How to Book Restaurants & Beauty Spots in Seoul as a Tourist

Finding a great place in Seoul is only half the job. The other half is actually getting in! Here is everything I have learned from my own visits about booking, waiting and paying, with a real example for every tip so you can see how it works.

1. Catch Table: the easy one for restaurants

Some restaurants take reservations on the Catch Table app. My favorite example is Udon Kinu in Bangbae, a handmade udon shop three minutes from Naebang Station. Booking ahead is a nice safety net there, because the shop closes for a long break in the afternoon (more on break times below).

2. Naver Booking: great, but it’s in Korean

A lot of Seoul’s salons, spas and cake shops take bookings through Naver, Korea’s big portal site. The catch: it is all in Korean. Some places I have used it for:

• High-End Beauty Lab, Ewha — books through Naver, so I suggest calling or messaging the salon first to check availability.
• IOR Dangsan head spa — Naver booking in Korean. Ask your hotel or a Korean friend to help, and check ahead whether they can explain things in English.
• Strawberry32, Yeonnam — cakes are pre-ordered on Naver Booking and you pick your pickup time. I booked the day before; same-day buying is hard, and popular sizes sell out.
• The Yebbeum for You — makeup and hair booked on Naver, in Korean.

3. Instagram DM: my favorite workaround

If a Korean booking page scares you, try this: send the shop a message on Instagram first and ask about availability and language support. These places all list their Instagram:

• Dewvero The Skin (@dewvero_skin) — a reservation-only, one-client-at-a-time facial studio, so booking ahead really matters.
• Spa Fine, Bangbae (@spafine) — Naver booking in Korean, so DM first.
• Viewtae Esthetic, Gwanghwamun (@viewtae_official) — reservations are in Korean; ask about prices when you message, too.
• The Yebbeum for You (@the_yebbeum__style) — DM before you try Naver.
• Lumiere Parfum, Yeonnam (@lumiere_parfum_) — perfume classes run in small groups, so book before you go.

My tip: keep your message short and simple: the date, the time and the service you want. Short messages are easier to answer.

4. Phone and order-ahead

Some casual spots are happy to take a call. Yumibun Gimbap in Dangsan lets you order ahead by phone or Naver Order for a quick pickup, and Haejuban lists its phone number too. If you are nervous about calling in Korean, ask your hotel front desk to help.

5. Walk-ins and waiting lines

Many of my favorite places don’t take bookings at all, so you just show up and wait.

• Gamegol Son Wang Mandu, Namdaemun Market — the takeout line out front is the long one. Join the dine-in line instead; it moves much faster. It took me three tries to eat here because it is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
• Geudongne Tteokbokki, Yeonnam — there are not many tables, so expect a short wait at dinner peak.
• Haejuban, Dangsan — there are red chairs by the door for people waiting when it gets busy.

Going outside Seoul? Lines can get serious. At Choga Mungteong Jjigae in Chuncheon we arrived at 11 a.m. on a Sunday and still waited about two hours. At Mongtan Aewol on Jeju, you put your phone number on a tablet waiting list. Sign up first, then go explore.

6. Open-run: line up before the doors open

Koreans call it an “open-run”: getting there before opening time. It works!

• Cafe Darak, City Hall — on weekdays it opens at 13:30. I arrived at 13:20 and there was already a line at the elevator, so aim for about 13:00.
• Strawberry32 — I showed up a little before the 11:30 opening and was the very first pickup of the day.
• Daytique Coffee, Yeongdeungpo — not a line, but timing still matters: breads and cakes come out fresh at 11:30 and 16:00.

7. Mind the break time

This one catches so many travelers. A lot of Seoul restaurants close for a few hours in the afternoon. Some I have visited:

• Udon Kinu — break 15:00–17:30
• Giwadon, Mangwon — break 15:00–17:00, closed Sundays
• Haejuban — break 15:00–17:00, closed Mondays
• Roji Oden, Dangsan — weekday break 14:00–17:00
• Geudongne Tteokbokki — break 16:00–17:00

Plan a café or a walk for the middle of the afternoon and eat a little before or after.

8. Paying and ordering: cashless shops, kiosks and tablets

• Cashless shops: the Shiopanya salt bread pop-up at Times Square takes card or mobile pay only. (The pop-up runs until November 30, 2026.)
• Kiosks in English: at Hongdae Jopok Tteokbokki you order at a kiosk in English, Chinese or Japanese, so you don’t need any Korean.
• Kiosks and tablets: you order at a kiosk at Cafe Darak and on a tablet at your table at Geudongne Tteokbokki.
• Takeout only: Osulloc at Shinsegae Yeongdeungpo and Strawberry32 have no seats, so plan to eat on the go.
• Self-service: water, side dishes or drinks are often self-service, like at Gamegol, Haejuban and Cafe Darak. Look around before you ask!

Zoapik’s quick picks

• Easiest booking: Udon Kinu on Catch Table
• Best DM-first beauty spot: Dewvero The Skin
• Best no-Korean-needed meal: Hongdae Jopok Tteokbokki (English kiosk)
• Best open-run reward: Cafe Darak‘s palace view
• Book a day ahead: Strawberry32 mango cake

A short message, a little planning around break times and comfy shoes for the lines, and Seoul is all yours.