Five places for a weekend date on Songridan-gil by Seokchon Lake, compared by how you get a seat: bookings and waiting, break times and closing hours. Godosik, Bondi, Seobo, Geumgeum Songridan-gil and Songridan Chwihyang, and how to pick one for the day you have.
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At a glance
- The five places on Songridan-gil, compared by how you get a seat. Godosik takes no bookings, Bondi books on CatchTable, Seobo opens remote queuing at 11:00.
- Between 3pm and 5pm on a weekend afternoon, three doors are open: Godosik, Bondi and Songridan Chwihyang. Geumgeum and Seobo are on break then.
- For a late dinner date, Godosik (22:40) and Bondi (22:30) stay open. Seobo closes at 20:00.
- Under ₩15,000 a head: Seobo's jokbal deopbap at ₩13,000 and Geumgeum's barley-doenjang pork noodles at ₩13,500. For two, ₩26,000 and ₩27,000.
It is a weekend afternoon, you have walked a lap of Seokchon Lake and you are hungry. Even once you have picked what you want to eat on Songridan-gil, the problem is the table. Every review starts with how many parties were ahead.
This piece compares the five by how you get a seat. Whether they take bookings, whether there is remote queuing, whether the door is shut at 3pm, and what time they close.
On a day when you hate waiting, take the place that books. On a day with time to spare, take the remote queue. For a late lunch, take the one with no break.
01Best when A meat dinner, if you will take the queue
Godosik (고도식)
Korean beef al-deungsim grillSongridan-gilDiningcode 4.7 (62 reviews) · taste 4.8 · price 3.9
- Rating
- 4.0A Songridan-gil al-deungsim house that takes no bookings; staff grill each piece in an unsalted butter pan.
- Location
- 28 Baekjegobun-ro 45-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Songpa-dong 55-7)
- Phone
- 0507-1336-8692
- Price
- Al-deungsim 170g ₩18,000 · Beef belly jumulleok 180g ₩16,000 · Set for two ₩63,000 · Spring onion fried rice ₩6,000 · Kimchi stew ₩7,000
- Keywords
- Songridan-gil restaurants, Songridan-gil date, Songridan-gil barbecue, Seokchon Lake restaurants, Godosik, Songridan-gil al-deungsim
- Tags
If you will take the queue for a meat dinner, this is the one. A Korean beef al-deungsim house in a Songridan-gil side street.
Staff grill the al-deungsim piece by piece in a cast iron pan brushed with unsalted butter. They talk you through the cut as they grill, then finish spring onion fried rice in the same pan fat. Two reviews in three mention the fried rice.
Tiled walls, yellow lighting, a retro room. One review reports a 40-minute wait at 7pm on a Sunday. Five's take: queue first, walk the lake after.
- Hours
- Fri–Sun 12:00–22:40 (last order 22:00), no weekend break · weekday opening and break times differ by source, so call
- Watch out
- No bookings, and one review reports a 40-minute wait at 7pm on a Sunday. If neither of you wants to wait, Bondi in the next street fits better.
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- There is a wait, but the meat is neatly trimmed and staff grill it for you, so it is easyDiningcode (5.0)
- Good meal thanks to the quality of the al-deungsim and attentive staffDiningcode (5.0)
- Staff grill it so there is no risk of burning, and the al-deungsim is very goodDiningcode (5.0)
- The plating is pretty and they finish it off with the fried riceDiningcode (5.0)
- The meat is good, but the room was packed and the staff looked franticDiningcode (4.0)
- Kept putting it off because of the wait and finally went; meat is good, fried rice ordinaryDiningcode (4.0)
- Waited about 40 minutes at 7pm on a Sunday; the tenderness of the al-deungsim is this place's signaturepersonal blog
02Best when Booking ahead and sitting unhurried
Bondi (본디)
Pork saenggalbi grillSongridan-gilDiningcode 4.7 (27 reviews) · taste 4.9 · price 4.1
- Rating
- 4.5Pork saenggalbi booked through CatchTable; the jangjak kkeopdegi takes about 20 minutes.
- Location
- 18 Baekjegobun-ro 41-gil, 1F, Songpa-gu, Seoul (5 min walk from Seokchon Station exit 2)
- Phone
- 0507-1463-3636
- Price
- Saenggalbi ₩18,500 · House-marinated galbi ₩19,500 · Jangjak kkeopdegi ₩11,000 · Bomb steamed egg ₩6,000 · Noodles ₩6,000–8,000
- Keywords
- Songridan-gil restaurants, Songridan-gil date, Songridan-gil saenggalbi, Seokchon Station restaurants, Bondi, Songridan-gil booking
- Tags
Where Godosik means queuing, Bondi means booking. A pork saenggalbi house five minutes from exit 2 of Seokchon Station.
You take the table through CatchTable. Same-day tables and parties over ten go by phone. They seat you only once everyone has arrived, so sending one person ahead to hold a table does not work.
Staff grill the ribs over charcoal to about 80–90% and hand them over juicy. Roasted salt, wasabi, garlic sesame oil and seasoned squid jeotgal come alongside. One review says the jangjak kkeopdegi takes about 20 minutes. Order it with the ribs at your booking time.
- Hours
- Daily 12:00–22:30 (last order 30 minutes before close), break Mon–Thu 14:30–16:45, no break Fri–Sun
- Watch out
- At 27 reviews it has the fewest of the five. Since they seat you only once everyone is there, book with slack if one of you tends to run late.
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- The meat and the side dishes were all good, the steamed egg and doenjang stew were great, the kimchi noodles less soDiningcode (4.0)
- Staff grill every dish for you and the side dishes and sauces are generousDiningcode
- The jangjak kkeopdegi is the signature here, and the quality has held up since it got popularDiningcode
- The server grills for you, so you just eat; the kkeopdegi takes about 20 minutes to arriveDaum Cafe review
- A meat place where the taste and the room are both in balance, recommended without hesitationDaum Cafe review
03Best when A one-bowl lunch on a day with time to spare
Seobo (서보)
Thai foodSongridan-gilDiningcode 4.6 (69 reviews) · taste 4.8 · price 4.5
- Rating
- 4.0A bar with about ten seats run by a Thai embassy chef; CatchTable remote queuing opens at 11:00.
- Location
- 5 Ogeum-ro 18-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Songpa-dong 50-9, 2 min walk from Songpanaru Station)
- Phone
- 0507-1355-8518
- Price
- Jokbal deopbap ₩13,000 · Thai prawn rice soup ₩10,000 · Extra pork trotter ₩7,500
- Keywords
- Songridan-gil restaurants, Songridan-gil date, Songridan-gil Thai food, Songpanaru Station restaurants, Seobo, Songridan-gil jokbal deopbap
- Tags
There are about ten bar seats and nothing else. A Thai jokbal rice bowl place two minutes from Songpanaru Station.
A working chef from the Thai embassy runs it on days off. Remote queuing opens on CatchTable at 11:00 and the door opens at 11:30. Queuing does not remove the wait, it just holds your place in line. It fits a day when you can take the alert while walking by the lake.
The jokbal deopbap comes as one braised chunk of pork trotter with bok choy, chili and fried shallots. One review says the meat falls off the bone with chopsticks alone. Another describes the collagen sticking to the roof of the mouth. Several reviews call the seasoning salty and suggest an extra bowl of rice.
- Hours
- Daily 11:30–20:00, break 15:00–17:00, closes early when sold out
- Watch out
- With only about ten bar seats, one review calls the wait brutal. It closes at 8pm, which is early for a dinner date, and if you want to sit facing each other another place fits better.
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- The pork trotter is tender and comes in big chunks, so the portion is large for the price, and the chili lime sauce is goodDiningcode (5.0)
- The trotter is generous and the seasoning is fairly salty, so a big eater should add a bowl of riceDiningcode (5.0)
- The softly braised trotter is plentiful and the salty-sweet sauce works with the riceDiningcode (5.0)
- The meat is genuinely tender, but with bar seats only the wait is brutalpersonal blog
- The meat falls off the bone with just chopsticks and a spoon, and you feel the collagen stick to the roof of your mouthpersonal blog
04Best when First through the door at 11:00 on a Saturday
Geumgeum Songridan-gil (금금 송리단길점)
Fusion KoreanSongridan-gilDiningcode 4.6 (42 reviews) · taste 4.7 · price 4.0
- Rating
- 4.0A fusion Korean place that opens at 11:00 on weekends; only lunch takes Naver bookings.
- Location
- 38 Baekjegobun-ro 41-gil, 1F, Songpa-gu, Seoul
- Phone
- 0507-1447-3338
- Price
- Barley-doenjang pork noodles ₩13,500 · Perilla oil wholewheat noodles ₩10,500 · Octopus soy bibimbap ₩14,000 · Aged kimchi tuna rolls ₩9,000 · Pollack roe and prawn potato pancake ₩19,000 · Spicy garlic braised short ribs ₩38,000
- Keywords
- Songridan-gil restaurants, Songridan-gil date, Songridan-gil Korean food, Seokchon Lake lunch, Geumgeum Songridan-gil, Songridan-gil noodles
- Tags
The door opens at 11:00 on a Saturday. A fusion Korean place in a Songridan-gil side street. Of the five, it opens earliest at the weekend.
Lunch takes Naver bookings; dinner is walk-in waiting through CatchTable. If you would rather not wait, take the lunch slot. Table time is 90 minutes, 120 if you order drinks.
The barley-doenjang pork noodles are what the name rests on. They look like mazesoba, but pork belly suyuk and fried tofu give them a Korean taste. One review says the spicy garlic braised short ribs are hotter than Shin Ramyun. It suits a day when you want something different more than a day when you are very hungry.
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 11:30–21:20, Sat–Sun 11:00–21:20, break 15:00–17:00, last order 20:40
- Watch out
- The 90-minute limit is short for a date built on sitting and talking. The door is shut between 3pm and 5pm.
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- The signature barley-doenjang pork noodles really is a signature; it is goodDiningcode (5.0)
- The only restaurant on Songridan-gil that had a queueDiningcode (4.5)
- They say the spicy garlic braised short ribs are hotter than Shin Ramyun, and the meat is very tenderDiningcode (4.0)
- The menu is unusual, so it is good when you want something different and are not too hungryDiningcode (4.0)
- The barley-doenjang pork noodles look like mazesoba, but the pork belly suyuk and fried tofu make it Koreanpersonal blog
05Best when When you need a door open at 3pm
Songridan Chwihyang (송리단취향)
Western · omuriceSongridan-gilDiningcode 3.7 (37 reviews) · taste 4.1 · price 3.4
- Rating
- 3.5Tornado omurice, open from 12 to 9 with no break.
- Location
- 20 Baekjegobun-ro 45-gil, 1F Unit 102, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Songpa-dong 53-10)
- Phone
- 0507-1366-0526
- Price
- Tornado omurice ₩16,900 · Spicy pork jowl cream pasta ₩19,800 · Pork belly rosé pasta ₩19,800 · Mille-feuille lasagna ₩24,500 · Steak truffle towel pasta ₩26,900
- Keywords
- Songridan-gil restaurants, Songridan-gil date, Songridan-gil Western food, Songridan-gil omurice, Songridan Chwihyang, Songridan-gil no break time
- Tags
If you need a door that is open at 3pm, this is the one. A Western place in a Songridan-gil side street. Open from 12 to 9 with no break.
Tornado omurice is the headline dish. Egg swirled over dry pilaf fried with beef. One review calls the mille-feuille lasagna house-made, wine-scented ragù layered with fresh pasta sheets.
It comes up several times as a blind-date spot. One review says the portions are not large, so two people end up ordering two or three dishes. An open door does not mean a free table. A 4.5 review attached to it says the wait is very long.
- Hours
- Daily 12:00–21:00, no break
- Watch out
- At 3.7 the Diningcode rating is the lowest of the five, and reviews mention small portions. For a date built on filling up, take one of the meat places; this one is for the photos and the lasagna.
Info & reviews Review digest · the gist of several reviews, not verbatim quotes
- Soft Japanese-style tornado omurice over dry pilaf fried with beefDiningcode (5.0)
- Homemade lasagna layering wine-scented ragù with fresh pasta sheetsDiningcode (5.0)
- Good for a meal when you are heading to Seokchon Lake or Lotte Mall, but the wait is very longDiningcode (4.5)
- The prices are a little high but the food is good; personally I recommend the lasagnaDiningcode (4.0)
- Distinctive room and the food is good tooDiningcode (4.0)
- The portions are not large, so two people end up ordering two or three dishespersonal blog
The 5 places at a glance
- 1GodosikA meat dinner, if you will take the queueNo bookings, review of a 40-minute wait at 7pm Sunday4.0
- 2BondiBooking ahead and sitting unhurriedWhole party must arrive before seating4.5
- 3SeoboA one-bowl lunch on a day with time to spareTen bar seats, closes 20:004.0
- 4Geumgeum Songridan-gilFirst through the door at 11:00 on a SaturdayBreak 15:00–17:00, 90 minutes4.0
- 5Songridan ChwihyangWhen you need a door open at 3pmReviews on waiting, small portions, rating 3.73.5
Choosing in more detail
- If you start eating after 9pm — Godosik and Bondi. They stay open to 22:40 and 22:30, with last orders 40 and 30 minutes before close.
- If two of you want to finish under ₩30,000 — Seobo or Geumgeum. Seobo's jokbal deopbap is ₩13,000 each, ₩26,000 for two. Geumgeum's barley-doenjang pork noodles are ₩13,500 each, ₩27,000 for two.
- If it is a double date for four — Bondi. Book ahead on CatchTable and staff grill everything, so nobody has to pick up the tongs.
- If someone cannot eat cilantro — Seobo. It is not added by default and comes only on request.
- If you are bringing a child along — Geumgeum Songridan-gil. The only one of the five with high chairs confirmed.
- If you want to bring your own wine — Godosik. It is the only one listed as allowing corkage.
To cut the waiting, take Bondi or lunch at Geumgeum, the two that book. On a day when you can be flexible with time, take Seobo's remote queue. For a late lunch, take Songridan Chwihyang with no break. None of the five has parking, so leave the car in a public car park and walk.
Ask before you go
- 1Where do I park if I drive to Songridan-gil?
None of the five has its own car park. The ones that come up in reviews are Songpanaru Park Dongho public car park, Jamsil Station transfer public car park and the Songpa-gu Office car park. You cannot park in the side streets, so plan to leave the car and walk in.
- 2Is it close enough to go straight after a walk around Seokchon Lake?
Seobo is two minutes from Songpanaru Station and Bondi is five minutes from exit 2 of Seokchon Station. The other three sit in the side streets off Baekjegobun-ro 45-gil and 41-gil, under ten minutes on foot from the eastern side of the lake.
- 3How does CatchTable remote queuing work?
At Seobo the queue opens in the app at 11:00. You find the restaurant in the app, register to wait, and get an alert when your turn comes. Bondi is not queuing but booking, so you pick a date and time in advance.
- 4Do any of them do takeaway?
Seobo does. On a day when the bar seats are too tight to sit at, you can carry the jokbal deopbap to a bench by the lake. For the two meat places, Geumgeum and Songridan Chwihyang, no takeaway information was found, so it is worth a phone call.
- 5Which ones have a time limit on the table?
Geumgeum Songridan-gil is 90 minutes, 120 if you order drinks. No time-limit notice was found for the other four. Places with long weekend dinner queues need to turn tables, so you will feel it; booking a second spot for afterwards makes the evening easier.
- 6Where do I call to book on the day?
Bondi takes same-day bookings and parties of ten or more by phone. Geumgeum takes Naver bookings for lunch only, and same-day dinner is walk-in waiting. Godosik takes no bookings at all, so calling will not hold your place in the queue.
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