoy markets on their own terms (not everything has to be Michelin).
• Then open the Guide to find nearby Bib Gourmand or Selected spots for a more structured lunch or dinner—like fish restaurants, gukbap (soup with rice), or modern Korean near the beach.

These aren’t exact restaurant names (because the 2026 list will update), but this is how to use the Guide to shape your day.

Seoul: One-Day City & Food Loop

Morning

• Visit Gyeongbokgung + Bukchon.
• Use Michelin map → filter Bib/Selected, Korean, low–mid price around Jongno/Bukchon.
• Choose somewhere for a simple, local-feeling lunch (noodles, set menu, or classic Korean).

Afternoon

• Explore Insadong, maybe a traditional tea house (not always Michelin, but easy to combine).

Evening

• Head to Gangnam or Seongsu.
• Choose either:
  • A starred restaurant for your one big splurge; or
  • A Bib Gourmand BBQ or Korean spot if you want value-first.

You’re letting Michelin guide where you eat—without centering your whole day on one reservation.

Busan: Sea, Markets & One Nice Dinner

Morning–Afternoon

• Visit Haeundae or Gwangalli Beach.
• Use Michelin to find a Selected or Bib place for lunch near the water.

Late Afternoon / Evening

• Explore Jagalchi / BIFF Square / Nampo-dong for markets and street snacks.

Dinner

• Pick a Bib or one-star restaurant in Busan from the Guide for a more refined but still regionally rooted meal, especially if you want seafood or modern Korean.

Some Michelin spots in Seoul & Busan are heavily booked, but plenty are accessible.

When You Need Reservations

• Most starred restaurants → yes, book ahead (especially 2–3 stars).
• Popular Bib spots in busy neighborhoods → can get queues at peak hours; some accept reservations, many don’t.

If the 2026 Guide follows recent patterns, you can expect:

• Online booking links directly from each restaurant’s Michelin profile.
• Or Korean booking platforms (e.g., Catchtable) linked from individual restaurant pages.

Walk-In Strategy

• Aim for early lunch (around opening) or early/late dinner (before 6 pm or after 8 pm).
• Have a Plan B and C saved in the app within the same area.
• For Bib/Selected, walking in is often possible if you avoid the busiest times.

Dress Codes

• Most Bib/Selected places: casual is fine.
• Starred restaurants: generally smart casual is safe—no need for formal gowns, but avoid beachwear, gym clothes, or anything too sloppy.

Etiquette

• Arrive on time for reservations; some fine-dining places have strict seating schedules.
• For shared banchan in Korean restaurants, try not to waste food; order what you can finish.
• If you’re unsure about how to eat something, it’s okay to watch locals or ask politely.

Language & Menus

• Many Michelin-listed restaurants, especially in Seoul, have at least minimal English support or fixed course menus that are easy to order.
• The Michelin app profiles often note whether English is spoken or if translation help is likely needed.
• Translation apps are widely used, staff are used to tourists pulling out phones.

The Michelin Guide shines when you:

• Want one or two special meals that are likely to be memorable.
• Need a trusted list of spots near a specific area without deep research.
• Prefer knowing a restaurant has been physically inspected by professionals.

But it’s not everything. You should absolutely still use:

• Naver/Kakao Maps for hyper-local reviews and photos.
• Social media (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) for trending cafés, dessert shops, and new places that aren’t in the Guide yet.
• Your own curiosity for street food, markets, and random finds.

Think of Michelin as your “anchor list,” you drop in a few Michelin meals, then freestyle the rest.