2 Best Restaurants in Suwon, Side Trips from Seoul

This hip coffee house in a renovated old residential home not only serves great coffee, but also offers fine views of Suwon Fortress and its Janganmun Gate, especially from its rooftop space. The menu features all your favorite espresso variations, including a rich latte made with black sesame. Snacks include scones and croissants.

Suwon is virtually synonymous with galbi (beef ribs), and Kabojung is its most renowned purveyor. This massive place serves high-quality, albeit pricey, servings of Korean hanwoo beef, beautifully marbled and grilled on the bone. If you're not in the mood to splurge, there's imported U.S. beef, too, for much less. Finish your meat with a serving of chilled noodles or rice soup. There's a pretty extensive list of traditional alcohols, whiskeys, and wines, too. There's also a lunch menu that's much easier on the wallet.