Restaurant in Busan, South Korea
La Liste-ranked contemporary Korean in Haeundae.
LAB XXIV by Kumuda is Busan's most credentialled Korean contemporary restaurant, holding back-to-back La Liste Top Restaurants recognition (76.5 pts in 2025, 75 pts in 2026) and a 4.6 Google score. Located in Haeundae-gu, it is the clearest choice for a special occasion dinner in the city's most internationally visible neighbourhood. Booking is rated easy, making it accessible without the waitlist pressure of comparable Seoul rooms.
A 4.6 Google rating across 191 reviews is a meaningful signal for a contemporary Korean restaurant in Haeundae, and LAB XXIV by Kumuda has earned consecutive recognition on the La Liste Leading Restaurants list — 76.5 points in 2025, 75 points in 2026. That steady international credentialing, combined with its Haeundae-gu address, makes this the clearest answer in Busan if you are planning a serious special occasion dinner and want a room that positions itself beyond the city's casual dining default.
LAB XXIV by Kumuda sits on Songjeonggwangeogol-ro in Haeundae-gu, Busan's most internationally trafficked district and a neighbourhood where dining ambitions run high alongside hotel towers and beachfront traffic. The address matters here: Haeundae has long carried the weight of representing Busan to outside visitors, and LAB XXIV reads as one of the district's clearest attempts at placing Korean contemporary cooking on a footing comparable to what Seoul's fine dining circuit offers. For visitors staying in Haeundae, this is a walkable option with genuine culinary credibility — you do not need to cross the city to find a kitchen operating at this level.
The spatial character of the room is part of the calculus for special occasion bookings. Korean contemporary at this tier typically signals composed, considered spaces , intimate rather than cavernous, with seating arrangements that support conversation. For a date or a business dinner where the environment needs to carry some of the work, that physical register matters as much as the food. Without confirmed seat count or floor plan data, the practical read is to contact the restaurant directly about private or semi-private arrangements if your party has more than four people, or if complete privacy is the priority.
On the food side, Korean contemporary as a format means modern technique applied to Korean ingredients and culinary logic , closer in ambition to Mingles in Seoul or Kwon Sook Soo in Gangnam-gu than to a traditional Korean dining house. The La Liste score positions LAB XXIV well below those Seoul flagships in global ranking terms, but within Busan's restaurant market, the gap to comparable ambition is significant. If you have been tracking Korean contemporary internationally , at venues like Nae:um in Singapore or Restaurant Ki in Los Angeles , LAB XXIV represents Busan's strongest current entry point into that conversation.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which is a practical advantage for this tier. You are not managing a two-month waitlist or competing with a single weekly release. That said, weekend evenings in Haeundae fill up across the board during peak summer and autumn seasons, so booking a week or two ahead for Friday or Saturday is the sensible move. Midweek visits offer more flexibility and, at restaurants of this type, often a slightly quieter room , relevant if you are using the dinner for a business conversation rather than a celebration.
Price range is not confirmed in the available data. Given the La Liste positioning and the Korean contemporary format, expect a tasting menu structure or a menu with meaningful per-head spend. Budget accordingly and verify current pricing when you make your reservation. For those working through our full Busan restaurants guide, LAB XXIV sits at the higher end of the city's dining range, with Palate offering a comparable contemporary experience at a lower price tier if spend is a constraint.
Booking difficulty is easy by Pearl's assessment. No phone or website is confirmed in our current data, so the most reliable route is to search the restaurant name directly or use a Korean reservation platform such as Catch Table or Naver Reservations. For weekend or holiday evenings, book at least one to two weeks ahead. For a special occasion with a larger group, reach out early and ask explicitly about table configuration and any private dining options.
LAB XXIV by Kumuda is at 41 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan. Haeundae is well-served by the Busan Metro (Line 2, Haeundae Station), making access direct from most parts of the city and from hotels along the beach strip. If you are building a full Busan itinerary, pair the dinner with options from our Busan bars guide or our Busan hotels guide for accommodation within walking distance. For a broader look at what Haeundae and Busan offer beyond the table, our Busan experiences guide covers the district in full.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 랩24 바이 쿠무다 - LAB XXIV by Kumuda | Korean Contemporary | Easy | |
| Palate | Contemporary | ₩₩ | Unknown |
| Mori | Japanese | ₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| Born and Bred | Steakhouse | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| 100.1.Pyeongnaeng | Naengmyeon | ₩ | Unknown |
| Anmok | Dwaeji-gukbap | ₩ | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Dietary accommodations can vary. Flag restrictions in advance via the venue's official channels.
check the venue's official channels before your visit to discuss dietary needs — contemporary Korean tasting menus at this level typically require advance notice to substitute or restructure courses. Given the La Liste recognition (75–76.5 pts across two consecutive years), the kitchen operates with enough technique to accommodate requests, but confirming ahead is the only safe approach. No specific policy is published in current data, so reach out via the reservation platform you use to book.
Pearl rates the booking difficulty as easy, which means you are unlikely to need weeks of lead time — but Haeundae is Busan's most visited dining district, and a La Liste-ranked venue will fill on weekends. Booking 1–2 weeks out is a reasonable target for most visits; for weekend dinners or public holidays, aim for 2–3 weeks. No phone or website is confirmed in current data, so search the restaurant name on Naver, Kakao Map, or a Korean reservation platform to secure a table.
Yes, with the right expectations. Two consecutive years on La Liste (76.5 pts in 2025, 75 pts in 2026) and a 4.6 Google rating across 191 reviews make this a credible choice for a birthday, anniversary, or client dinner in Busan. Contemporary Korean at this tier tends toward structured tasting menus rather than flexible à la carte, so it suits occasions where the format is the event. If you need a more relaxed, à la carte atmosphere for a group celebration, consider alternatives like Born and Bred instead.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
