Balwoo Gongyang

Vegetarian restaurant · 가회동

Balwoo Gongyang

Vegetarian restaurant · 가회동

3

71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea

Photos

Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by ELLE
Balwoo Gongyang by Photo courtesy of Korean Tourism Organization NY
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null
Balwoo Gongyang by null

Highlights

Tucked near Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, Balwoo Gongyang offers a serene Michelin-starred journey through refined Korean temple cuisine, served in cozy, private rooms.  

Featured in Afar
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71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea Get directions

balwoo.or.kr
@balwoogongyang_official

$$$

Information

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71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea Get directions

+82 2 733 2081
balwoo.or.kr
@balwoogongyang_official

$$$

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Last updated

Jul 29, 2025

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@afar

"In a country where much of the cuisine involves things like barbecued meat and shrimp paste, vegetarians can find solace at Buddhist temple restaurants, where the food focuses on healthy, compassionate cooking methods. Dishes are simple yet sophisticated, often incorporating local mountain ingredients like wild greens, herbs, roots, and vegetables. In Seoul, there are several of these spots near the Jogyesa Temple in Insadong. Balwoo Gongyang, which just earned a Michelin star, is an upscale choice, offering a multicourse menu of dumplings, stews, steamed veggies, kimchi, tofu, and savory pancakes."

The Best Restaurants in Seoul
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@ellemagazine

"Try the: Gamja-boribab."

Laura Kim's Guide To Seoul
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@afar

Where to Eat and Hang Out in Seoul, According to a Local Pastry Chef - AFAR

"Because it serves Korean temple food, meat and alcohol are not offered here. Instead, you’ll drink a special pine-needle tea that is naturally relaxing. I love to bring important guests to Balwoo. The servers are so soft and gentle, as if they were monks, and are great at explaining the menu in English." - Hyunhee Lee

https://www.afar.com/magazine/a-pastry-chef-dishes-about-her-favorite-spots-and-sweets-in-seoul
View Postcard for Balwoo Gongyang

Angela Ling

Google
Wow. Thank you for such a beautiful experience 🙏 The dishes, although small, were full of natural flavours, incredible textures and you could tell they had been prepared with care. We left so full and satisfied, both from the food and the experience. Highly recommend and would love to come back next time we visit!

Adina Calnan

Google
They have two lunch sittings, we booked for 1:30 pm (the other was 11:30). We were taken to a private room and presented menus and warm tea. There are several meal options and each person has to order a meal. The food was delicious, varied in texture and flavor. Definitely a wonderful experience.

A L

Google
course meals are served at 2 time slots for lunch 1130am and 1.30pm. i went at 12pm and was informed there is available slot at 1.30pm. 3 course sets available, 1 of which needs to be pre-ordered. meals are served in private rooms. there is a variety of vegetarian entrees, dishes and mains served including seasonal vegetables. good quality. though the portion of each dish is small, with the number of dishes served, i was very full by the end of the meal. worth the experience. most dishes are cold and naturally flavoured. highly recommended if you want to experience quality refined korean vegetarian food

Girish Nair

Google
A great joint to visit in Seoul. Great for vegetarians. Each table is set in separate room with great privacy. The ambience is quiet and peaceful. Highly recommended.

Sesame Sprinkles

Google
The food at this restaurant was excellent. Even something as plain as a tomato salad with sesame seeds was surprisingly flavorful, owing to them using good ingredients to begin with. Other dishes were innovative and aesthetically pleasing. However, after visiting the restaurant on four occasions and ordering the cheapest option on the menu (lunch for 30.000 KRW, dinner for 45.000 KRW), each time we left still feeling somewhat hungry after a multi-course meal... The interior is neat and simple and guests are seated inside individual rooms to enjoy food in a quiet, private atmosphere. After all, this location is certainly suitable for eating out on a special occasion. Perhaps one of the more expensive course menus will be more filling...?

Stella See

Google
We had high expectation of the place but we’re a little disappointed with the service. The service timing was too rush to fully enjoy the flavours of the food. Halfway through our meal, we were told that they close at 2.50pm and we have 20mins left for our entree 2 and desserts, so they will be served together. When the last two courses were served, we were told that they close in 10mins, hinting that we got to finish everything in 10mins. While they did explain to us during the booking, the time allocated for each serving is way too rush for people to enjoy the food. It doesn’t feel like fine dining towards the end, but military style dining were you just chuck food down your throats. That was rather disappointing. A couple commented that the time was too rushed and the staff explained that they did explain and share about the time during the booking process. However, we felt that it is not about the timing. We paid KRW70,000 to enjoy food, not to swallow food. This time may be more suitable for the cheaper menus with less dishes. We expected this place to be much better since it once had Michelin star.

Jay Lee

Google
I had a great experience in this restaurant. If you looking for excitement or spectacle show case of Korean cuisine, this is not for you. There are many Korean restaurants have a much tastier foods with half of that price. This restaurant said this is the place to learn to appreciate the food and nature we can afford(something like that) and they recommend even eating less is the better(what!?) I guess an eating is important part of training buddism in Korea so you can expect what you can get here! I was happy to be in this restaurant and I feel I experienced something more than just good food…

Mandla

Google
This was my second time experiencing authentic Buddhist cuisine and my first time dining in a Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant is ideally located, easy to find and minimally decorated. It has a number of small rooms where patrons dine depending on the size of the group. The food itself was very mild and didn’t stop coming. In that sense you really do get your money’s worth. A solid 4 stars from me.