CreatripTeam

South Korea’s oldest restaurant guide, the Blue Ribbon Survey, has released “Seoul’s Restaurants 2026,” published November 5. The guide, issued annually since 2005, lists 1,560 eateries this year. The highest honor, three ribbons, was awarded to 43 restaurants (up by two). Six newcomers earned three ribbons: Gagen (modern kaiseki), Mosu Seoul (reopened by chef Ahn Seong-jae), Sosuheon (chef Park Kyung-jae’s sushi), Soul Dining (modern Korean by chef couple Yoon Dae-hyun and Kim Hee-eun), Sushi Hane (chef Choi Soo-yong’s sushi), and Hobin (Chinese cuisine led by chef Hu Deok-juk). Thirty-seven restaurants, including Kwon Sook-soo, Aria Kye, and Hong Bo-gak, retained their three-ribbon status. The guide also named ten “notable new restaurants” that drew attention in their opening year, and reported a total restaurant count down by six from last year. Blue Ribbon’s ratings are based on reader surveys (about 70,000 participants); expert panels were removed starting in 2019. (kaiseki: a traditional multi-course Japanese meal)