Itaewon is Seoul’s most cosmopolitan and multicultural area.  A favorite destination among both foreigners and locals, Itaewon offers a wide choice of foods from a diversity of countries. The narrow alley behind the Hamilton Hotel leads to a strip of ethnic restaurants, where Greek, Thai, French, and other international cuisines are represented. Because Itaewon is so popular with foreigners, many stores here naturally cater to this crowd, and store clerks are often fluent in English.

1. 3 Alley Pub (Bar/Pub)

This atmosphere here is just like a real British pub had been transplanted from the UK.  Most of their customers are foreigners.  Here, you can enjoy Guinness, Erdinger, and Hoegaarden on tap.  They serve various side dishes that go nicely with the imported draft beer, and there is a wide enough selection of steak on the menu that you can easily dine here.  They are always packed, so either you need to call to find out whether seats are available or book ahead.
- address: 116-15 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-749-3336
- website: http://www.3alleypub.com

2. Alibaba (Egyptian)

This place is an Egyptian restaurant, a rare find in Seoul. It is quite small, but they have a loyal following among the Muslim community and Westerners in search of exotic flavours. They serve falafel, which are deep-friend balls of minced chickpeas coated with powdered sesame mixed with salt, and dipped in sauce. They also serve alibaba chicken, which is marinated in lemon and onion sauce and oven-roasted.  It tastes even better served with thin, light-tasting pita bread.  In addition, this is one of the few places in Seoul where you can order a Middle Eastern-style water pipe for smoking.
- address: 124-9 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-790-7754

3. Alsaba (Pakistani) 

Enjoy Pakistani food, which is a combination of Indian and Islamic culture.  The ingredients and spices they use are imported directly from Pakistan. Recommended is Alsaba ran, made with leg of lamb. The kitchen staff all come from Pakistan.
- address: 34-4 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-792-1488
- website: http://www.alsaba.co.kr

4. Bada Sikdang (Korean : Budae-jjigae) 

This restaurant is known as the creator of Itaewon-style budae-jjigae (sausage stew), which gets its distinct mellowness from the cheese they add.  In order to make Johnsontang, sausage, potatoes, onions, cabbage, ham, ground meat, and peppers are boiled in beef broth and garnished with cheese, for a slightly cheesy, unique flavor unlike regular budae-jjigae.
- address: 743-7 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-795-1317

5. Comedor (Paraguayan)

This restaurant serves Paraguayan cuisine and is the first of its kind in Asia. The most representative dish is empanadas, a southern African-style dumpling stuffed with meat, cheese, and other ingredients. You can enjoy many different kinds of dishes at reasonable prices.
- address: 130-3 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-749-2827

6. Donga Naengmyeon (Korean : Naengmyeon)

A noodle-specialized restaurant with a 30 year tradition. The spicy mixed cold noodle is the most popular item on the menu. All the foods are basically spicy and should be ordered separately if you want the noodles to be less spicy and more sweet and sour. Takeout is possible, including for dishes that need to be boiled.
- address: 265-576 Bogwang-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-796-2796

7. Goam Sikdang (Korean : Budae-jjigae)

Here, you can have refreshingly spicy budae-jjigae, a stew of sausages, meat and vegetables.   The budae-jjigae at this restaurant tastes more authentically Korean than Itaewon-style budae-jjigae, which usually includes processed cheese.  This restaurant is supposed to bea famous place for delicious food in the Itaewon area.
- address: 123-3 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-796-1813

8. Kkangtong Mandu (Korean : Kalguksu)

Enjoy kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) and dumplings stuffed with tofu, pork, and leek.  The base of kalguksu is a broth made from beef leg bones.  Bibim-guksu (noodles and vegetables in a spicy sauce) and suyuk (steamed beef wrapped in fresh kimchi) also taste excellent.  Uniquely, they use kalguksu noodles in their bibimguksu.  They’ve been in operation for 20 years, but the interior has been updated and is neat.
- address: 741-19 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-794-4243

9. Kyotofu (Dessert/Tea)

This is an American-Japanese dessert bar offering American interpretations of Japanese cuisine and desserts. The main branch is in New York. In Korea, they have opened three branches. On the menu are a wide variety of desserts and dishes made with tofu.
- address: 682-1 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-749-1488
- website: http://blog.naver.com/kyo_tofu/

10. Loco Loca (Mexican)

Extra flavor from Mexico, Chile and South America is added to Italian food. This is an authentic restaurant where you can enjoy pizza as well as quesadillas. Putting South American toppings on Italian pizza dough is very interesting. You can also enjoy South American drinks like margarita and mojito.
- address: 116-22 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-796-1606

11. Marakesh Night (Moroccan)

At this restaurant, you can enjoy authentic Moroccan cuisine prepared by a Moroccan cook.  Probably because the owner of the restaurant used to work for an embassy, there is a focus on neat presentation of the dishes.  The appetizer of hummus, the kebabs, and various main dishes of lamb or chicken are all delicious. The interior of this spacious restaurant is exotically decorated in Moroccan-style.  They even have Middle Eastern-style water pipes.
- address: 736-15 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-795-9441
- website: http://www.marakechnight.com/

12. Moghul (Pakistani)

Pakistani cuisine is available at this restaurant.  Most of the main dishes are made with lamb instead of pork or beef.  Typical dishes are seekh kebab, beef masala (beef curry), and grilled lamb chops.  In addition, you can enjoy various curry dishes, and the weekend buffet is also popular. The restaurant was converted from a private home and is quite cozy.
- address: 116-2 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-796-5501
- website: www.moghulkorea.com

13. Nariui-jip (Korean : Samgyeopsal)

This restaurant is famous for their delicious pork belly and fermented soybean stew. The pajeori (green onion salad), which is eaten with the pork belly, tastes especially great.  They are open 24 hours, you can drop by any time.  It is very crowded at lunch and dinner time, so you should avoid these times if you want to relax while eating.
- address: 738-24 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-793-4860

14. Pancho’s (Mexican)

This is a Texas-style Mexican (Tex-mex) restaurant. Representative dishes are fajitas (meat and vegetables wrapped in a tortilla), tacos (meat and sour cream stuffed in a tortilla), and quesadillas (a Mexican version of pizza).  Make your meal even better with a margarita cocktail brimming with tequilla.
- address: 127-3 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-792-4767
- website: http://www.panchos.co.kr

15. Petra (Middle Eastern)

At this restaurant, which serves Syrian and Jordanian cuisine, you can try Middle Eastern food.  Kebabs and hummus are representative of this style of food, which features characteristic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, thyme, and saffron.  Lamb is also frequently used.  They do not sell alcoholic beverages, though.
- address: 552 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-790-4433

16. Salam (Turkish)

The Kebabs in this restaurant are made by a Turkish chef. Prolonged baking removes all the oil, leaving a delicately mild taste. Out of all kebabs, the main dish is the shish kebab, which comes out on skewers. Enjoy the rich Turkish coffee experience the liquid tobacco of the Arabians.
- address: 732-21 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-793-4323

17. Santorini (Greek)

To make gyros, they wrap lettuce, tomatoes, and grilled meat topped with tzatziki sauce in an oven-baked pita.  Two other typical Greek dishes served here are souvlaki, which are grilled meat and vegetable skewers, and pie-shaped moussaka, which is eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and layers of minced meat topped with a white sauce and baked.
- address: 119-10 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-790-3474

18. Thai Orchid (Thai)

This is one of the oldest Thai restaurants in Seoul, but they have recently moved to their present location directly opposite from the old restaurant.  The approach at the new location is more casual compared to the old one, which was more like a hotel restaurant.
- address: 736-9 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-795-3338
- website: http://www.thaiorchid.co.kr

19. The Bungalow (Bar/Pub)

At this establishment, you can enjoy cocktails in one of their themed rooms decorated in a variety of ethnic styles. The Moroccan-style room, with its floor of white sand, is quite popular.  The cocktails are also affordably priced..
- address: 112-3 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-793-2344

20. Zelen (Bulgarian)

The cooks and owner of this restaurant are from Bulgaria. They serve the bread made with Bulgarian lactobacillus, and authentic Bulgarian home-style food prepared in an open kitchen. Their popular dessert is yogurt made with lactobacillus from Bulgaria.
- address: 116-14 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-749-0600