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Busan overflows with restaurants and cafes of every description. Portions are large and prices are reasonable so it's as easy to indulge in fine dining as it is in street food—options at both ends of the price scale are most likely serving local seafood specialties, particularly in the area around the Jagalchi Markets.
This booming barbecue joint near Kyungsung and Pukyong universities offers amazing bang for your buck. The restaurant specializes in thick cuts of water-aged samgyeopsal (pork belly) at low prices. It's no wonder they're always slammed.
Located off a side street in Seomyeon Market, this is one of the most famous kalguksu (knife cut noodles) joints in the city. The broth is savory and clean, and the noodles are all made the old-school way: by hand. You can choose between mool (with broth) or bibim (no broth, with chili paste). Look for the line.
This perpetually busy restaurant been serving up nakji-bokkum (long-legged octopus) to Busanites for a handful of years now, and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best joints in town. Customers can choose between three levels of heat (spicy, medium, or mild), as well as add favorites such as saewoo (shrimp), or for more adventurous eaters, gopchang (pork intestines) to the mix. Make sure to wash it all down with an ice-cold bottle of beer for maximum effect.
Looming on the far north end of the beach, this complex is dedicated to the glory of seafood prepared in its freshest form. The first floor is a cavalcade of tanks manned by strong women who will net the sea creatures you desire and dispatch them on the spot; you're then sent to a restaurant upstairs, where everything is served sliced up on a table, along with classic Korean side dishes and maeuntang, a peppery soup made from the bones and heads.
Perched on the 43rd floor of the Lotte Hotel, the Mugunghwa offers lucky diners sweeping views of the city and the distant hills. This elegant restaurant has five private rooms (for four to fifteen diners) in addition to its light, spacious main room. The cuisine emphasizes traditional Korean dishes, like galbi (grilled short ribs) and kimchi. The menu always offers courses that feature a good selection of local and seasonal fare, like Yeongdeok crab and seasonal fish. There's also an excellent Korean liquor list and a decent selection of wines.
Stroll down the up-and-coming cafe street behind the old Haeundae Station to find this popular barbecue joint that will make you feel as if you're sipping soju in a Korean drama. With fresh cuts of both beef and pork, it's guaranteed to please carnivores without decimating their wallets. The tabletop grills also come with side pans for cooking scrambled eggs and kimchi.
While dumplings are easy to find in Busan, no one comes close the sublimity of Sinbalwon, a tiny spot on the Chinatown Street across from Busan Station. Whether you like them fried golden brown or tenderly steamed, this popular joint delivers the goods and then some. There is always a wait, so bring plenty of patience along with your appetite.
New York–style slices and pies are served with a sweeping view of the beach and the Gwangan Diamond Bridge at SOL. Easily the best pizza in town, it comes with a whole slew of craft beers on tap to boot.
Nothing says "Busan" more than its signature dish of dwaeji gukbap (pork rice soup), and Ssangdoongi is one of the most popular places in town. Warm your insides with pure savory goodness at this institution, but be prepared to wait, as there is often a line.
This delightful little brewery serves German-style beers and Euro-food favorites such as wurst, goulash, and schnitzel, bringing a nice taste of Deutchsland to the beach of Busan.
The Seomyeon branch of this popular beef galbi (rib meat) barbecue chain is both elegant and immaculate, complete with a small stream running through the building. The restaurant specializes in fresh cuts of imported beef (American and Australian), making it slightly easier on the wallet than the places that only serve Korean hanwoo.
This chain specializes in myriad varieties of bibimbap, Korea's healthy mixed-rice dish that has become synonymous with the country's cuisine. For the full experience, make sure to order the dolsot bibimbap, which comes sizzling in a hot stone pot.
This Busan institution is one of the best places in town to satisfy your craving for samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup). The broth is so clean tasting that it's almost medicinal, and the whole rice-stuffed chicken in your bowl is fall-off-the-bone tender. Woosung Samgyetang is located on a side street in the Suyeong neighborhood, just one subway stop away from Gwangalli. Be prepared to wait.
This chain is the go-to for dalk galbi (marinated boneless chicken), an often spicy stir-fried dish that seems to always hit the spot. Make sure to add rice and cheese to really elevate your meal into next-level goodness.
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