Seoul, verified August 13, 2026
Seolleongtang in Seoul: 4 Nopo With Rich, Milky Broth
Seolleongtang is the milky beef-bone soup that Seoul has been simmering for longer than most of its restaurants have been standing, and the Korean shorthand for the places that still do it right is nopo: an old-school establishment with decades behind it. Ask for a rich bowl from one of those, and the shortlist is small.
The four below are all genuine nopo, and they do not overlap much. 마포옥 한우양지설렁탕 is the pedigree pick, a hanwoo-only house in Mapo-gu's Yonggang-dong alley with roots reported back to 1949, repeat Michelin Guide Seoul selection, and Seoul Future Heritage status. 봉희설렁탕 본점 has been working ox bones in Eunpyeong-gu's Sinsa-dong since 1981 and serves the broth deliberately unseasoned. 한양설농탕 opened in Mapo-gu's Dohwa-dong in 1977 and remains family-run, tucked deep in an alley near Mapo and Gongdeok stations. 삼남매설렁탕 is the outlier: a 24-hour, all-hanwoo shop on Dosan-daero in Cheongdam.
One habit to bring with you: at more than one of these the soup arrives nearly or completely unseasoned, and the salt, pepper, and scallion on the table are not garnish but the last step of the recipe. Where a source flagged a limit, a short Saturday, or a dish to skip, we have put it on the card rather than under it.
1. 마포옥 한우양지설렁탕
마포옥 한우양지설렁탕 is a decades-old, hanwoo-only seolleongtang (beef bone/brisket soup) house in Mapo-gu's Yonggang-dong food alley, repeatedly selected for the Michelin Guide Seoul and carrying Seoul Future Heritage status, with roots reported back to 1949 .
312 Tojeong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea | $$ | korean
The most storied name on this list, and the one with the credentials attached: a hanwoo-only seolleongtang house with roots reported to 1949, repeat selection for the Michelin Guide Seoul, and Seoul Future Heritage status. The broth is simmered from hanwoo bones and brisket for a deep, milky extraction, and the yangji, the brisket, is the cut to order. It sits in Mapo-gu's Yonggang-dong food alley, a short walk from Gongdeok or Mapo stations.
- A decades-old, hanwoo-only seolleongtang house with roots reported back to 1949.
- Repeatedly selected for the Michelin Guide Seoul, and a holder of Seoul Future Heritage status.
Our research notes are thin on current menu details, pricing, and operating hours; call ahead to confirm.
View on Google MapsNotes updated August 8, 2026
2. 봉희설렁탕 본점
봉희설렁탕 본점 (Bonghui Seolleongtang main branch) is a 40-plus-year neighborhood seolleongtang (ox-bone soup) nopo, open since 1981, a few steps from Saejeol Station exit 4 in Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, serving a deliberately unseasoned, milky ox-bone broth that draws a heavily local, elderly clientele. It carries a long-running reputation as a favorite of the late President Kim Young-sam, a hook that has kept it in the media for decades.
413 Jeungsan-ro, Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong District, Seoul, South Korea | $$ | korean
A neighborhood ox-bone house that has been simmering since 1981, a few steps from Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong-gu's Sinsa-dong. The defining trait is a milky broth served deliberately unseasoned, salted by you at the table, which purists hold up as what seolleongtang actually tastes like. The free self-serve banchan bar is a genuine draw in its own right: the seokbakji-style kkakdugi is good enough that some regulars rate the kimchi above the soup.
- Open since 1981 in Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, near Saejeol Station exit 4.
- The seolleongtang arrives completely unseasoned, a milky, intentionally flat broth that you salt yourself at the table.
- The free self-serve banchan bar includes whole heads of kimchi and seokbakji-style kkakdugi, which some regulars rate above the soup.
The broth is intentionally mild; palates trained on MSG may find it tasteless on first sip. The haejangguk was reported as turning greasy partway through, so stick to the seolleongtang. Hours were cut from 24-hour to 09:00 to 22:00 as of 2026.
View on Google MapsNotes updated July 31, 2026
3. 한양설농탕
한양설농탕 is a 40-plus-year-old, family-run seolleongtang (ox-bone soup) noro in Mapo-gu's Dohwa-dong, opened in 1977 and named "Hanyang" in the hope of becoming the neighborhood's signature restaurant . It is a local, cash-and-comfort institution tucked deep in an alley near Mapo/Gongdeok stations, run so tightly that all food passes through the owner's hands and the shop simply does not open if the owner is away . English-speaking visitors describe it as a "very local place" where they were the only foreigners, with a deep, rich broth and perfectly tender meat .
South Korea, Seoul, Mapo-gu, 도화동 335-2 | $$ | korean
Open since 1977 and still family-run, buried deep in an alley off Mapo and Gongdeok. This is the richest reading of the brief: the broth is milky and deep, slow-simmered from plenty of leg bones, and it comes to the table nearly unseasoned so you can salt it and add scallion to taste. The house recommendation is the 한양탕, a special seolleongtang loaded with assorted meats, and reviewers consistently say it earns the higher price.
- Opened in 1977 in Mapo-gu's Dohwa-dong, near Mapo and Gongdeok stations.
- The broth is milky, deep, and slow-simmered from plenty of leg bones, served nearly unseasoned so you salt it and add scallion yourself.
- The 한양탕 arrives half water, half meat, with thick, tender cuts including brisket, tendon, and knee, and reviewers consistently say it earns its higher price.
The space is tight when full and can feel cramped for larger groups. Saturday hours are short and the shop is closed Sundays. There is no on-site parking.
View on Google MapsNotes updated August 8, 2026
4. 삼남매설렁탕
A 24-hour, 100%-hanwoo (Korean beef) seolleongtang specialist on Dosan-daero in Cheongdam, equally known among regulars for its yang-gomtang (beef tripe soup) as for its namesake dish, and positioned as a go-to for solo diners and off-hour meals.
４３１ Dosan-daero, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea | $$ | korean
The practical pick, and the one open when nothing else is: a 24-hour hanwoo seolleongtang shop on Dosan-daero in Gangnam. The signature 한우 설렁탕 is fairly rich without tipping into heavy, though several reviewers would rather have the 양곰탕 for its thick, layered organ-meat richness. For a group, the 전골수육, the hot-pot boiled beef, is the sharing order. Solo seating is explicitly available even at peak hours, which is not a given in Cheongdam.
- Open 24 hours daily on Dosan-daero in Gangnam, with a daily break from 14:30 to 16:30.
- Several reviewers prefer the 양곰탕 to the seolleongtang for its thick, layered organ-meat richness.
- Solo seating is available even during peak hours.
The everyday kimchi is reported as too sweet across multiple visits; reach for the seokbakji instead. Base seasoning is light, so expect to add salt, pepper, and scallion at the table.
View on Google MapsNotes updated July 30, 2026
Sorting by what you actually want from the bowl: for the most famous name and hanwoo pedigree, 마포옥 한우양지설렁탕. For a pure, unseasoned, milky broth in a humble neighborhood room, 봉희설렁탕 본점. For a rich, deep broth in a family-run alley shop, 한양설농탕. For late-night hours, hanwoo quality, and a comfortable Gangnam space, 삼남매설렁탕.
None of the four asks much of you beyond showing up hungry and reaching for the salt. What they do ask is a little planning: one closes on Sundays and keeps short Saturday hours, one has traded its round-the-clock schedule for a 09:00 to 22:00 day, and at the oldest address our research notes could not confirm current hours or pricing at all. Call ahead where the card says to.