Vegan, vegetarian and halal food in Seoul

비건·채식·할랄로 먹기

Korean cooking often hides animal ingredients in broths and seasonings, and halal labels mean different things. Ask before you order, and check what each label claims.

Reviewed 2026-10-02 · Written from the public sources listed below

Where meat and fish hide

Korean food is often made with meat or fish broth. Kimchi seasoning most often contains salted seafood (jeotgal), fish sauce or meat broth, and soft tofu stew often gets salted shrimp. Banquet noodles come in a broth of anchovies and kelp, and doenjang stew can have anchovies or clams in it. A vegetable name on the menu proves nothing.

Tell the server what to leave out: 고기나 멸치 육수 없이 만들어 주실 수 있나요? (Can you make it without meat or anchovy stock?), 젓갈이나 액젓이 들어가나요? (Does it have jeotgal or fish sauce?) and 돼지고기(육수 포함)가 들어가나요? (Is there pork in it, including the broth?)

Seoul's vegetarian list

Seoul city publishes a list of designated vegetarian restaurants, both all-vegetarian places and ordinary restaurants with vegetarian dishes. Dishes carry tags such as [비건] (vegan) or [락토] (lacto: dairy, but no meat, fish or eggs), so a listed dish is not always vegan.

Temple food

Temple food (사찰음식) leaves out meat and fish and avoids the five pungent vegetables: garlic, green onions, chives, wild chives and a fifth pungent plant. It can include dairy, so vegans should still ask.

Halal

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) uses four groups: Halal certified (by an accredited body such as the Korea Muslim Federation, KMF), Self-certified (all food halal, declared by the owners), Muslim friendly (some halal dishes, alcohol may be sold) and Pork free. Its guidebook is dated December 2021.

In the KMF register we read in October 2026, four of five restaurant entries had expired, and we found no Seoul restaurant with a current certificate we could confirm. Ask: 할랄 인증서가 있나요? 어느 기관이고 언제까지인가요? (Do you have a halal certificate? From which body, valid until when?)

Seoul Central Mosque is in Hannam-dong, near Itaewon Station, with halal restaurants and shops around it. KTO's Muslim-friendly travel page has a section on prayer rooms.

How our map labels it

Use the Vegan & vegetarian and Muslim-friendly filters. We show Halal certified only when a current certificate is on record; otherwise you see Muslim-owned, all halal (not certified), or a note that only some dishes are halal and alcohol may be served. Review-only information is marked Reportedly.

We can't vouch for allergens or cross-contamination, whatever the label. If it matters for your health, ask the kitchen.