korean restaurants Honey Table — Restaurant in Seoul

Thanks to the reviews here, I bookmarked this restaurant along Samcheong-dong Street after visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace. It also appears to be known as "Honey Table" which is easier to remember. We wanted a cosy place to have a leisurely lunch and this was perfect for our group.

Ordering was made easy with an English menu and a very capable young man who can speak English. Tip: Only Korea-issued credit cards are accepted here, so you will need to prepare cash beforehand.

The banchan is the standout here as well as the home-style cooking. So far, few places can match the variety and colour of the banchan on offer and you could easily have a healthy meal just by eating them alone!

In my opinion, the portions are generous, and together with the banchan, your table (and stomach) will be filled quickly. So order accordingly and not with your eyes!

You can easily miss this place if you walk fast as the restaurant is just below street level. Just look out for the colourful building facade and the Honey Table display stands, then take the steps down to a homely decor.

P.S. While we were the first customers at 12 noon on a Monday, another local family came in afterwards and there were busy orders to go being picked up by...

We tried their set lunch menu with fried fish and beef bulgogi. Taste was nice, nothing special, and the price was fair. They were somewhat generous with the side dishes, refilling them upon request. The amount of beef bulgogi was low considering we paid for (and had) 3 people, noticeably insufficient when compared to other places we ate bulgogi for a similar price, so that was a negative. The beef was so low in quantity (compared to other places in Seoul) that we wondered if we were supposed to ask for more, but no one mentioned that. It’s a cozy place which is convenient to the nearby palaces and Blue House. Servers were pleasant enough. The restroom is up some stairs accessed by going outside and then back inside, it was just passable, must report it was the least clean toilet I encountered in South Korea. While the food was nice enough, mainly due to cheap little portion of bulgogi compared to other places, we would not bother coming...

Important: NO foreign credit cards accepted (yet) so bring cash!! Had a fantastic early lunch here with special set menu for two persons: an extensive banchan variety: 16 different side dishes (all side dishes are refillable so you get a small portion of each item first to see what you like) and 3 "main course" items.  Simple, homecooked dishes in the best way - not overly salted nor sweet, especially the soy sauce pork and fried fish which tastes like dishes my grandma used to cook. Really enjoyed the food and was very happy with taste, generosity and portions! ❤️ Efficient and polite service. We asked for a refill on one of the side dishes and it was immediately topped up without hesitation. The restaurant is really tiny with only few tables so there might be a little queue if you come during peak meal times, but the rotation of tables seems pretty fast because the food comes out really quickly. Definitely recommend for a special and...