Restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
One Michelin star, book weeks ahead.
Zero Complex holds one Michelin star and an OAD Asia Top 200 ranking for 2025, with Chef Choonghu Lee applying French bistro technique to Korean ingredients at ₩₩₩₩. Book four to six weeks out minimum — this is a Hard reservation. The Korean-French approach is precise and ingredient-led, making it the right call for food-focused diners who want technical depth over tradition.
Book Zero Complex if you want one of Seoul's most technically precise Korean-French kitchens, backed by a Michelin star and a place in the Opinionated About Dining Asia Top 200 for 2025. This is not the easiest table to secure in Yongsan-gu, and the ₩₩₩₩ price point demands commitment, but for food-focused diners the kitchen's control over texture, smoke, and fermented flavour profiles puts it ahead of most peers in the same tier. If your priority is traditional Korean fine dining, Onjium is the stronger call. If you want innovation at a lower price, consider L'Amitié instead. But for the specific intersection of French technique and Korean ingredient logic, Zero Complex is where Seoul does it leading at this level.
Chef Choonghu Lee's approach sits at an interesting technical crossroads. The kitchen applies French bistro discipline to Korean produce, and the results are dishes that read as visually precise and ingredient-led rather than fusion-for-its-own-sake. One of the restaurant's most cited signatures involves Pacific geoduck served alongside chewy barley, sea spaghetti, and a sea mustard mousse — a construction that foregrounds the geoduck's texture and the smoky depth of sea mustard, two qualities that a lesser kitchen would smooth over. That kind of restraint, letting a single ingredient carry its own aromatics, is the signature of a kitchen that understands both its French training and its Korean pantry.
The restaurant relocated twice before landing at its current address in Seobinggo-dong, a quieter residential pocket of Yongsan-gu. Each move came with a deliberate reduction in covers to tighten quality control. That decision , fewer tables, more focus , is worth knowing before you book, because it explains both the difficulty of getting a reservation and the consistency of the experience once you do. The dining room overlooks a garden, and on the right visit the ambient quality of the space adds a layer of calm that the food rewards.
The scent register here tilts toward smoke and fermentation before sweetness , sea vegetables, cured ingredients, and the char of carefully handled protein are the kitchen's recurring aromatic signatures. If you are expecting a French-leaning room that leans on butter and cream, recalibrate. The Korean ingredient base is doing structural work, not decorative work.
Zero Complex holds one Michelin star as of 2024. It ranked #199 in Opinionated About Dining's Asia list for 2025, up from #279 in 2024 and a Recommended listing in 2023 , a consistent upward trajectory that signals the kitchen is performing better, not coasting. La Liste scored the restaurant at 77 points in 2026 (78 in 2025). Taken together, these credentials place Zero Complex in a credible mid-tier of Seoul's serious tasting-menu circuit, below the two-star ceiling but well above the noise floor. For context, Mingles and Jungsik represent the higher end of the Seoul fine-dining credential stack; Zero Complex sits a step below in formal recognition but is gaining ground. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across 264 reviews, which for a ₩₩₩₩ tasting-menu restaurant is meaningfully positive , that score tends to collapse at this price tier when the experience doesn't deliver.
The address , 11-8 Seobinggo-ro 59-gil, Yongsan-gu , is in the Seobinggo-dong area near Hoehyeon Station, set within the Piknic lifestyle complex. The neighbourhood is quiet and residential, and the restaurant is genuinely harder to locate than most GPS directions suggest. Allow extra time on your first visit. The restaurant is closed Mondays. Lunch runs 12 PM to 3:30 PM, dinner 6 PM to 10:30 PM, Tuesday through Sunday. Lunch seatings at ₩₩₩₩ tasting-menu restaurants in Seoul are often slightly easier to book than dinner, and worth considering if you want the same kitchen at a potentially lower booking threshold.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. Given the Michelin star, the reduced cover count, and the OAD ranking momentum, reservations fill well in advance. Book as early as your planning horizon allows , four to six weeks minimum is a reasonable working assumption, and further out is better for weekend dinner. For solo diners, counter or bar seating sometimes opens closer to the date; it is worth checking for cancellations.
For more options across the city, see our full Seoul restaurants guide, and if you are planning around a longer trip, our Seoul hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are worth a look. You might also consider Soigné or Kwonsooksoo as alternatives on the same trip.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star, OAD Asia #199 (2025), ₩₩₩₩, Tuesday–Sunday lunch and dinner, Monday closed, Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, booking difficulty: Hard.
Among Seoul's ₩₩₩₩ tasting-menu restaurants, Zero Complex occupies a specific niche: French-trained technical precision applied to Korean ingredients. Solbam operates in a contemporary register with strong local produce credentials but without the French technique overlay that defines Zero Complex's kitchen logic. If Korean seasonal produce is your primary interest, Solbam may resonate more. Onjium is the stronger choice for diners who want traditional Korean cuisine at its most rigorous , the depth of research into historical Korean food culture there is not something Zero Complex attempts to replicate.
7th Door shares the Korean-contemporary space and is worth comparing directly if you are deciding between two ₩₩₩₩ bookings on the same trip. Zero Complex edges ahead on French technique integration; 7th Door may be easier to book depending on the season. alla prima brings a different kind of innovation , more experimental, less rooted in a specific national tradition , and is worth considering if you want something less anchored to the Korean-French axis.
L'Amitié is the practical alternative for diners who want French-influenced fine dining in Seoul at ₩₩₩ rather than ₩₩₩₩. It will not deliver the same ingredient depth or OAD recognition, but the value gap is real. If you are weighing one high-commitment Seoul booking, Zero Complex justifies the price over L'Amitié for anyone who wants the full tasting-menu format with Michelin-level execution. For two bookings, the combination of Zero Complex plus L'Amitié as a lighter lunch covers different ground efficiently.
No dress code is listed in the available data, but at a ₩₩₩₩ Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul's tasting-menu circuit, smart casual is the safe baseline , think what you would wear to a formal dinner at Jungsik or Mingles. Seoul fine dining rooms at this price tier generally do not enforce jacket requirements, but arriving underdressed relative to the room tends to affect the experience.
The restaurant deliberately reduced its table count after relocating, which means group bookings are more constrained than at larger Seoul fine-dining rooms. No private dining data is available, but given the intimate scale, groups larger than four should contact the restaurant directly before assuming availability. For larger group bookings in Seoul's ₩₩₩₩ tier, venues with confirmed private dining infrastructure will be less complicated to organise.
Yes, for food-focused diners who want Korean-French technique at Michelin-star level. The OAD Asia #199 ranking for 2025 places it among the serious tasting-menu destinations in the region, and the consistent upward trajectory in rankings over three years suggests the kitchen is executing at or above its credential level. Compare it against alla prima if you want a second ₩₩₩₩ data point before deciding.
Book four to six weeks out as a minimum for dinner seatings, and further in advance for weekend slots. The combination of a Michelin star, reduced covers, and a rising OAD ranking makes this a Hard booking. Lunch seatings mid-week are your leading option for late-notice availability. Check for cancellations if you are trying to book within two weeks. Seoul's leading tasting-menu circuit , including Kwonsooksoo and Soigné , operates on similar lead times at this tier.
At ₩₩₩₩, the price is consistent with Seoul's Michelin-starred tasting-menu tier. The combination of a 1 Michelin star, OAD Asia top 200 placement, and a 4.4 Google rating across 264 reviews suggests the kitchen delivers at its price point more reliably than many peers. If the Korean-French technical approach appeals to you, the price is justified. If you want Korean fine dining without the French framework, Onjium at the same price tier offers a different kind of depth. For a global frame of reference on what Korean-influenced technique looks like at higher price points, see Atomix in New York.
Zero Complex operates a tasting-menu format, so ordering in the conventional sense does not apply. The kitchen's documented signature is Pacific geoduck with barley, sea spaghetti, and sea mustard mousse , a dish that showcases Chef Choonghu Lee's ability to build texture and smoke into a single plate without overcomplicating it. The tasting menu is the way to experience the kitchen's full range. Specific current menu composition is not available in the data, so confirm on booking.
Manageable, but requires planning. The restaurant's reduced cover count means solo cancellations are harder to absorb for the kitchen, and counter or bar seating availability for solo diners is not confirmed in the data. That said, solo tasting-menu dining is well-established in Seoul's fine-dining culture, and a single cover is generally accepted at most Michelin-starred rooms. Contact the restaurant directly about solo seating options. Alternatively, alla prima is worth checking for solo-friendly counter configurations at a similar price tier.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero Complex | Korean-French, Innovative | ₩₩₩₩ | Zero Complex is a French-inspired neo-bistro with one Michelin star, located in the Piknic lifestyle concept close to Hoehyeon Station in Seoul. The chef Chunghu Lee creates visually beautiful, colour...; La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 77pts; Chef: Choonghu Lee document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Asia Ranked #199 (2025); La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 78pts; Chef Lee Chung-hu has been consistently presenting innovative interpretations of the ingredients since he first opened his restaurant. The restaurant was relocated twice, but the flavors and creativity of the dishes never wavered. After moving to a larger venue, the number of tables was reduced to focus more on the quality of the food. The restaurant showcases the delightfully bouncy texture and rich, smoky flavor of sea mustard through one of their signature dishes, which is Pacific geoduck served with sides of chewy barley, sea spaghetti, and sea mustard mouse. The restaurant, located in a quiet residential area in Seobinggo-dong, might be a challenge to find but tasting the dishes overlooking the quiet garden will make it worth your while.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Asia Ranked #279 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Asia Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| Solbam | Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Onjium | Korean | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| 7th Door | Korean, Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Amitié | French | ₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| alla prima | Innovative | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
A one-Michelin-star Korean-French kitchen in a residential Seobinggo-dong setting calls for neat, polished casual — think clean trousers and a shirt rather than a suit. The Piknic complex surroundings are relaxed but the food is serious, so avoid overly casual sportswear. No formal dress code is listed, but the ₩₩₩₩ price point sets the tone for how guests tend to dress.
Zero Complex reduced its table count after relocating specifically to prioritise food quality over covers, so large group bookings are harder to accommodate than at a standard restaurant. Parties of four or more should contact the restaurant well in advance to confirm availability. For bigger groups in the Michelin Seoul bracket, venues with more flexible seating are worth considering as an alternative.
At ₩₩₩₩ and with one Michelin star, OAD Asia ranking #199 in 2025, and a kitchen that has maintained creative consistency across multiple relocations, Zero Complex delivers enough technique and distinctiveness to justify the price for serious diners. The Korean-French format means dishes read differently from both a straight omakase and a French tasting menu, which is the point. If you want either of those formats in purer form, adjust your shortlist accordingly.
Book at least three to four weeks out, and further ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner, which fill fastest at this price tier. The reduced table count following the restaurant's relocation makes last-minute seats genuinely difficult to find. Lunch service Tuesday through Sunday gives you a slightly better shot at shorter lead times than dinner.
For ₩₩₩₩ in Seoul, Zero Complex earns its place: one Michelin star since 2024, a climb from OAD Asia #279 to #199 in a single year, and a La Liste score of 77 points in 2026 confirm the kitchen is not coasting. The French-discipline-meets-Korean-produce approach is genuinely specific rather than generic fusion. If you are price-sensitive, the lunch set across the same kitchen is the better-value entry point.
Pacific geoduck served with barley, sea spaghetti, and sea mustard mousse is documented as a signature dish and represents the kitchen's Korean-French logic at its clearest. Beyond that, Chef Choonghu Lee's menu rotates to reflect seasonal ingredients, so the tasting format is the most reliable way to see what the kitchen is currently doing. Ordering à la carte, if offered, is a reasonable approach for a focused two-person lunch.
Seating a solo diner at a restaurant that has deliberately cut its table count is harder, but not impossible — check the venue's official channels to ask about counter or single-seat availability. The focused, courses-driven format suits solo dining well in terms of pacing. Compared to a counter-only omakase, you may have less guaranteed sightlines into the kitchen, but the trade-off is a more composed dining room.
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