Debating the hottest F&B keywords in Seoul for 2023
With international travel back in full swing, travelers from around the world are pouring into Korea. The group set out to look at how the Korean dining scene has shifted since the pandemic, and — right now — which restaurants, cafés, and bars a visitor from abroad should actually go to. Since foreigners tend to want to go wherever Koreans themselves are going and spending, the conversation zeroed in on the word-of-mouth favorites among locals that are also a bit more accessible or interesting for an outside visitor. Every participant wrote their picks on Post-its; Seo Gi-seul then sorted the ideas by theme, and each person walked the room through the thinking behind their suggestions.
In the end, the newest Seoul is old Seoul, reread and rediscovered
The discussion broke into three tracks — drinks, with a focus on alcohol; Seoul's old-guard eateries and dining rooms; and the most on-trend cafés and desserts. All three sat squarely in what both Koreans and foreign visitors would care about. Up through 2022, everyone in the room agreed on the same keywords: premiumization, luxury, and the spread and leveling-up of fine dining. But for what would run 'hotter still' in 2023, one word kept coming up in common — 'local.' And it's a different kind of local than the one that gets talked about all the time. What kept surfacing were places and products where local value is preserved but the interface is clean, where local is layered with modernity and a certain polish. By neighborhood, Seochon, Bukchon, and around Anguk-dong came up again and again for their pull, and Sinyongsan drew repeated mention for its new possibilities. Story after story from participants circled the same scene: old, local Seoul being reread and rediscovered.
K-desserts that fuse East and West? The things foreign visitors want to take home
Starting with yakgwa, the group agreed that Korean desserts built on familiar bakery formats — turned into shelf-ready products — will only draw more attention going forward. And the moment the conversation shifted to unique experiences worth introducing to foreign visitors, it landed naturally on the snacks and confections travelers would want to bring back as souvenirs. Café owners and food-company executives worked through shelf life, the sweet-and-salty balance, texture, and convenience together. There were fresh takes on tteokbokki, instant ramen, bungeoppang, and other street-market snacks that have already had exposure through media like Netflix and YouTube. The room also traded ideas on tableware, small objects, and processed foods people would want to buy as gifts or merch. Everyone nodded on the same point: creating signature products that foreign visitors want to take home is what will define the next chapter of the Seoul brand and the Korean F&B scene.
