My first restaurant experience in Korea and it did not disappoint! It was fascinating to try temple cuisine, perhaps not my favourite but still a great choice!

It’s a nice concept to try some traditional korean food. The food comes only with natural ingredients and everything is vegan and cooked by a former monk. While we had our dessert, we were asked to pay the bill - which was not very attentive and we had to tell twice, that we would like to eat our meal first. Restaurant was not full at this time.

One of the best places to enjoy temple food in Seoul. The ambience, Korean dance act, service and food is all great! Though a bit tough to find it, the whole experience is worth it. For 45,000 Won one can enjoy a whole course of temple food (completely vegetarian without using the five pungent vegetables - onion, garlic, chives, green onions and leeks). Lot of goodies can be bought here. The washroom is very well maintained.

This used to be one of my favorite places and the location I'd suggest to all visitors of Seoul. But it has drastically changed in the last two years... Not only did they rearrange the seating so that there are only modern tables with chairs and no more musical performances during dinner time. They have also significantly changed some menu items... Now, the dessert for the full lunch course is dairy yogurt, and they don't provide a vegan alternative. I am also not sure, whether the kimchi is vegetarian any more, it seemed like a standard kimchi with garlic and the fishy smell. On top of that, it is now possible to order separate dishes, one of them being snail salad (골뱅이무침)! Regardless of that, the plant-based dishes are still good. Their classic vegetable sides, rice and soup are a nice example of Korean cooking. Healthy and filling. So it's not the exotic and pure temple food you used to expect. Sometimes, they serve dishes featuring garlic. And now, they obviously use ingredients that are not completely animal-free. The location itself is a large space and it has an exotic atmosphere, but it has become colder and more modern. Half of the restaurant is now an art gallery, and they have a piano playing live music in the background.

Honestly, this was the most disappointing experience. I’ve heard great things, and thought we were gonna have a special meal. The environment is cool, but other than that is really not worth it. The food is meh, I think you can get the same taste/quality in many places for much less. The set menu is 33,000 won, which is quite steep for Korea. None of the waitstaff cared to explain anything, they just dropped loads of plates without providing any info. Not sure if the service and quality went down with time, but this is not what I was expecting. The piano was putting me to sleep. Disappointed and would not recommend this experience.

Food - The food is good. This is the perfect place for vegetarians, even for vegans. There are more than dozens of different vegetables you can taste. Also, the meal is very Korean, so it's good for foreign visitors or tourists. Atmosphere - this is nice too, with LOTS of plants and pots inside. The architecture of this place is nice too, with the Korean traditional rooves and houses. BUT, there is a bird (live, actual bird) and when I was eating there, along with the crowd and packed restaurant with so many guests, the bird kept chirping.. at first it was so cute and nice how there was an actual bird.. but it got so loud that it got to a point where the bird became a noise. Service/Staff friendliness - This was why I deducted not 1, but TWO stars. I went at lunch time on a weekday and we had made reservation 1 week earlier. But when we got there, they didn't have a table ready for us. They quickly cleaned up an empty table (that wasn't even used for dining). It was super crowded, the food came out really late. The most shocking part is, they are supposed to serve dessert as a part of the course set menu we ordered.. but they said they can't because they are too busy. (WHAT?) (And they make customers pay money upfront before dining) We were in a hurry (because the food came out so late) so we didn't do anything about it.. but it was not a happy memory.

(Translated by Google) What an identity is ambiguous and complex interior but unique atmosphere. Located in the deep inside of Insadong alley, it is unfamiliar but willing to visit again. The food comes out neatly and the seasoning is used very little so you can taste the ingredients. It didn't feel very delicious though. Food that kept its original taste with minimal taste is put on a well-equipped bowl and treated to you ^^ Many foreigners. ^^ The course food and the quiet indoor atmosphere matched the conversation and enjoyed the food. Enjoy the luxury of eating while watching the show. Commemorative photo shooting is also possible. Foreigners like it. Miso soup is delicious ^^ (Original) 정체성이 무었인지 애매하고 복잡한 인테리어이지만 독특한 분위기임. 인사동 골목 깊은곳 안쪽에 위치해 있어 생소했지만 다시 방문할 의사 있음. 음식은 정갈하게 나오고 양념이 아주 적게 사용되어서 원재료의 맛을 느낄수 있음. 그렇다고 아주 맛있다고 느껴지지는 않았음. 정갈하고 양념을 최소화한 본연의 맛을 유지한 음식들이 잘차려진 그릇에 올려져 나와 대접받는 느낌^^ 외국인들이 많음.^^ 코스음식과 조용한 실내 분위기가 어울려서 대화나누며 음식 즐기기 좋았음. 공연을 보면서 식사를 하는 호사를 누릴 수 있음. 기념 촬영도 가능함. 외국인들이 좋아함. 된장국이 맛있음^^

If you're a vegetarian (or not), you have got to come here! Probably the highlight of my entire trip, great service, great food, great environment, all at a reasonable price tag. We're lucky to be able to get a seat for lunch. Each pax ₩33000 for lunch, and ₩45000 for dinner, the traditional dance show is only available for dinner. Let me start with the food, it taste amazing, you would never think that vegetarian food would have so much flavour, there is so much creativity put into each and every dish by the chef, it's very fun and satisfying to look at, an art piece, this is probably like the Mona Lisa of Buddhist food right here! The ambient, peaceful and calm, that's how I feel when I sat in there enjoying my meal, absolutely wonderful, not to mention that it's beautifully decorated, you'll have to come here and see it for yourself. Would I recommend this place? Yes!

This is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Seoul no need to worry about finding halal food. The restaurant is all about temple food which monks eat so everything is veg based and very well prepared. Service is fast and efficient but better to book before coming to avoid waiting time or disappointment

Located in the historic part of Seoul, Sanchon serves traditional budhist temple food. It is a vegetarian spread served in a intricately designed restuarant. The restaurant also doubles up as a gallery space. The lanes leading up to Sanchon are narrow and you may get lost, so be prepared to ask around for directions. The food was simple and the servers were kind. A unique experience in Seoul.

This is a gem place with an excellent food and service. We enjoyed every meal. It comes with a story. All dishes are presented and explained.

(Translated by Google) Food, friendly service, delicious vegetarian food. Korean-style Jingjin cuisine. The "Mountain Village" restaurant is located in the alley of Insadong. It serves lunch and dinner. You can enjoy food in the garden at noon. There are traditional folk performances at night. (Original) 料理美食、服務親切、素食好吃。 韓式精進料理，「山村」餐廳在仁寺洞的巷子內，供應午餐和晚餐，中午在花園中享用美食，夜晚時段還有傳統民俗表演。

Amazing set meal, but go hungry because they serve you a lot of food!!

Overall experience was ok. Food was disappointing. The seasonal vegetables tasted the same. The pickled lotus root appetizer was old and very fibrous. Unpleasant to chew. The black sesame porridge was… weird. The mulberry tea wasn’t nice but the Pine leaf , apple , ginger tea was good. The soybean stew was subpar. The cabbage pancake was interesting though very oily. Dessert was a huge disappointment. It’s like they are not even trying. It’s a rice puff that u can buy off the street! I feel that since this restaurant has been around for decades the owner is now complacent and lack effort to be more aware of the palate of patrons these days. There’s definitely much better vegan restaurants nearby. The food were served in dishes that were chipped or broken but glued together. The pianist is top notch though. Professional level

For a budget version of temple cuisine, the restaurant is a great choice as KRW 29,000 will buy you an interesting set of many small vegan dishes. So on the one hand, it isn't fair to compare the restaurant with more expensive restaurants offering the "royal" style of traditional Korean vegan cuisine. On the other hand, my friends left the restaurant hungry, and none of them liked it enough to want to come again. So if you look for fine dining or otherwise refined cooking highlights, the somewhat bland and simple fare offered here is likely to disappoint you. On the other hand, if you look for inexpensive vegan food and just want to splash out a little bit to have an interesting experience, the set menu here (even tea is included in the price) can indeed be a great option as the many 5 star reviews indicate. The live piano music is adding to the experience although, of course, It isn't really anything authentically related to Korean tradition or temples. The lush plants and other decoration similarly are adding to an eclectic experience.

This restaurant is hidden in a winding alley... if you are looking for something extraordinary, this is the place for you... Korean Temple Cooking... it is unusual that they served the dishes without actually ordering... it is something different, just sit down and enjoy

It doesn't only have delicious vegetarian food but also gives every visitor a peace of mind!

Vegetarian restaurant. Full set fix menu dinner. 29.000/p (excluding the alcohol drink) Good experience to taste different traditional food.

Where do I start?. I had to ask around to find this place, google maps led me to the wrong location. The restaurant looks great, upon entry you’re greeted by what at first sight appears to be a garden in the middle of the restaurant, beautiful. I ordered the lunch time meal; feast is a better word to describe what came at me. The meal came with complementary tea and an amazing glass of Sauvignon blanc from Spain; if I’m not mistaken. In total I was served over 40 dishes, I think this is better shared between two people. This was my first time eating authentic Buddhist cuisine, and definitely not my last.

Really authentic Korean vegetarian menu. The main course consists of 12 to 13 small dishes and everything is beautifully presented. We got tired after the first 3 course and realised it hasn't even started. This restaurant should be on every vegan or vegetarian's itinerary! 30 USD price tag may be a bit on the expensive side for some though.

Very good. Lots of variety. Glass of v good wine included. Little dance performance too. Lots of dishes were served cold. Not so great in this present climate. But nonetheless v good.

One of the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever been to. Don't forget to pick up some of the stuff from the little shop in the front also on the way out!

this was such a unique dining experience. for 29,000 Won ($22 USD) you get a set menu of various vegetable and herb dishes, soybean paste stew, rice, a pot of mulberry tea, and a small Korean puff. the decor is gorgeous, filled with plants and an art gallery, and there's someone playing piano as well. the owner and the servers speak English and are incredibly friendly. I came on a weekend around when the restaurant opens but I imagine that it can get quite busy.

Dining here left me with mixed feelings. Overall the food tasted good and presentation was nice too. But atmosphere felt weird. The restaurant was huge, but there were no other customers during dinner hours. Waiters were polite, but didn’t talk at all and didn’t explain the dishes (as there are soooo many little plates, would have been much nicer to know which one is which, and what it’s made of)

Wir wurden von unseren koreanischen Freunden in dieses Restaurant eingeladen. Anders als in den vielen koreanischen Restaurants in der Umgebung ist das Essen hier komplett fleischlos und vegan. So zahlreich und vielfältig wie die unterschiedlichen Gemüse und Kräuter sind auch die Geschmacksrichtungen und Aromen. Manche, wie die schwarze Sesamsuppe, vielleicht etwas ungewöhnlich, aber immer sehr gut zubereitet.

This is a wonderful restaurant. The food is excellent! The many flavours are both exotic and nostalgic. You get a fixed, very large menu, so it's very easy to decide. There sometimes is live piano music. We could see the monk who founded the restaurant. We're very happy!

Absolutely amazing experience for vegetarians (and non vegetarian). This temple food place was one of the highlights of our trip to Seoul! Must try!

My wife and I had lunch at Sanchon two days ago. We very much enjoyed the vegetarian temple food course set which consisted of appetizers, salat, pancake, chapchae and various seasonal veggies and unique wild herbs with rice, kimchi and jigae. The course included also a sample serving of their home brewed fruit wine which had a very nice and fresh taste. Highly recommended if you want some unique dining experience.

Great temple food! The courses just came on coming. Everything is vegan. They reduced the prices so its more affordable 29000₩. Hope they stay around, place was pretty empty at 8pm on a Friday

This was a once in a life time experience! We had the most delicious vegan temple food. The meal contained a full 4 course diner with all kinds of veggies. A variety of fried, cooked and seasoned veggies. We even got a big pot of tea and shots of alcohol. We even got to witness a traditional dance performance! I enjoyed the evening. Hopefully I can come back to this restaurant!

Some sort of detoxing and relaxing experience

You can experience various vege dishes. Moderate but expensive. They also have some non-vege dishes, typical Korean one.

They presented high quality food

(Translated by Google) A vegetarian paradise for temple food. (Original) 사찰음식전문 채식주의자들의 낙원.

(Translated by Google) Okay (Original) 좋아여

Incredible dining experience. The taste was truly researched in each dish

Pros: - ₩29000/person is a great deal! - Jazz pianist plays at 8pm every evening - Plenty of food - Very relaxing atmosphere; Green plants over glass roof and bird chirping all day Cons: - No explanation on seasonal menu - Someone else's food was served to our table mistakenly and the dish was served to the next table without an apology - Asked for water multiple times - Business casual is recommended. You will be scanned from top to bottom and your seat will be assigned accordingly - Dessert was served and placed on top of the main course meal plates - You will be interrupted during your meal by workers trying to access to closet depending on where you seat

Traditional food in Seoul, Nice place, surrounded by natural.

Food was really balanced and tasty, everything was made with love. Good combination of drinks plus food. Atmosphere is lovely, lots of plants and a quiet courtyard. The owner was playing piano. Price was good. Recommend going here for a relaxed experience.

A hidden gem in Insadong with nice vegeterian food. The place has nice plants and trees inside. It also has a connected gallery and a jazz pianist plays music in the evening. It was a very nice dining experience and with a baby and toddler. Many thanks to the manager and servers in the restaurant.

Really it's just too much food for one person I ended up wasting a lot and felt bad about it. It also was just ok flavor wise. But if you need vegan food then it's another place to go.

Really neat experience eating temple food. It’s all vegetarian and some dishes more flavorful than others, but was a unique experience

This place is beautiful, very positive energy and the food is really good! This is what we are suppose to eat, you can really taste the food. MUST try :)

Such an interesting vegetarian experience. Absolutely beautiful restaurant with expertly prepared food and a memorable presentation.

would give 0 stars if i could. worst restaurant in seoul. bad food and terrible service. you will be disappointed. rude waiter brought me the bill while we were in the middle of eating (and charged 20.000w extra). maybe he was scared that we would try to leave without paying. 🤬

Food was ok, some side dishes very similar and bland, some more interesting, but the real issue is the service: it was messy - first rushing us through the starters, then apparently forgetting us entirely, and not explaining any of the dishes they brought. Halfway through the manager interrupted us to ask us to pay the bill (I guess before their break time). It took so long we left before dessert and no one even noticed us leave. The place was way too noisy and crowded, so I felt overall it was opposite to the experience temple food is supposed to be.

(Translated by Google) I love food (Original) 넘좋아요.음식도새로고.분이기도좋아어요

Beautiful restaurant with a lovely interior: lots of plants and paintings. When we went there was a pianist playing lovely music. They offer only a set menu for 29000. There are several courses, everything is vegetarian, some dishes with sauces are tastier than others. Also served with hot tea and pine tea.

1)Food is ok. Nice presentation. Tastes just like other ordinary Korean restaurants. Overpriced. 29000won for what you eat is too much. 2) I don’t understand how a place managed by a buddhist monk can have birds inside cage in the restaurant. 3) If you are expecting an explanation from the server don’t go. They just give you plates. 4) Not cleaned. Spider nets everywhere, dust on the fermentation jar, dishes not washed well. Overall; A place pretending to be fancy with higher price but just a folkloric place.

If you like veg and have no idea what temple food is like, this is the place to go in Seoul! Almost every dish is surprisingly lovely and tasty! And the portion is so much that you better starve yourself before going. The price is not too friendly but ok!

They offer a vegetarian menu, the food has a great taste.

(Translated by Google) Pagyeseung is a temple food restaurant. (Original) 사찰음식 전문점 파계승이 운영.

(Translated by Google) Shabu Shabu. The material can be refilled. Inexpensive price (Original) 샤부샤부. 재료가 리필가능. 나름 가격대비 저렴

This will be a very enlightening food & entertaining experience for you. Highly recommended. Visited in November.

(Translated by Google) Dietary recommendation, service less than food (Original) 다이어터 채식주의자 강추, 음식보다 서비스는 많이 떨어짐

(Translated by Google) Not good service (Original) 서비스가 별로임 ㅎ

(Translated by Google) Second visit First, delicious, even without meat (Original) 두번째 방문 일단 맛있음 고기가 없어도 맛있다

(Translated by Google) It was nice to be able to experience various herbs in a quiet and different way~^^ (Original) 조용하고 여러가지 나물을 여러가지 요리법으로 경험할수있어 좋았어요~^^

(Translated by Google) Shaggy maze (Original) 풀숲 미로

The dishes here are all vegetarian and served in rather large portions. The ambience is peaceful with birds chirping in the background. An unique experience overall.

Excellent vegan restaurant with old school traditional Korean food, before the meat infusion in the 1990s. Very weird mixture of old school interior with oddities as art. Per person about 45,000 KRW with a live show of Korean art or dance. Don't come for the show. The vegan traditional Korean food is excellent. Lots of variety of flavors and traditional roots and veggies eaten by kings of old.

We went here for dinner on the evening of Lotus Lantern festival. At 45000 Kwon per person, the dinner set is slightly on the expensive end but you're mostly paying for the experience. For an all-vegetarian food, the quantity was more than sufficient. And the flavors were unbeatable. We were a little late post the lantern festival, so we only caught the last part of cultural dance - but it was worth it. If you can afford it, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out. The combination of the ambience, the food and the service will definitely leave an impression.

The place was okay. First, it is a little difficult to find, however it is cozi and well decorated. The staff was not friendly and did not explain us the menu at all, only sent us to the entrance where there was an banner with an intro in english. We visited there on Monday evening at 5 pm and there were no customers. As the dishes started to come, we were amazed by the textures and flavors as wells by the combinations of vegetables and wild plants. However, later for the main dish. We only received rice with lots of side dishes. This can be improved. The tea at the end was good. Overall, we think the place is a bit overpriced, the main dish can be improved and the staff should be more friendly and helpful (even with basic English).

Loved the Korean traditional performance at 8 pm. Food was good for experience but I don't want to eat their food every day. Why? First Expensive to me... 45000 won per a person. Second I am not a vegetarian. :)

Beautiful temple food! Restaurant has only one vegetarian course meal. However it was amazing experience for us from starter to dessert. It’s definitely worth to visit and try authentic Korean temple food. I would recommend to someone who cannot eat too spicy or salty food, and someone looking for beautiful place to take pictures.

I’m not a vegetarian but will say this was among the more memorable and delicious dining experiences I’ve had in quite some time. The menu is set and consists of multiple courses each comprised of various vegan fare. Most were good, some were great and a couple not to my liking, but each was obviously designed with care and purpose. Beyond the food the restaurant itself is a remarkable oasis of calm. While you could make this a solo or couples experience, like so much Korean food it was more fun to experience as a group. Definitely recommend to vegetarians/vegans and carnivores alike!

Nice setting, healthy food presented in a authentic korean style. It is very filling for 1 pax to finish all...

Quite an experience. The food probably won't be for everyone, and there are no instructions, but it's something you should try anyway. Get the menu and enjoy 16 different types of vegan temple food. There's also entertainment in the form of dancing. It was slightly difficult to find the place.

(Translated by Google) So much vegetables my favorite scoop ... ^^ ~~ ♡♡ (Original) 순전히 야채 좋아하는 내스톼일...^^~~♡♡

(Translated by Google) Neat food. It was very delicious in my mouth. Boss, all the staff are friendly. (Original) 정갈한음식. 제 입에는 아주 맛있었습니다. 사장님, 직윈들도 다 친절했어요

Food is bland. Great presentation, heated floors, and great servers. Not worth the 33,000 won each. Much better vegetarian and vegan options.

(Translated by Google) Meals were vegetarian. There was no performance for lunch, so I was able to eat yukkuri! Recommended! It was a menu that seems to be happy for vegans (Original) 食事は菜食　ランチは公演が無いので　ユックリ食べられた！お薦め！　ビーガンには喜びそうな　メニューでした

We were a bit disappointed because the restaurant is rated very highly and the food was actually mediocre. You get a lot of diferente tradicional Buddhist dishes, some were good but none of them was exceptional. Nonetheless, the ambiance created by the traditional corean decorations is very pretty and cosy. Nice thing to try but I wouldn’t come back.

VEGAN FOOD IN SEOUL !!! #GoVegan

(Translated by Google) Very tasty food that is not vegetarian (Original) 채식주의가 아니어도 아주 맛있는 음식들

Pricey.... But Good!

One of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. The main course consists of 13 (!) small dishes and everything is beautifully presented. This restaurant should be on every vegan or vegetarian's itinerary! The US$28 lunch is a steal.

(Translated by Google) Too cool (Original) 너무 너무 멋짐

(Translated by Google) Once in a life time maybe. Good chance to exprience temple food in korea. Heaven for vegetarians. A bit expensive at night cuz of the traditional performance. But as a korean, the quality of performance was not so good and not accurate. Also interior may look like traditional korean style but actually not so much. Only good to bring your foreign guests. I went in the evening because of the performance but the performance was not good. There was a strange silence because the common BGM was not played until the show. If the obscure 'Orientalism' was a concept, I would have been more mysterious if I had yoga meditation music. The food was barely liver so it was not burdensome. It was fun because there were many kinds, but the taste is similar. Once with a foreign friend or guest? I hope you visit. Koreans should have just eaten the side dishes at the Alumni. (Original) Once in a life time maybe. Good chance to exprience temple food in korea. Heaven for vegetarians. A bit expensive at night cuz of the traditional performance. But as a korean, the quality of performance was not so good and not accurate. Also interior may look like traditional korean style but actually not so much. Only good to bring your foreign guests. 공연 때문에 저녁에 갔는데 공연퀄리티가 그리 좋지않았음. 공연전까지 그 흔한 BGM도 안틀어놔서 기묘한 적막이 흘렀음. 그 애매한 '오리엔탈리즘'이 컨셉이였다면 차라리 요가 명상 음악이라도 틀어놨다면 더 신비스러웠지 않았을까 싶음. 음식은 간이 거의 안되어있어서 부담스럽지 않았음. 종류도 많아서 재밌긴했지만 맛은 전부 비슷. 외국친구나 손님과 함께 한번쯤? 방문해보면 좋을듯. 내국인은 그냥 백반집에서 나물반찬 먹는게 좋았을거같음.

Very nice vegetarian food. Originally from Buddhist monks food. Worth to try.

Excellent

It’s amazing for vegetarians Let’s go to the restaurant sanchon. Haha 🤣 Seoul Korea !!

(Translated by Google) It is good to take a vegetarian foreign friend. The atmosphere is good and the food is delicious. The downside is that the girls are too big to eat. The plate is big, so it's a lot bigger than it looks in the picture. (Original) 채식주의 외국인 친구데려가기 좋습니다. 분위기도 좋고 음식도 맛있어요 단점이라면 여자둘이 먹기엔 양이 많다는.정도? 접시가 커서 사진으로 볼 때보다 양이 많아요

Excellent hospitality, authentic temple food and beautiful performances. Memorable visit. Food is very different than one might ever had before so one must be prepared to accept it's uniqueness, otherwise it might be disappointing.

We stumbled on this restaurant while wandering the alleys in Insadong and knew immediately that we wanted to check it out. As others have mentioned, there is only a set menu but don't let that (or the price) deter you especially if you are looking for vegan options.We loved the different variety of foods and flavors. Our only problem was that it was a bit too much food for us, and we felt bad for not finishing the last course.Definitely recommended if you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary.

We had a good time here.At 20:00 they have a traditional dance performance. Try to book at 19:00 so you can finish eating (it’s like a million courses) and then enjoy the performance.You can either sit on the floor (which we probably won’t do next time, we’re not used to it while eating) or at a table. Nice staff and good food.

If you are vegan or vegetarian visiting Seoul then this place worths a visit. There is only one set menu. Lunch it is 33000 won per head and you will be stuffed when you finish. Food is yum and the whole environment is truly memorable!

(Translated by Google) Vegetable food, Temple food (Original) 야채식, Temple food

Great menu for vegetarian people even you are not vegetarian I am sure that you will love their foods here. Great service and the ambiance was really calm. You will surely enjoy your meal here