Pilgyeongjae — Restaurant in Seoul

Overpriced place that focuses too much on the aesthetics with bad service and food that is mediocre at best.

The place itself is gorgeous. It was supposedly a home for one of the princes in the old days, and they converted it to a restaurant by modernizing it.

When we arrived, they hadn't turned on air conditioning for our private room. It was above 90 degrees outside, so we wondered why they hadn't bother to cool the room. But OK, the room was sufficiently cooled once we turned it on ourselves.

The meals were prix fixe, and the pace was good. However, the courses were painfully underwhelming. Overall, the meal felt like they were just doing the bare minimum to meet the guests' expectations. Nothing was particularly bad, but every dish was forgettable.

In the middle of the courses, we ran out of water. There was no way to call the servers, and there was no server to be found around our room. One of us had to go into the serving corridor and look around to find a server.

On the way out, the valet attendants were telling us how we all had to leave, which is expected. But with the amount of prestige the place desperately wanted to display, it was strange how they couldn't accommodate holding our car a little longer while we got some coffee across the street.

Overall, the place was a beautifully decorated jewel box with nothing inside to prove its perceived worth. I'd avoid this place and its...

overall, not worth the price. i’ve been to a few han jung shik places in seoul and can say this is probably not one of the most memorable of experiences. i would seriously save your money and look for other options as there are plenty to choose from.

made an afternoon reservation on a week day but looked pretty empty so don’t know if it’s absolutely necessary. they had around 6 different course options in which my boyfriend and i ordered the gukhwa course which is around 105,000 won (approx. $100/per person). they have more options ranging anywhere between $80~$200/per person.

food is pretty to look at but not the best in taste. it would’ve been nice to have the server explain the ingredients(not very clear on the menu) and how to eat the food. portions are small but you get a lot of small courses throughout the meal so that you’ll be full by the end of it.

service is bleh...polite but feels like fake politeness, you can feel that they don’t want to be there. not what you expect for a high end dining experience.

overall, three star really comes from the venue itself. it’s absolutely beautiful. everyone gets a private dining experience in a private room seated on a chair. don’t be afraid to ask if you can walk around and take...

All the food that came to our table seemed to be prepared with care. I think my favorites were the kimchi that was formed like a pouch and filled with kimchi and seafood, and the ddeukkalbi (yum!). Remembering the earthen pots I saw outside, I felt appreciative of the food that had been prepared with sauces made at the restaurant. After the meal, we were escorted to the garden where we enjoyed some fruit and sweet rice punch. The day was beautiful and the weather was warm. I miss that garden, and the feeling I got from...