Comparing buffet formats
| Tier | What it is | Per adult | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-you-can-refill (무한리필) grill | These restaurants offer specified meats and a self-service selection of vegetables. | ₩12,000–15,000 | Check the limit; 90–120 minutes is common. |
| Sushi / shabu 무한리필 | You may collect food yourself or order additional servings; check the format. | ₩18,000–30,000 | Check the restaurant’s limit. |
| Chain buffet | Chains such as Ashley Queens offer self-service counters with several cuisines. | ₩19,900–27,900 | Some lunch sittings last 90 minutes. |
| Hotel buffet | The Shilla, Lotte, Josun, Four Seasons | ₩150,000–210,000 | A sitting often lasts around two hours. |
Casual grill restaurants offer a lower-cost format. A Seoul all-you-can-eat pork house charges about the same for unlimited meat as a normal restaurant charges for two portions — ₩11,900 to ₩13,900 a head for pork belly, neck and marinated cuts with side dishes, cold noodles, ramyeon and doenjang-jjigae included.
Chain buffets offer another price range. Ashley Queens (애슐리퀸즈), run by E-Land, charges ₩19,900 for a weekday lunch, ₩25,900 for a weekday dinner and ₩27,900 at weekends and public holidays, with children at ₩12,900 (school age) and ₩7,900 (pre-school) at lunch. Its counters offer Korean dishes and dishes from several other cuisines.
Hotel buffets charge substantially more. The January 2026 round of increases:
| Hotel buffet | Before | 2026 | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shilla Seoul — The Parkview (더 파크뷰) | ₩198,000 | ₩208,000 | 1 March 2026 |
| Lotte Hotel Seoul — La Seine (라세느) | ₩198,000 | ₩203,000 | 1 January 2026 |
| Four Seasons Seoul — The Market Kitchen | ₩195,000 | ₩199,000 | 1 January 2026 |
| The Westin Josun — Aria (아리아), weekend dinner | ₩175,000 | ₩182,000 | 1 January 2026 |
| The Westin Josun — Aria, weekday lunch | ₩150,000 | ₩160,000 | 1 January 2026 |
These are reported adult prices for the sittings indicated. Check the current rate for your chosen date, and check child prices separately.
The rules that are law
The restaurant’s legal duties and takeaway policy serve different purposes. Check the displayed price and ask about the terms of your meal. Relevant requirements appear in Annex 17 of the Food Sanitation Act's Enforcement Rule for registered restaurants.
The displayed restaurant price includes value-added tax, or VAT. The price list must show the price the customer actually pays, tax included, and the operator must charge that price; premises of 150 m² or more must post it outside as well as inside. A buffet that advertises one figure and adds tax or a service charge at the till is not doing something normal.
The restaurant cannot re-serve what you left. An operator may not re-use, re-cook or store food a customer has left, or food put out for eating. Take only what you expect to eat, and use a fresh plate when returning to the buffet.
Do not assume takeaway is included. Buffet and unlimited-refill prices normally cover food eaten on the premises. Ask the staff before packing any food to take away.
The house rules that are not law
These are conventions, set shop by shop, and posted at the door.
- Time limits. Most all-you-can-refill (무한리필) houses set one; buffets usually allow two hours or a little more. Some charge for overtime.
- Minimum party size. Solo diners are frequently refused outright, with two or three people minimum posted at the entrance, under the restaurant’s own seating policy.
- The leftover surcharge. You will see signs threatening a 환경부담금 — an environmental charge — if you leave food. Check the posted terms and avoid taking more than you expect to eat.
- What is not included. Alcohol and soft drinks are usually charged separately and are where the margin is. At hotel buffets a soft drink can be ₩7,000–8,000 and a bottle of soju, a Korean distilled spirit, over ₩10,000.
- Check which items are unlimited. Premium cuts or dishes may be excluded or carry a surcharge.
The mechanics also differ between formats. A buffet (뷔페) is self-service from a line of counters. A 무한리필 house typically has staff bring rounds of meat to the table, with a self bar (셀프바) of vegetables, sauces, kimchi and sometimes soup and rice that you fetch yourself. Check which items on the self-service counter are included in your chosen course.
What to order, tier by tier
At an all-you-can-refill (무한리필) grill house. Order the basic course. The staff bring pork belly (삼겹살), neck (목살) and often marinated cuts; you cook it yourself on the table grill. Take lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic, sliced onion and ssamjang from the self bar. If you would like something after the meat, order cold noodles (냉면) or doenjang-jjigae if they are available, and check whether they cost extra. Do not order a second round you cannot eat.
At a chain buffet. The Korean counter may offer bulgogi, japchae, tteokbokki, boiled pork (수육 or 보쌈), soups. Choose the dishes you enjoy; the selection usually includes several cuisines.
At a hotel buffet. The reason to go is the live stations — a carving counter, a noodle counter, a seafood ice bar — and the dessert wall. Book, because the good sittings sell out, and expect a deposit to be taken; cancellation terms are set by the restaurant.
Practical notes
- Book the hotel buffets. Popular sittings can sell out, so check availability in advance.
- Compare lunch and dinner prices. Lunch may cost less, but the selection and sitting length can differ.
- Card payment is common, but check whether the restaurant accepts your card.
- Country of origin is displayed by law, including at buffets, so you can tell Korean pork from imported before you commit.
- Start with small portions. You can return for more of the dishes you like without wasting food.
