14 Celebrity-Owned Restaurants & Cafés in Seoul Still Open — August 2026

Seoul has dozens of places that come with the whisper, “The owner’s a celebrity, you know.” The problem? About half of those lists are either long closed or were never actually owned by that celebrity to begin with. Closures rarely make headlines the way openings do, and a famous name tends to stick around long after the stake has been sold.

This guide includes only spots confirmed to be open as of August 2026. I’ve added addresses, prices, and booking methods for each, and put the famous-but-gone places in their own section at the end so you don’t waste a trip.

"Celebrity hot spot" and "celebrity-owned" are not the same thing

Let’s get the terms straight first. In Korea, the phrase 연예인 맛집 (celebrity mat-jip) usually means a restaurant a celebrity visited as a customer — the kind of old-school joint with signed photos on the wall and a TV appearance in its history. That’s not what this guide covers.

This guide is about restaurants and cafés owned or run by the celebrity themselves or their immediate family. Even within that, involvement breaks down into four tiers.

📊 Four ways a celebrity is connected to a restaurant

The most common misunderstandings involve the third and fourth types. Fans show up thinking it’s “my bias’s place,” when in reality it’s a sibling running the show or a straight-up trademark deal. I’ve labeled the type for every spot below.

Idols and singers: where are their Seoul restaurants and cafés?

Four spots are definitely open as of August 2026. They’re scattered across Konkuk University, Seongsu, Mapo, and Yeouido — one per neighborhood, so hitting them all in one day is a stretch. But you can reasonably pair Farben in Seongsu with 401 BBQ in Mapo.

401 BBQ — Haha and Kim Jong-kook’s barbecue joint (Mapo)

This is the single most-visited celebrity restaurant by international Running Man fans in Seoul. Haha opened it in 2014, and Kim Jong-kook joined as a co-owner in 2017, giving the restaurant its current name. The number 401 comes from the apartment unit Haha shared with his friends before he got married.

The address is 23 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu. People often call it “Hongdae 401,” but it’s actually a 7-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 3 — also walkable from Sangsu Station. Pork belly runs 17,000 won per 180g, flower pork belly at 19,500 won for 200g. For groups, the 401 combo platter (3–4 people, 860g) at 84,000 won is the straightforward choice. Open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., no closing days.

📍 Open in Naver Map

In July 2025, Haha mentioned on a variety show that he’d “closed two company-owned barbecue locations.” Those were the Myeongdong and other branches — the original Mapo location is still going strong.

Mouse Rabbit — Super Junior Yesung’s café (Konkuk University)

The longest-running and most stable establishment on this list. After his father’s accident, Yesung moved his family to Seoul and opened a restaurant in Hongdae. When his mother found kitchen work too demanding, he pivoted to a café. Even now, Yesung’s parents are often spotted looking after the shop.

The address is 10 Neungdong-ro 11-gil, Gwangjin-gu — a 2-to-4-minute walk from Konkuk University Station Exit 2. An americano is 4,500 won, a café latte 5,000 won, and the Ssamanko smoothie and Glacier smoothie are 6,500 won each. Open daily from noon until around 10–11 p.m. Just 30 seconds away on foot is Yesung’s second café, Armoire.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Farben — RM’s sister’s café in Seongsu

On opening day, congratulatory wreaths from RM and BTS Jin’s brother made this place an instant talking point among fans. RM himself is not an owner or operator — it’s his younger sister who runs the shop. Sitting right in the middle of the Seongsu café district, it’s easy to slot into a broader Seongsu itinerary.

The address is 65 Seongsui-ro, Seongdong-gu, a 5-minute walk from Seongsu Station Exit 3. The signature drink is the Farbencio (6,500 won), a pistachio cream latte, with an americano at 5,000 won. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.). They offer decaf beans and have pastries like almond croissants and Berliner doughnuts.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Ossu Seiromushi — BTS Jin’s older brother’s Japanese restaurant (Yeouido)

Originally opened in 2018 in the Songpa Songridan-gil area, it has since moved to Yeouido. Jin’s older brother, Kim Seok-jung, is the CEO. Whether Jin holds any equity or is registered as a director has never been confirmed through public records. ARMY has known this as “Jin’s brother’s restaurant” for years, and Jin himself posted a tasting review before his enlistment.

The address is B1, Yuhwa Securities Building, 36 Gukjegeumyung-ro 2-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, near Yeouido Station Exit 3. Seiromushi is a Kyushu-style Japanese dish where meat and vegetables are steamed in a bamboo basket. A lunch hanwoo (Korean beef) seiromushi set is 55,000 won, the dinner hanwoo set is 80,000 won, and a Jeju black pork set runs 45,000 won. For a lighter meal, there’s a lunch udon & sushi set at 29,000 won (limited to 15 per day). Closed Sundays, with a break from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Actors and TV personalities who actually work the shop floor

Two spots here — and they’re different from the rest because the owner really is there.

Hongchul Book Bread — Noh Hong-chul greets customers at his Yongsan book café

Known for how often Noh Hong-chul shows up in person to welcome guests. After closing on December 15, 2024 for renovations, it reopened on schedule — and the refresh brought a mini cinema and popcorn to the menu.

Let’s address one thing upfront: the name says “Book Bread,” but post-renovation, they no longer sell bread. The current menu is coffee, desserts, popcorn, and wine. If you’ve seen old blog posts and go expecting baked goods, you’ll be disappointed.

The address is 57 Hangang-daero 102-gil, Yongsan-gu (Huam-dong). You can walk up the hill from Seoul Station or approach from Sookmyung Women’s University Station. An americano is 5,000 won, a Bbyongpuccino 5,500 won, and popcorn ranges from 3,700 to 8,700 won. Open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last order 5 p.m.), closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The short operating hours trip people up — plan accordingly.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Seongsu Mackerel — Actress Yoon So-yi at the open-fire grill

The newest addition on this list. Actress Yoon So-yi opened this spot in mid-May 2026 in Seongsu-dong, and reports say she personally grills the fish over the open-fire oven and even works the dining floor. She’s run a jokbal (pig’s trotter) restaurant before, so she’s not new to the food business.

The address is 1F, 39-1 Sangwon 1-gil, Seongdong-gu — just 68 meters from Ttukseom Station Exit 7, which makes it wonderfully accessible. Open-fire grilled fish is the main draw, with jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) also on the menu. It’s only been open a short while, so prices and hours haven’t quite settled yet — check Naver Map before heading over.

📍 Open in Naver Map

How to book the star chefs from Culinary Class Wars

After Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, chefs essentially became celebrities — and their restaurants became the hardest tables to book in Seoul. Most use the CatchTable app exclusively. The app has an English interface, so it’s genuinely usable even if you don’t read Korean.

🏆 Star Chef Restaurants in Seoul — open as of August 2026

Mokran — Chef Lee Yeon-bok’s Chinese restaurant in Yeonhui-dong

Famous for its menbosha (shrimp toast) and dongpayuk (braised pork belly), this is arguably the toughest reservation in Korea. They take phone bookings only on the 1st and 16th of each month — the 1st covers the first half of the following month, the 16th covers the second half. The booking window is 10:30–15:00 and 17:00–21:00. Weekend slots can take hundreds of redial attempts, which makes this the highest barrier for foreigners who don’t speak Korean.

Pre-order dishes like dongpayuk, menbosha, and gyeongjangyuksa can’t be ordered on the day — you must request them during the reservation call. The address is 21 Yeonhui-ro 15-gil, Seodaemun-gu. There’s no subway station within walking distance; you’ll need a bus or taxi.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Mosu Seoul — Chef Ahn Sung-jae, and the 2026 controversy

The fine-dining restaurant of Culinary Class Wars judge Ahn Sung-jae. Let’s correct a piece of information that keeps getting repeated incorrectly: Mosu does not currently hold three Michelin stars — it has two stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide. It held three stars in 2023 and 2024, then dropped off the 2025 list during a closure for relocation, returning with two stars in 2026.

The address is 4 Hoenamu-ro 41-gil, Yongsan-gu (Itaewon-dong). You can walk from Hangangjin Station, but the hill is steep — a taxi is the better move. Lunch is 320,000 won, dinner 420,000 won. CatchTable only — no phone or email reservations accepted.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Three more things worth knowing

Gone for good — spots that keep appearing in recommendation lists

This section might be the most important part of this guide. The places below still show up in blog posts and travel articles as “celebrity restaurants,” but as of August 2026, you can’t visit them — or they were never really that celebrity’s place to begin with.

⚠️ Outdated or incorrect information

Can I string several together in a day?

The locations are too spread out — don’t get greedy. Two or three in one day is a realistic maximum. The two combinations below have the cleanest logistics.

🗺️ Two half-day to full-day routes

Hongchul Book Bread in Yongsan is a tricky one to pair — it closes at 6 p.m. and is shut Tuesday–Wednesday. If you have plans near Seoul Station on a Thursday through Monday, it’s best treated as a standalone stop.