Taste of Seoul 2026: the DDP market ends October 25, while Restaurant Week continues

Taste of Seoul 2026 is under way, with two different schedules to remember. The citywide festival runs October 23–29, while the DDP food market takes place only on October 24 and 25, with official hours of noon–5pm. October 25 is the last chance to visit the weekend market. Restaurant Week and the annual dining guide remain options afterwards; October 29 should not be mistaken for the DDP market’s closing date.

How do the 100, the 50 and Restaurant Week’s 124 differ?

The 100 Taste of Seoul is an annual selection involving 60 experts from food, research, professional cooking and tourism. It is not a live online popularity chart. Each expert recommended three venues in each of seven categories, with weighted scores and a comprehensive assessment producing the final 100, including 25 new entries this year. There are 27 Korean, 23 Western, 15 Asian, 10 grill, eight vegetarian, nine café-and-dessert and eight bar-and-pub venues. The list offers breadth across dining categories, rather than an ordinal ranking from first to 100th.

A separate selection of Seoul’s 50 cafés and dessert venues launches this year, considering drinks and desserts, spatial experience, popularity and accessibility for international visitors. Restaurant Week, running October 23–29, has 124 participating restaurants, cafés and bars, of which 41 also appear in one of those two annual selections. Being selected for a guide, joining Restaurant Week and offering a particular promotion are three different things to check. Inclusion in an annual list does not automatically mean a venue offers a discount.

From a home-cooking market to venues across the city

The DDP market takes home cooking as its theme. Its official venues are Oullim Square and Art Hall 1, bringing together chefs’ dishes, seasonal ingredients and different food experiences. The wider week also includes Restaurant Week, culinary tours, cooking classes and awards. Tours feature areas such as Seochon and Namyeong-dong; classes cover natural ingredients, Seoul home cooking and Korean cuisine. Tours and classes have individual schedules and participation procedures, with some notifying selected participants separately. You cannot assume that arriving on site secures a place, or that every activity is free.

For outings extending to selected businesses, the official guide offers concrete examples. Fritz’s Dohwa branch occupies an old Western-style house, combining selected and roasted coffee with its own bakery, at 17 Saechang-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu. Its guide entry lists espresso and long black from KRW 5,300 each. In Insadong, A Flower Blossom on the Rice offers another approach through Korean cuisine, vegetables, grains and traditional fermented condiments. Located at 3-6 Insadong 16-gil, its guide entry lists a full vegan course at KRW 69,000. These are reference details for selected venues, rather than a claim that both offer Restaurant Week promotions.

Check discounts, points and transport separately

Restaurant Week benefits vary by venue and include menu discounts, limited-time dishes or complimentary desserts. A separate promotion at specified participating businesses offers Npay users points worth 50 percent of the payment when using Npay QR or Face Sign, limited to one transaction per person and capped at KRW 10,000. This is a points reward, rather than a universal half-price cash discount. Check the promotion page for eligible businesses, payment methods and account conditions. Visitors who do not qualify can still consider other venue-specific offers.

DDP is at 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, near Exit 1 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on subway Lines 2, 4 and 5. Decide first whether you want today’s market, a scheduled activity on another day or a restaurant meal, then compare individual details on the official Taste of Seoul website. The annual 100 and 50 selections also offer maps and business information for linking restaurants and cafés by neighbourhood. Menu prices, hours and bookings follow each venue’s current information; the festival’s end does not mean these selected businesses close with it.