La Yeon Seoul

La Yeon sits on the top floor of The Shilla Seoul in the Jung District. It holds two stars in the 2025 Michelin Guide and earned the number 59 spot on the 2024 La Liste.

The restaurant offers a formal approach to modern Korean cuisine that feels distinctly removed from the street-level frenzy of the city. While Myeongdong Shopping Street is a twenty-minute walk away, this room is the better choice for those who find the district’s dense crowds exhausting. It is dressier than its neighbors, and the elevation provides a perspective on N Seoul Tower that the street-level spots cannot replicate. Other venues in the area lean into the fast pace of the local markets, but La Yeon is designed for a slower, seated experience. It is a necessary counterweight to the hurried meals found elsewhere in the capital.