Vegan in South Korea Guide – Best Restaurants (2024)

Are you looking for a South Korea vegan guide? Here’s our best tips on how to find vegan restaurants in South Korea! We’ll show you where to find plant-based food around the country including markets, cafes, grocery stores and street food! If you’re vegan in South Korea, then this guide is for you – let’s explore the best vegan food in Korea!

South Korea is becoming more popular to visit every year – the interesting culture, the beloved K-pop and the impressive nature is getting travellers to add South Korea to their bucket list.

As vegan travellers, we were pretty impressed with the vegan food in South Korea. At first, we were worried about the seafood diet and the popular Korean BBQ – but luckily veganism is catching on in Korea, especially in the cities!

The traditional Korean diet actually started off very plant-based but as the country developed, meat and more seafood were added to a lot of dishes. There are traditional Korean restaurants that are completely vegetarian and you can find this food in Buddhist temples around the county.

We have to admit that Seoul is the best place for vegan restaurants in South Korea and it’s even home to our favourite places to eat in the country. However, it’s definitely possible to travel around the country if you’re vegan in South Korea.

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Here are a few guides to help you plan your trip to South Korea in 2024 – Ultimate South Korea Bucket List: 20 Best Things To Do and our 2 week South Korea Itinerary (2024)!

Ultimate Vegan in South Korea Guide

Here’s our vegan in South Korea travel guide to help you find plant-based food in popular destinations including Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeonju. Don’t forget to read more at the end to find out tips about grocery stores, where to stay and what to pack when visiting South Korea.

Vegan in Seoul

Seoul is the ultimate best city for finding vegan restaurants in South Korea! There’s vegan cafes, vegan street food at markets and vegan restaurants all waiting for you! Check out our 5 Day Seoul Itinerary travel guide here!

Osegye Hyang

Traditional Korean vegan restaurant

We’re starting this vegan in South Korea guide off by introducing Osegye Hyang – a traditional Korean restaurant in the area of Insadong. The style of the restaurant means sitting on cushions on the floor and taking your shoes off when entering. The meal you order will also come with lots of little side dishes called Banchan!

We highly recommend getting the Korean fried chick’n, bibimbap, perilla soup and black bean noodles!

• Currently, open Fri – Wed around 11:30am–9pm (Closed Thursday)
• Find the location here – Osegye Hyang Location (Insadong)

Maru

Vegan Korean street food

This is another one of our favourite vegan restaurants in South Korea and also in the beautiful Insadong. Maru creates delicious Korean street food and serves everything fresh when you order. The food is affordable and it’s honestly a place we could take with us all over the world – it’s so good!

We highly recommend the tteok bokki, gimbap and cold noodles!

• Currently, open Tue – Sun from 10:30am–7pm (Closed Monday)
• Find the location here – Maru Location (Insadong)

Gwangjang Market (Stall A11)

Local Korean food at a market

The famous Gwangjang Market is home to some amazing food in Seoul, including some famous stalls featured on Netflix. Watch the Netflix show ‘Street Food,’ episode 6 to get inspired before visiting South Korea! Whilst browsing all the popular mung bean pancakes, we found a stall that serves vegan-friendly dishes!

We spoke English with her at first and a few days later came back with a friend who speaks Korean and confirmed there was no meat or fish in our food. We highly recommend the Kimchi dumplings & bibimbap! It’s very affordable in the market but make sure you have cash!

• Currently, open all week from midday–11PM (Times may vary)
• Find the location here – Gwangjang Market Location (Jongno 5 area)

The Bread Blue

Vegan cafe & bakery

If you’re vegan in South Korea and looking for some vegan pastries and cakes. They’re located a short walk away from the bustling area of Hongdae near the Gyeongui Line Book Street. Their bakery products are high quality and as it’s a cafe, it’s a great place to take a rest on your busy trip! They have veganised many popular South Korean snacks.

We highly recommend their red bean buns, chocolate bread and anything else chocolate!

• Currently, open all week from 10am–9pm
• Find the location here – The Bread Blue Location (Hongdae/Sinchon)

Overte

Vegan doughnut shop

Located at the base of Namsam Park is Overte selling some of the best vegan doughnuts in the city! These are definitely the best treats to find when hunting for vegan restaurants in South Korea.

The doughnut flavours change frequently, but we recommend trying the oreo or tiramisu doughnuts!

• Currently, open Mon – Sat around 10am–8pm (Closed Sundays)
• Find the location here – Overte Location (Namdaemun area)

Onmaeul

Tofu Hotpot restaurant

Hotpots are a popular meal in North Asia and until this point, we’ve never tried one because of the meat or fish broth. Luckily Onmaeul is a vegan-friendly restaurant in South Korea and serves amazing mushroom hotpots! This cosy restaurant was filled with hikers when we visited, and it’s such a cosy atmosphere to enjoy vegan food in South Korea.

We recommend the mushroom hotpot, served with tofu!

• Currently, open all week from 9AM–9:30PM (Close during Ramadan)
• Find the location here – Onmaeul Location ()

Plant Cafe Seoul

All vegan international restaurant

If you’re a vegan in South Korea, this is going to be your favourite place for western comforts! Everything on Plant Cafe Seoul’s menu is incredible and is so highly rated by visitors. It’s probably one of the best vegan restaurants in South Korea for a variety of vegan food that isn’t Korean.

We recommend the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, lentil veggie bowl and chilli cheese fries!

• Currently, open all week from 11am–10pm
• Find the location here – Plant Cafe Location (Itaewon)

• Plan your trip – Ultimate 2 week South Korea Itinerary: Best Places (2024) –

More vegan food in Seoul

• Vegetus – international cuisine – location
• Monk’s Butcher – international cuisine – location
• Loving Hut Cafe – Korean & international cuisine – location
• SF Bagel – bagel cafe – location
• By Tofu – international cuisine – location
• Veg Green Buffet – Korean cuisine – location
• Sunny Bread – bakery (also gluten-free) – location
• Drunken Vegan – Korean & international cuisine – location

Vegan in Gyeongju

The historic city of Gyeongju is much smaller than Seoul and Busan, but it’s 100% worth a visit on any South Korea trip. The vegan options here are a little harder to find, but if you book accommodation with a kitchen you can prepare your own food.

• Baru – traditional vegan Korean cuisine – location
• Vege Bakery Cafe – Korean & international cafe with vegan options – location
• Lotteria – the famous fast-food chain has a vegan burger!

Gyeongju isn’t a city full of vegan restaurants in South Korea but there are some ways to find vegan food. Baru is one of the only vegan restaurants in the area and offers amazing traditional Korean cuisine. It’s still a little outside the city but worth it if you want to indulge in Korean food.

More vegan-friendly options are Vege Bakery Cafe and Lotteria. Vege Cafe offer different types of bread, cakes and wraps that are perfect for lunch! Lotteria is a well-known fast-food chain in South Korea – that now has a vegan burger! Lotteria’s Miracle Burger is an easy on-the-go meal to have in South Korea and the fries are also vegan.

Take a browse at 11 Best Things to do in Gyeongju to plan your trip!

Finding vegan snacks at the grocery store in Gyeongju

As we spent 2 days in Gyeongju, we also visited the local market and grocery store to pick up some budget-friendly food. We found vegan instant noodles, Plantable dumplings, oranges, mushrooms, bread and rice cakes! We highly recommend finding accommodation with a kitchen – Doobaki Guesthouse – Find here on Booking.com!

Vegan in Busan

After Gyeongju, it’s time to check out some more vegan restaurants in South Korea and head to Busan! There are a few plant-based restaurants and cafe’s here all spread out over the city. Let’s find out more vegan in Korea options!

Dajeon

Vegan Korean restaurant

In the heart of Seomyeon is another vegan restaurant in South Korea specializing in Korean cuisine! It’s a little hard to find the front door, but if you follow the location on Google Maps or Naver Maps, it’s through a door and up to the top floor! It’s a lovely atmosphere with a rooftop view.

We recommend getting the bibimbap and tofu steak!

• Currently, open Mon – Sat from 12–2:30pm & 5–8:30pm (Closed Sundays & times vary)
• Find the location here – Dajeon Location (Seomyeon)

Soban Vegan Restaurant

Korean vegan restaurant

We’ve mentioned vegan Korean fried chick’n a few times already in this vegan in South Korea guide, but it’s so delicious and Soban is another place to find it! If you’re visiting Gamcheon Culture Village, definitely check out Soban for their Korean comfort food – they also have a small shop selling vegan snacks!

We highly recommend the Korean fried chick’n and soup of the day!

• Currently, open all week from 11am–9:30pm
• Find the location here – Soban Location (near Gamcheon Culture Village)

Doko – Dosi Nongga Cafe

Bakery with vegan-options

If you’re fancying a cafe experience in Busan, check out Doko – Dosi Nongga Cafe for some of the best vegan cakes in South Korea. They have inside and outdoor seating and it definitely feels like a fancy environment. It’s the perfect spot to relax and try one of the many vegan options.

We highly recommend the chocolate cinnamon slice and cream buns!

• Currently, open all week from 12pm–10:30PM
• Find the location here – Doko – Dosi Nongga Cafe Location (Seomyeon)

We also have an in-depth 3-Day Busan Itinerary if you’re planning a visit!

Vegenarang

Korean cuisine with a Buddhist temple food style

Vegenarang is a vegan restaurant in Busan serving comforting Korean food and the view is amazing! The price is a little higher than other vegan restaurants in South Korea but if you’re in the area it’s a great vegan option!

We recommend trying the Bean Cutlet and any gimbap!

• Currently, open all week from 11:30am–3pm & 5–8pm
• Find the location here – Vegenarang Location (near Haeundae)

Ecotopia Vegetarian Restaurant

Eco-friendly Korean-Western vegetarian restaurant

Close to the Igidae Coastal Walk is Ecotopia Vegetarian Restaurant serving up Korean dishes in a fancy way. It’s the best way to fill up on healthy food before getting on with your day. Unfortunately, the curries have dairy in them, but there are other vegan options!

We highly recommend the Tofu Steak and bibimbap!

• Currently, open Tue – Sun from 11am–3pm & 5–7pm (Closed Monday)
• Find the location here – Ecotopia Vegetarian Restaurant Location (Namcheon)

Switch to sustainable travel products before visiting South Korea! Here's our 
18 Great Eco Friendly Travel Products Guide!

Vegan in Jeonju

Jeonju is another city in South Korea a few hours south of Seoul. It’s popular for the traditional hanok village and the option to stay in them. We only stayed one night here but did come across two restaurants serving vegan food. Jeonju is also the birthplace of bibimbap if you fancy trying this dish at any restaurant!

Plantica

Vegan cafe with Korean-fusion food

After finding Plantica on HappyCow, it was the first place we visited when arriving in Jeonju and it didn’t disappoint. Plantica serves Korean-inspired sandwiches, pizzas and delicious cakes. They also have a big range of drinks with plant milk – which is usually a little hard to find in South Korea.

We recommend Plantica’s sandwiches and cookies!

NOTE: Recently moved to Seoul – Plantica Instagram here!

Pool

Vegan Japanese restaurant

Pool is a fully vegan Japanese restaurant near the famous Hanok village. Their menu changes depending on the season with a few dishes available all year round. It’s one of the best vegan restaurants in South Korea for Japanese food!

We highly recommend the Mapo Tofu and dumplings!

• Currently, open Tue – Sun from 11:30am–2:30pm & 5–8pm (Closed Mondays)
• Find the location here – Pool Location (near Jeonju Hanok Village)

There’s also a Chinese restaurant a few doors down from Pool that has amazing vegan options! Here’s the location.

We stayed in a hanok home whilst visiting Jeonju and they served us a vegan-friendly breakfast. Fruit, tea, black sesame porridge and jam sandwiches! The owners were so lovely to us and we communicated using Google Translate! Here’s the accommodation – Jungdam – Find it here on Booking.com!

Plan your trip - Ultimate 2 week South Korea Itinerary: Best Places (2024)

Vegan Food at Convenience Stores in South Korea

As we were travelling to South Korea on a budget we wanted to shop at grocery stores to keep our costs down instead of eating at restaurants for every meal. We stayed in hostels and guesthouses that had kitchens so we could cook up some food and store things in the fridge. Due to Korean cuisine, we pretty much ate ramyeon and dumplings every other day (which was actually pretty tasty!)

Here’s a list of the main convenience stores: CU, 7-Eleven, GS25, CU, Ministop & Emart 24

We found a few different types of instant Ramyeon Noodles in different grocery stores. Our tip would be to scan the ingredients of the noodles to double-check. It’s hard to find vegan-friendly bread in convenience stores around South Korea but you can find it in larger grocery stores.

Fruit and vegetables are always guaranteed to be vegan in shops and we did find some pasta sauces to make a few alternative easy meals. Here’s what we usually ate on our trip:

• Our favourite snacks: Almond Breeze Chocolate Milk, Lotus Biscoff biscuits (found in most convenience stores), bananas and
• Breakfast: Inari pockets, jam on toast (vegan-friendly bread) or Injeolmi (Korean rice cakes).
• Lunch: Usually find one of the vegan restaurants in South Korea or find vegan onigiri’s in 7/11.
• Dinner: Ramyeon noodles with Plantable dumplings and vegetables!

We’ve included photos of some of the food we mentioned to help you find them in shops!

Ultimate South Korea Bucket List: 20 Best Things To Do

Quick Vegan in South Korea Tips

The number one tip we can give when travelling to South Korea is to use Happy Cow! This app has helped us all around the world with real recommendations and updates from other travellers or locals. We also highly recommend downloading Google Translate and scanning ingredients if you’re ever unsure. Here are a few more tips:

• Join Seoul Veggie Club on Facebook
• Check the Vegan Festivals going on in South Korea
• Use the HappyCow app
• Join Vegan in South Korea Facebook Groups
• Bring your own cereal bars and snacks from your home country
• Scan ingredients using Google Translate
• Pretty much every soup-based dish is made with meat or fish broth (unless specified)
• Almost all the bread in South Korea has milk or milk powder in it (double-check the ingredients!)

Where to stay in South Korea

• Seoul – Hostel Tommy – Find here on Booking.com!
• Busan – Dynamic Guesthouse – Find here on Booking.com!
• Gyeongju – Doobaki Guesthouse – Find here on Booking.com!
• Jeonju – Jungdam – Find here on Booking.com!

Templestay’s in South Korea

We wanted to mention temple stays in this vegan in south Korea travel guide as the food served at Buddhist temples is always pure vegetarian! This means it’s very likely to be vegan, we only found one small dish that had some mayonnaise in it which we weren’t sure about. Everything else is fresh produce and the kimchi definitely doesn’t have fish in it.

If you’re visiting South Korea for more than a week – this is definitely an experience you should check out and you don’t have to worry about the food included! Read our full guide to find out more – Staying in Golgulsa Temple: The Best Templestay in Korea (2024)!

Travel Insurance – SafetyWing Nomad Insurance

Don’t forget to book your travel Insurance! SafetyWing is a flexible monthly-rolling travel insurance designed to help travellers like you, stay safe on the road. You can start it from anywhere in the world and add on extra months if your travelling gets extended! Find out more here!

What to pack for South Korea?

Here are a few travel essentials we always carry:

• Amazon Basics Packing Cubes – The most essential travel hack when packing your bags!
• Anker Power Bank – Make sure your phone is fully charged at all times!
• Stainless Steel Water Bottle – The water in Korea is clean, bring a reusable bottle and fill it up!
• Rain Mac in a Bag – Carry a lightweight raincoat with you at all times!
• Worldwide Travel Adaptor – The best travel plug when travelling to multiple countries!
• Joby GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit – The best lightweight tripod to take anywhere in South Korea! We love our Joby GorillaPod and use it for our Sony A600. There’s also a Joby Phone Tripod if you don’t use cameras.

More South Korea guides:

• Ultimate 2 week South Korea Itinerary: Best Places (2024)
• 5 Day Seoul Itinerary – Best Things To Do (2024)
• Staying in Golgulsa Temple: The Best Templestay in Korea (2024)
• 3 day Busan Itinerary: What to do in Busan (2024)
• 11 Best Things to do in Gyeongju: Itinerary (2024)
• Ultimate South Korea Bucket List: 20 Best Things To Do
• All our South Korea posts!

That’s the end of our Vegan in South Korea Guide – Best Restaurants & Snacks (2024)! Have a great time in South Korea eating the best food and if you need any more help planning – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!

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