Best zones to open a restaurant in Seoul
We scored 16 neighbourhood-sized cells of Seoul for a restaurant. Yongsan District (South-East) leads with 76/100 against a city average of 41/100. Every score is built from open data plus live Google Maps evidence — nothing is estimated by hand.
- City average
- 41/100
- #1 · Yongsan District (South-East)
- 76/100
- Data confidence
- 47%
- Updated
- 13 October 2026
Opportunity map
Best zones to open a Food & Beverage in Seoul
Compare neighbourhood scores, evidence and confidence before choosing a specific address.
City score 41/100· 16 zones· Updated Oct 13, 2026
- 176Yongsan District (South-East)18 competitors · 4.7★
- 263Jung District (West)11 competitors · 4.1★
- 360Yongsan District (South-West)11 competitors · 4.5★
- 456Jung District (2)9 competitors · 4.5★
- 553Yongsan District (2)11 competitors · 4.7★
- 651용산구 (South-West)4 competitors · 4.4★
- 739용산구 (North-West)2 competitors · 4.4★
- 836Yongsan District (North-West)1 competitors · 4.5★
- 935Jung District (North-East)1 competitors · 4.9★
- 1035Jung District (North)3 competitors · 4.7★
- 1135용산구 (East)1 competitors · 4.5★
- 1220Jung District (South-East)0 competitors
- 1320Yongsan District (North)0 competitors
- 1420중구0 competitors
- 1520Yongsan District (North-East)0 competitors
- 1620Jung District (South)0 competitors
Full ranking
16 zones scored
| # | Zone | Score | Confidence | Competitors | Residents (10-min walk) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yongsan District (South-East) | 76 | 50% | 18 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 2 | Jung District (West) | 63 | 50% | 11 · 4.1★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 3 | Yongsan District (South-West) | 60 | 50% | 11 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 4 | Jung District (2) | 56 | 50% | 9 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 5 | Yongsan District (2) | 53 | 50% | 11 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 6 | 용산구 (South-West) | 51 | 50% | 4 · 4.4★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 7 | 용산구 (North-West) | 39 | 50% | 2 · 4.4★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 8 | Yongsan District (North-West) | 36 | 50% | 1 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 9 | Jung District (North-East) | 35 | 50% | 1 · 4.9★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 10 | Jung District (North) | 35 | 50% | 3 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 11 | 용산구 (East) | 35 | 50% | 1 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 12 | Jung District (South-East) | 20 | 40% | 0 | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 13 | Yongsan District (North) | 20 | 40% | 0 | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 14 | 중구 | 20 | 40% | 0 | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 15 | Yongsan District (North-East) | 20 | 40% | 0 | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 16 | Jung District (South) | 20 | 40% | 0 | — | Open in the interactive map → |
Top 3 zones in detail
Yongsan District (South-East)
- Demand100
- Room52
- Beatable39
- Vitality93
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+80), Street vitality (+48)
Main competitors
- JD BBQ · 4.9★ (3,459)
- Pig Restaurant 2 · 4.9★ (2,239)
- LOCOS BBQ · 4.4★ (1,156)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
Jung District (West)
- Demand51
- Room72
- Beatable63
- Vitality70
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+31), Beatable competition (+18), Street vitality (+25)
Main competitors
- Wangbijib Myeongdong Central · 4.7★ (3,086)
- 동강나루터 · 4.3★ (731)
- Yoonseul Charcoal Grill · 4.8★ (414)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
Yongsan District (South-West)
- Demand49
- Room72
- Beatable47
- Vitality70
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+29), Street vitality (+25)
Main competitors
- Pig Restaurant 2 · 4.9★ (2,239)
- Kervan Turkish Restaurant Halal ITAEWON · 4.2★ (1,372)
- La Planque French Restaurant · 4.3★ (368)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
How the score works
Six components, weighted for this sector. Missing data is left out and the weights are redistributed — a component is never guessed.
- Demand24%
Residents within a 10-minute walk (WorldPop × Valhalla) blended with proven spend — Google review volume vs. the best cell in the city.
- Room in the market18%
How many comparable businesses already operate within ~1 km. Fewer competitors scores higher.
- Beatable competition14%
Average Google rating of incumbents. Weaker incumbents leave more room for a strong newcomer.
- Street vitality20%
Commercial density, footfall anchors (schools, offices, stations, hotels) and business mix from OpenStreetMap.
- Accessibility16%
Transit stops, main and pedestrian streets, and how much ground a 10-minute walk actually covers.
- Affordability8%
Typical commercial rent where a benchmark exists. Cheaper scores higher; missing rent is left out, never guessed.
Data sources
- WorldPop
residential population per cell
- OpenStreetMap
points of interest, transit stops, streets, footfall anchors
- Valhalla
10-minute walking isochrones
- Google Maps
competitor names, ratings and review volumes (via SerpAPI)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is the best zone to open a restaurant in Seoul?
- Yongsan District (South-East) scores highest at 76/100, +35 points above the city average. Scores combine demand, room in the market, competitor quality, street vitality, accessibility and cost.
- Where does the data come from?
- Population from WorldPop, walking reach from Valhalla isochrones, points of interest, transit and streets from OpenStreetMap, and competitor names, ratings and review volumes from Google Maps. Each cell shows a confidence level based on how many of these sources were available.
- How fresh is this ranking?
- Zones were last recomputed on 13 October 2026. The interactive map refreshes the data automatically when the cache expires (30 days).