Korean Restaurant Guide: Ordering, Paying & Drinking Water
A practical, variation-aware guide to seating, kiosks, tablets, call buttons, banchan, self-service water, payment, and allergy communication.
Ordering, paying, and drinking water in Korean restaurants
There is no single restaurant routine in Korea. You may meet an entrance kiosk, a tablet at the table, a server, prepayment, or payment after eating. The safest sequence is: read the entrance sign, inspect the table, then locate the bill or counter.
1. Entering and getting seated
Tell staff your party size: “두 명이에요” (du myeong-ieyo, two people) or “혼자예요” (honja-yeyo, just me). Wait to be directed rather than choosing a table immediately. If there is a waiting machine, check party-size and contact-number fields. Ask “외국 전화번호도 되나요?” (Can I use a foreign number?) if needed. Shoes-off rooms, solo-diner rules, and two-portion minimums for some barbecue dishes vary by venue—read the entrance and menu notes.
Caption: This is a real restaurant exterior in Seoul. Check entrance notices and menu photos before entering; if seating is unclear, tell staff your party size.
2. Identify how to order
• Server: say “주문할게요” (jumunhalgeyo, we’re ready to order).
• Call button: press 호출 or the bell once and wait. KTO describes table call buttons, but they are not universal.[1]
• Table tablet: choose language if available, then verify quantity, spice/add-on choices, cart, and total before confirming.
• Entrance kiosk/counter: you may order and pay first, then receive a number or pager.
• QR: use the venue’s official code. If an overseas card fails, ask whether staff can take payment another way.
Caption: A Seoul barbecue table may include a small wireless call button beside the charcoal grill and tongs. Not every restaurant has one.
Useful polite phrases
• 이거 하나 주세요. One of this, please.
• 이 메뉴는 몇 인분이에요? How many people does this serve?
• 안 맵게 가능할까요? Could you make it not spicy?
• 고수/파/마늘은 빼 주세요. Please leave out cilantro/scallions/garlic.
• 주문한 메뉴가 다 나온 건가요? Has everything we ordered arrived?
• 물 좀 더 주실 수 있을까요? Could we have more water?
• 반찬 조금 더 주실 수 있을까요? Could we have a little more banchan?
• 계산은 어디에서 하나요? Where do we pay?
• 카드 되나요? / 현금만 되나요? Do you take cards? / Cash only?
• 영수증 부탁드려요. A receipt, please.
Caption: One real galbi restaurant’s assortment of small banchan bowls. The selection and refill terms vary by venue.
Banchan and refills
A Korean meal may arrive with rice, soup or stew, and several small side dishes.[1] Do not assume that every dish is free or unlimited. KTO’s general guidance says extra water and side dishes normally carry no charge, but premium sides, meat, set components, or toppings may cost extra, and self-bar rules vary.[1] Look for 추가 (extra), 리필 (refill), 셀프 (self-service), and prices. Ask “이 반찬은 추가 비용이 있나요?” (Is there an extra charge for this side dish?).
Water: self-service, tap, or bottled
Use the jug or purifier provided, but ask “물은 셀프인가요?” (Is water self-service?) or “정수기 물인가요?” (Is this purified water?) when uncertain. Visit Seoul describes Korean tap water as drinkable and says water coolers are common in restaurants and other buildings.[6] Seoul also reports extensive testing and real-time monitoring of Arisu tap water.[5]
Still, water on the table is not necessarily straight tap water: it may be filtered water, barley tea, or water decanted into a bottle. For a sealed bottle ask “생수 있나요? 유료인가요?” (Do you have bottled water? Is it charged?). Complimentary drinking water and bottled mineral water for sale are different products.
Caption: This table setting shows rice, soup, banchan, and a spoon—but not the drinking-water source. Look separately for a pitcher, dispenser, or sign, and ask if none is clear.
Paying at the counter or table
Many diners take the bill or table number to the counter after eating; elsewhere staff bring a terminal, or the tablet handles payment. Ask “계산은 여기서 하나요?” (Do I pay here?). Cards are widespread, but small businesses, machines, connectivity, and overseas-card authorization can create exceptions.[3] Carry two overseas-enabled cards plus a little won. Read PIN, signature, and currency-choice screens rather than tapping through them. A tip prompt does not by itself make tipping compulsory.
Continue with the cash and card guide, the Seoul map-app guide, and the first-day Seoul checklist.
Dietary needs and allergies: speak before ordering
Show a specific written sentence: “저는 ___을/를 먹지 못해요. 육수와 소스에도 들어가면 안 돼요.” (I cannot eat ___. It must not be in the stock or sauce.) A seemingly vegetarian dish can use meat or fish stock; KTO recommends checking and requesting exclusions before ordering.[2] Packaged-food allergen labels are useful, but those rules do not guarantee a restaurant recipe, dedicated utensils, or absence of cross-contact.[4]
For a severe allergy show: “심한 알레르기가 있습니다. 같은 기름·육수·그릴·조리도구를 쓰면 위험합니다. 완전히 분리해서 조리할 수 없으면 솔직히 말씀해 주세요.” This says that shared oil, stock, grills, or tools are dangerous and asks staff to say honestly if full separation is impossible. If staff cannot confirm, do not guess that it is safe; choose another venue or a sealed product.
30-second checklist
1. Check the entrance for queue or prepayment instructions.
2. State your party size and wait to be seated.
3. Find the kiosk, tablet, call button, or server.
4. Confirm quantity, serving minimums, surcharges, allergens, and stock before ordering.
5. Ask whether water and banchan are self-service and whether bottled water costs extra.
6. Ask where to pay, verify card acceptance, and take the receipt.
If you remember one sentence, use “실례합니다, 주문이랑 계산은 어떻게 하면 될까요?”—“Excuse me, how should I order and pay?” Asking politely and following that venue’s signs is more reliable than any claim that all Korean restaurants work the same way.