Michelin Guide adds 6 Seoul restaurants ahead of 2026 release

GiwaKang's Grilled Hanwoo with Korean condiments / Captured from GiwaKang's Instagram

This week, the Michelin Guide has unveiled six restaurants in Seoul that will be newly included in next year’s guide.

The Michelin Guide typically announces its full list of starred restaurants for Seoul and Busan every February.

“After the official release of the Michelin Guide, a large number of visitors typically flock in, so we recommend people visit earlier before other gourmets start moving,” the guide said in a statement regarding the early release.

The newly named restaurants include Doori, Bium, GiwaKang and Gosari Express, which all serve Korean cuisine, as well as Onyva, a French restaurant, and Sobakeeri Suzu, which specializes in Japanese dishes.

Korean restaurant Bium refined interpretations of Korean temple cuisine, using native vegetables and ingredients. Captured from Bium's Instagram

Doori is known for its zero-waste philosophy, with dishes designed around sustainability — for example, tarts and soups made using tomato skins. Bium serves refined interpretations of Korean temple cuisine, using native vegetables and ingredients. At GiwaKang, traditional Korean cuisine is reimagined using French culinary techniques.

Gosari Express is a rare restaurant dedicated to bracken, a wild fern that’s commonly eaten in Korea — gosari is the Korean word for it. Onyva offers French cuisine made with authentic Korean ingredients, while Sobakeeri Suzu features a variety of Japanese dishes, including several made with buckwheat noodles.

First published in 1900 as a travel guide for French motorists by the Michelin tire company, the Michelin Guide has since evolved into a prestigious international restaurant rating system. Anonymous inspectors award restaurants up to three stars based on quality, and in 1997, the guide introduced the Bib Gourmand designation for establishments offering high-quality meals at reasonable prices — under $31 (45,000 won).

The six newly added restaurants have yet to be rated by Michelin inspectors ahead of the new edition’s official release next February.

As of 2025, a total of 234 establishments across Seoul and Busan are listed in the Michelin Guide.