Bulrae, Hannam-dong — a second-floor modern European open only in the evening, with a wood-fired oven

Hannam-daero 18-gil in Hannam-dong. Embassies and galleries sit side by side here, and restaurants often hide on the second floor of a quiet building.

Bulrae is in exactly that kind of spot. You have to climb to the second floor, and the door does not open until 5pm.

The plates come out much like a course. It starts small, then moves through fish and meat to the wood-fired pizza.

The photos show where the kitchen puts its effort. Little goes on each plate, and what little there is sits exactly where it should.

The place — a second floor in Hannam-dong, closed Sunday and Monday

The address is 28 Hannam-daero 18-gil, 2nd floor, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It is walkable from Hangangjin Station on Line 6, and since it sits on the second floor, going by the address beats looking for a sign at street level. The phone number is 02-792-1117.

Hours are Tue~Sat 17:00~22:00, closed Sunday and Monday. That is five hours in the evening only, and Google Maps carries a Catch Table reservation link. Sunday drops out of the weekend here, so check which day you are booking for.

It opens with two or so small plates. A single bite arrives on a dish lined with black pebbles, or a single piece of bread cut into an animal shape sits alone in the middle of an empty plate.

Bulrae at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Details
Address	28 Hannam-daero 18-gil, 2nd floor, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone	02-792-1117
Hours	Tue~Sat 17:00~22:00
Closed	Sunday and Monday
Category	European (modern) restaurant — as listed on Google Maps
Nearest station	Hangangjin Station, Line 6
Reservations	Catch Table reservation link on Google Maps
Rating	Google Maps ★5.0 (10 reviews) — the sample falls far short of this site’s 100-review bar, disclosed in the article

Cold plates — tartare and starters

One plate has finely diced ingredients spread in a circle at the centre of a white dish, green oil ringed around the edge and a spoonful of black pearls in the middle. With only three colours, the plate looks wider than it is.

The chill and the salt are both precise. The sweetness of the diced ingredients comes first, then the black pearls burst and lay the smell of the sea over it. The green oil leaves only aroma, adding no weight.

Another plate spreads yellow sauce across a black oval dish, topped with thin slices, radish and leaves. Black dots are placed at regular intervals across the sauce to make a pattern.

Warm plates — fish, pasta, meat

The plate that stood out most that evening was the fish. Yellow sauce spread wide, a crisp-skinned fillet laid lengthwise over it, then thin slices of green vegetable draped on top like a roof. Radish and nasturtium leaves finish it.

Because the sauce sits on the bottom of the plate, you cut a bite of fish and pull it through. The crackle of the skin, the moisture of the flesh and the acidity of the sauce all meet in that one motion.

The pasta is cream-based. The noodles are coiled into a wide bowl with thin slices of mushroom ringed on top. The sauce is not poured over the noodles; they are tossed through it first, so the colour is even.

The meat plate is spare. Two or so pieces of meat and some vegetables sit at the centre of a wide white plate, with a single stroke of dark sauce. The portion is small and the seasoning is firm. It reads as a balance struck against the plates before and after it.

There was a soup dish too. A shallow pool of red broth in a wide bowl, the ingredients standing at the centre, herbs on top. A line of yellow oil is drawn across the surface.

Wood-fired pizza and the board — a comma between courses

Among the dish names Google Maps lists for this restaurant is Calzone. Wood-fired pizza does indeed come out.

The rim of the dough has blistered black where the fire touched it, and lumps of white cheese and black pearls are dotted across the top. A white pizza, made without tomato sauce.

Lift a slice and the dough holds straight instead of folding. Crisp outside, chewy inside. A plate like this between courses loosens the mood for a moment.

There is also a board of charcuterie and cheese: thin slices of cured ham, cubes of cheese, crackers and pickled mushrooms, each in its own corner of one plate. If you ordered a drink, this is the plate that stays longest.

Map and practicalities — getting there, booking, and the rating

Address 28 Hannam-daero 18-gil, 2nd floor, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Phone 02-792-1117
Hours Tue~Sat 17:00~22:00 / Closed Sunday and Monday

Walk from Hangangjin Station on Line 6. Parking is hard in Hannam-dong, so public transport or a taxi is the better call. Google Maps carries a Catch Table reservation link, and with only five evening hours a day, booking ahead is the safer move.

In Haebangchon, also in Yongsan-gu, there is the French bistro Comme Moi. Both lean towards dinner, but their closing days differ, so if it is Sunday or Monday that one becomes the alternative.

We do not list prices in this article. We could not check the menu on site, and not writing down numbers we have not verified is a rule of this site. When you book, it is worth asking about the course and the price together.

We report the rating honestly too. This site uses ★4.5 on Google Maps with at least 100 reviews as its recommendation bar. As of September 2026, Bulrae sits at ★5.0 with 10 reviews. The rating is perfect, but the sample falls far short of the bar.

Reviews are never going to pile up fast for a place that opens five evening hours a day, closes Sunday and Monday, and sits on a second floor. This is less a restaurant you check the numbers on than one you go to after seeing the plates. If the photos here help you make that call, that is enough.

FAQ

When is it open?

Tuesday through Saturday, opening at 5pm and closing at 10pm. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Do I need a reservation?

With only five evening hours a day, booking ahead is the safer move. Google Maps carries a Catch Table reservation link, and the phone number is 02-792-1117.

How much does it cost?

We have not listed prices here. We could not check the menu on site, and not writing down numbers we have not verified is a rule of this site. Ask about the course and the price when you book.

What kind of food is it?

Google Maps lists it as a European (modern) restaurant. Plates run like a course, from small starters through fish, meat and pasta, and there is wood-fired pizza and a charcuterie board as well.

Is there an alternative for Sunday or Monday?

Comme Moi, a French bistro in Haebangchon in the same Yongsan-gu, works as an alternative. It serves both lunch and dinner on weekends.