Restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
Credentialled French cooking without the ₩₩₩₩ bill.
De Tempore is a Michelin Plate French restaurant in Hannam-dong, priced at ₩₩ in a neighbourhood where serious French cooking usually costs considerably more. Two consecutive Michelin recognitions (2024 and 2025) and a 4.6 Google score confirm consistent kitchen standards. Book it for a special occasion or date when you want the French format without the ₩₩₩₩ commitment.
Yes — with a clear condition. De Tempore is a Michelin Plate-recognised French restaurant in Hannam-dong, priced at ₩₩ in a neighbourhood where ₩₩₩₩ is the norm for serious French cooking. If you want a formal dining experience without the full commitment of Seoul's top-tier tasting menu circuit, this is one of the more rational choices in the district. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) confirm consistent kitchen standards, and a Google rating of 4.6 across 49 reviews suggests the floor experience matches the credential. Book it.
De Tempore occupies a ground-floor unit on Hannam-daero in Yongsan District, Hannam-dong's main commercial artery, which puts it at the centre of Seoul's most concentration-dense dining neighbourhood. Ground-floor French restaurants in Hannam tend toward one of two modes: tight and intimate, or open and casual. Without confirmed seat counts in our data, the spatial character of De Tempore is leading described through its positioning: a mid-price French address on a high-footfall street is typically sized for efficiency rather than grandeur. For a date or a small celebration, that usually works in your favour — the room stays personal. For larger groups, confirm capacity directly before committing.
This is the most practical question to settle before you book. At ₩₩ pricing, De Tempore sits in a tier where lunch menus in Seoul's French restaurants often deliver the same kitchen at a meaningfully lower price point. French fine-casual restaurants in Hannam-dong frequently offer a condensed lunch format , two or three courses at a reduced rate , that gives you access to the same techniques and sourcing as the evening without the full dinner commitment. If you are evaluating De Tempore for value, lunch is almost certainly the stronger argument. Dinner makes more sense when atmosphere and pacing matter more than price efficiency , for a date, an anniversary, or a business dinner where the setting carries weight. The Michelin Plate applies to the restaurant as a whole, not a specific service period, so the kitchen's recognised standard should hold across both sittings. That said, given that specific menu structures and pricing are not confirmed in our data, call ahead or check current menus before choosing your time slot.
Seoul's French restaurant scene has grown considerably more competitive over the past three years. At the ₩₩₩₩ end, venues like L'Amitié and Tutoiement anchor the high end of classical and contemporary French in the city. Au Bouillon operates in a more relaxed bistro register, while Bistrot de Yountville occupies a recognisable Californian-French middle ground. De Tempore's ₩₩ price point means it is not competing directly with those venues , it is offering Michelin-recognised French cooking at a lower price of entry, which is a genuinely useful position if the ₩₩₩₩ commitment is more than the occasion requires. For a reference point further afield, L'Effervescence in Tokyo shows what fully committed French cooking in Asia looks like at the leading end , De Tempore is not that, and does not need to be.
De Tempore works leading for three profiles. First, the diner who wants a credentialled French meal in Hannam without spending at the ₩₩₩₩ level , the Michelin Plate provides reasonable assurance that the kitchen is technically sound. Second, the couple or small group planning a celebration dinner who want the French format (courses, atmosphere, some ceremony) without the full omakase-style commitment. Third, the Seoul visitor who has already covered the Korean fine-dining circuit , Kwon Sook Soo in Gangnam-gu, for instance, or venues in our full Seoul restaurants guide , and wants a change of register for one meal.
It is a less obvious fit for large parties (confirm the room first), for diners who prioritise innovation over consistency, or for anyone whose primary goal is Seoul's Korean tasting menu circuit, where the competition at this price tier is sharper.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. At ₩₩ pricing and with 49 Google reviews, this is not a venue operating at the reservation pressure of Seoul's most sought-after tables. You are unlikely to need more than a week's notice for most dates, though Friday and Saturday evenings in Hannam fill faster than weekday slots. No online booking channel is confirmed in our data , contact the venue directly to confirm current reservation method. For context on what else is available in the area, our Seoul hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the neighbourhood comprehensively.
If you are planning a longer trip around dining, Mori in Busan and Double T Dining in Gangneung are worth considering for nights outside Seoul. For something completely different in tone, Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong-gun offers a meal that sits at the opposite end of the formality spectrum.
Quick reference: Michelin Plate 2024 & 2025 · ₩₩ pricing · Hannam-dong, Yongsan · Google 4.6/5 (49 reviews) · Booking: Easy, contact directly.
At ₩₩ pricing, De Tempore's tasting menu represents strong value relative to Seoul's French fine-dining tier. Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms the kitchen meets a consistent technical standard. For a tasting menu at this price point, the credential-to-cost ratio is better here than at most ₩₩₩₩ alternatives. That said, specific menu structures are not confirmed in our data , verify current format directly with the restaurant before booking.
Smart casual is a safe call for a Michelin Plate French restaurant in Hannam-dong at ₩₩ pricing. This is not a venue where a jacket is expected, but turning up in athleisure at a French dining room in this neighbourhood would feel out of place. Think neat, put-together , the kind of outfit you would wear to a good dinner in Seoul's Gangnam or Itaewon. No dress code is formally confirmed in our data, so if in doubt, err slightly more formal for an evening visit.
Yes, for what it is. Two Michelin Plates at ₩₩ pricing means you are getting recognised French cooking at a price point well below Seoul's ₩₩₩₩ French and contemporary tasting menu venues. The 4.6 Google score across 49 reviews suggests the experience is consistently delivered. If you compare it to L'Amitié at ₩₩₩, De Tempore offers a lower entry cost with equivalent award recognition. Worth it for a special occasion on a considered budget.
No confirmed information is available in our data regarding dietary accommodation policies. French tasting menus in Seoul at this level typically require advance notice for dietary restrictions , vegetarian, allergies, or intolerances are leading communicated at the time of booking rather than on the day. Contact the restaurant directly before your reservation to confirm what is possible.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you are unlikely to need more than a week's notice for most dates. Weekend evenings in Hannam-dong are busier than weekdays, and a Friday or Saturday dinner reservation 7 to 10 days out is a reasonable lead time. Walk-in availability is unconfirmed , do not rely on it for a special occasion. Compared to Seoul's most-pressured tables at ₩₩₩₩ venues, De Tempore is substantially easier to access.
For French at a higher price tier, L'Amitié (₩₩₩) is the closest direct comparison , more investment, more formal. Tutoiement and KANG MINCHUL Restaurant serve diners who want a more composed fine-dining experience at the leading of the Seoul French market. If you want Korean rather than French at a special-occasion level, Kwon Sook Soo in Gangnam-gu is a strong alternative. For a more relaxed French register at a similar or lower price, Au Bouillon is worth considering. See our full Seoul restaurants guide for the broader picture.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Tempore | French | ₩₩ | Easy |
| Solbam | Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| Onjium | Korean | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| 7th Door | Korean, Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| L'Amitié | French | ₩₩₩ | Unknown |
| Zero Complex | Korean-French, Innovative | ₩₩₩₩ | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
At ₩₩ pricing, De Tempore's tasting format delivers Michelin Plate-recognised French cooking at a price point well below most credentialled competitors in Seoul. That's the core case for booking. If you're weighing format, lunch is where the value tends to be sharpest at this price tier — you get the full kitchen output without dinner-session pricing pressure.
De Tempore is a French restaurant with Michelin recognition in Hannam-dong, one of Seoul's more polished dining neighbourhoods. That context points toward neat, put-together clothing — nothing overly casual. French-format restaurants at this level in Seoul generally expect guests to dress accordingly, even if there's no formal dress code on record.
Yes, for what it is. The Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 confirms a consistent kitchen standard, and ₩₩ pricing in Hannam-dong means you're getting credentialled French cooking at a fraction of what L'Amitié or Tutoiement would cost. It's not the most ambitious French restaurant in Seoul, but it's the clearest value play for the category.
No dietary restriction policy is documented for De Tempore. For French tasting-menu formats in Seoul, the standard approach is to flag requirements when booking — check the venue's official channels in advance. Given the ₩₩ price tier and French format, complex restrictions are worth raising early rather than on arrival.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. With 49 Google reviews and ₩₩ pricing, De Tempore is not operating under the reservation pressure of Seoul's top-tier French venues. A few days' notice is likely sufficient for most visits, though weekends in Hannam-dong can fill faster — booking 5 to 7 days out is a reasonable precaution.
For French cooking at a higher spend and more ambitious format, L'Amitié operates at the ₩₩₩₩ end and carries stronger critical recognition. If you want Korean fine dining rather than French, Onjium is the reference point in Seoul for traditional Korean cuisine with serious credentials. Zero Complex covers a more contemporary Seoul dining profile at a different price tier.
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