Every nook and cranny seems to give way to a great eatery selling legitimately delicious Korean food. In addition to the smaller shops dishing up Korean classics, the city is seeing a new brigade of chefs who are trying to write a name for themselves using old-school Korean techniques with modern, contemporary touches. See: Eatanic Garden, Bicena in Signiel Seoul and Dooreyoo.

Rumor has it that Starbucks is responsible for the coffee boom in Seoul. In the last few years since Starbucks entered the Korean market, cafes and specialty roasters have popped up all over the city. You have serious roasters in the basement of old buildings, themed cafes in luxury malls, and an abundance of options for lingering in a cozy café with a hot cup.

Take a page from the locals and hit the city’s underground department stores and shopping malls. Large department stores like Hyundai Department and Lotte World Tower are worthy stops as are Myeongdong, Jamsil, and Gangnam Terminal Shopping Malls. When the underground shopping closes (around 10pm), the above ground night markets get going.

Google Maps in Korea doesn’t work very well. To navigate the city, download Naver for all your transportion needs (bonus: the app offers food recs too). If you don’t want to use public transport and need to get in a tax, be mindful that Seoul is quite a congested city, especially during rush hour, but if you must, download app, Kakao, the “uber” of Korea.

There are a lot of new contemporary art museums opening up now in the city to highlight and celebrate Korean artists. But a great way to immerse yourself in Korean culture is to check out a traditional sauna. Hotels spas will have English-speaking staff, but for a truly authentic experience, go to a jjimjilbang, a bathhouse with health and wellness offerings.