[FOOD COURT] Fine dining meets casual in these Seoul restaurants

The search for some nice restaurants at which to celebrate the end of the year will soon be in full force.

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The search for some nice restaurants at which to celebrate the end of the year will soon be in full force. Even if sitting through a course-style lunch or dinner that lasts for at least two hours isn’t your thing, a few casual spots run by Michelin-starred restaurants in Seoul still offer a great experience for any year-end get-togethers. Easier on the wallet than a course meal, these places offer food à la carte. Many of the casual spots also carry a variety of wines to drink, also serving as an after-dinner option to end the night with something memorable.

Vingle

Run by Mingles, Vingle presents more modern and contemporary-style Korean food. Located in the trendy Seongsu-dong area of eastern Seoul, the restaurant and bar offers a unique atmosphere. The two-story building has more private indoor seating on the first floor, and a more casual, outdoorsy area on the second floor. The heating system makes it so that even the open-air area on the second floor isn’t so cold and almost feels like being at a cottage.

[VINGLE INSTAGRAM]

[LEE SUN-MIN]

Food served at Vingle is more modern and Western than that of Mingles. Vingle serves a variety of pastas, meat, fish and salads, to which the culinary talents in the kitchen incorporate a subtle hint of Korean flavors by using Korean seasonings. For example, its meat ragu sauce used in its pasta uses gochujang and red pepper flakes to add different layers of flavor to the classical Western taste.

@vingle_seongsu 16 Yeonmujang 18-gil, Seongdong District

Wine Pairing

Run by restaurant Kwon Sook Soo, which serves modern-style Korean food as a course, Wine Pairing offers food à la cart and a short course menu. Similar to Vingle, the dishes served here are not distinctively Korean, yet each dish has Korean elements that make them different from any other wine bar in town.

[WINE PAIRING INSTAGRAM]

The French classic beef bourgignon is made with hanwoo, or Korean beef, and the octopus ceviche has lots of ginger and garlic to highlight the subtle use of cilantro.

As implied by its name, the restaurant offers an extensive wine list. Besides ordering a bottle to drink at the restaurant, bottles are also available to purchase to bring back home.

@winepairingbar 13 Seolleung-ro 132-gil, Gangnam District

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Bar Piknic

Adorned with a number of chandeliers over a long communal table in the center, the restaurant is perhaps reminiscent of a European castle dining room.

Contrasting the luxurious, exquisite ambience chandeliers are known to give off, the food offered at the bar is simple. Its dishes focus on highlighting one main ingredient without using too much garnish, and the portion of each dish is small so that you can order multiple dishes to taste and share. Sister to restaurant Zero Complex, the two are located in the same building.

[LEE SUN-MIN]

Also attached to the art gallery Piknic, visitors can make a day of it, going to see an art exhibition and then continuing on to a casual yet special dinner out to celebrate the end of the year. Located on Mount Namsan, a quick walk around can also be refreshing retreat, weather permitting.

@barpiknic 30, Togye-ro 6-ga-gil, Jung District

Continuum

Continuum, a wine bar and casual dining spot, is located within its restaurant Allen. Upon entering the door to Allen, the area visible by the reception is the wine bar, and the area behind the wall is the area for restaurant Allen.

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Its lunch is more popular as Continuum offers a variety of pasta dishes. Lucky customers get seated by the window. If an entire bottle is too much, the restaurant and wine bar also offers many different wines by the glass. It even offers some non-alcoholic drink options for those who want to partake in the festivities sans alcohol.

It is located inside the Centerfield, an office building whose lower floors are filled with restaurants, and just steps away from Josun Palace, one of the newest hotels with lots of food and drink outlets inside.

@winebar_continuum 231 Teheran-no, Gangnam District

BY LEE SUN-MIN [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]