Retail Handpicked Hotel & Collections, Sangdo-dong Buyers’ market Select design

This 10-storey hotel stands on the site of owner and general manager Sean Kim’s former family 28 home and helped revitalise the neighbourhood. Beaker, Cheongdam-dong 120 Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu A lotta labels +182 (0)2 2229 5499 handpicked.kr Launched in 2012 by Samsung’s fashion arm, Beaker features about 300 men’s and Seoul womenswear labels from the US, Europe and The Shilla, Jangchung-dong Asia, including Helmut Lang, Closed, Aspesi, Landmark hotel Armor-lux and Maison Kitsuné. 1-2F, Cheongdam Building, The South Korean capital is The Shilla is an oasis perched on the peak of 408 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu Namsan, which is reached by a winding road +182 (0)2 543 1270 energetic and sprawling; it’s that passes a vast sculpture garden. ssfshop.com/beaker a 24-hour city that’s home 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu +182 (0)2 2233 3131 to some 10 million people shilla.net/seoul Queenmama Market, Sinsa-dong and plenty of brightly lit All under one roof Food and drink billboards, skyscrapers and Say kimchi The exterior of this nondescript grey-stone shops. But that’s not all. building may look a little lifeless but inside is a four-storey lifestyle shop so big and inviting Beyond the colourful clutter that it’s a veritable ecosystem of its own, selling you’ll find innovative building South Korean ceramics, plants and homeware. Keunkiwajip, Samcheong-dong 50 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu projects, lush green spaces Sticky fingers +182 (0)70 4281 3372 and world-class museums, queenmamamarket.com Koreans call ganjang gejang (raw crab marinated as well as a tasty spread in soy sauce) “rice thieves” because they go of places to eat and drink. so well with rice that they can make an entire Sulwhasoo, Sinsa-dong bowl of it disappear in seconds. The secret to Spa and partners Hike up your hanbok and Keunkiwajip’s fresh-crab dishes is the marinade. come and meet the people 62 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu Sulwhasoo’s first standalone shop is a +182 (0)2 722 9024 handsome six-storey space inspired by a putting their hearts keunkiwajip.modoo.at lantern. Visit at dusk, when the brass-and-wood interiors glow through the rectangular windows, into Seoul. and pick up the label’s signature ginseng cream, O’neul, Dongbinggo-dong the original product launched in 1966. High-end classics 18 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu +182 (0)2 541 9270 Need to know Homely Korean standards reach fine-dining sulwhasoo.com Get to grips with the basics heights at O’neul, which translates as “today”. The yukgaejang (rich beef soup) is simmered for 12 hours and the kimchi here has been Vinyl & Plastic, Hannam-dong fermented for years, not months. Listen up 01 Language lessons: Address-related 60 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu suffixes includega (region or street), +182 (0)2 792 1054 Housed in a glass-and-steel structure by Korean gil and ro (street), gu (district) and architecture firm Samuso Hyojadong, Vinyl & dong (neighbourhood). Plastic stocks South Korean and international 02 Natural wonders: The shores of the Bimbom, Seongsu-dong records and CDs, with listening stations for Hangang offer a soothing reprieve from Cinematic brunch you to sample before you buy. the high-rises, as does the artificially 683-131 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu revived Cheonggyecheon downtown. Opened in 2011 by playwright-turned-chef Sim +182 (0)2 2014 7800 03 Playing nice: Koreans don’t do kissing – at Ka-young and her kitchen-appliance-designer vinylandplastic.hyundaicard.com least not when they’re greeting one another. husband Kim Tai-Kyung, Bimbom has lent the A brief hug is more common among friends. city brunch options beyond French toast and Vocabulary If in doubt just smile and say “hello”: that’s eggs Benedict. Talking the talk ann-yeong to friends and ann-yeong ha-se-yo 18-14 Seoulsup 2-gil, Seongdong-gu to strangers, elders and business partners. +182 (0)2 466 8790 04 Money matters: Your safest bet is using American Express, Diners Club, 01 An-nyeong ha-se-yo: Hello MasterCard or Visa. Keep an eye out Manufact Coffee Roasters, Sinsa-dong 02 Gam-sa ham-ni-da: Thank you for machines that say “Global atm”. Craftsman’s brew 03 Ban-gap sihm-ni-da: Nice to meet you 05 Middle of the road: The city’s new address 04 Dae-bak: The best system uses street names and numbers Found atop concept store Queenmama Market, 05 Cah-pee ju-se-yo: Please, give me coffee whereas the old system was based on Manufact Coffee Roasters was opened by Kim 06 Mat-shi suh-yo: It’s delicious administrative divisions. Most Seoulites are Jong Phil and his brother Jong Jin. Its name, 07 Gun bae: Cheers still transitioning and use a combination of drawn from the Latin words manus (hand) the new and old so we’ve done the same. and factum (made), captures the Kim brothers’ 28 personal touch. 4F, Queenmama Market, Seoul Hotels Need to Hotels Food and Retail Essays know H F drink R E Culture Design and Sport and Walks Resources Get comfortable 50 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu C D architecture S fitness Kimchi. Coffee. Soju — Architecture. Museums. K-pop — Fashion. Markets. Design +182 (0)2 3442 0914

Southside Parlor, Itaewon-dong Park Hyatt, Daechi-dong Southern hospitality Room with a view When Southside Parlor opened in 2013, craft This striking glass box is all about the views: cocktails were hard to come by outside Seoul’s you’ll find floor-to-ceiling windows that five-star hotels. But after hosting a series of overlook the city sprawl (don’t fret, there are pop-ups, the bar’s trio of Texan founders ... Ann-yeong ha-se-yo! Sample your way through the city’s out- blinds in the bathroom). discovered an audience enthusiastic for a posts of good food, design, retail and more. Chul-bal! ... 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu taste of the American South. +182 (0)2 2016 1234 218 Noksapyeong-daero, Yongsan-gu Buy today at all good bookshops or visit the online seoul.park.hyatt.com +182 (0)749 9522 shops at monocle.com and shop.gestalten.com