If you’re staying at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul — or just looking for a special-occasion dinner in Seoul — the hotel’s signature restaurant, Festa by Choonghu, is the reason to plan ahead. It’s led by Chef Lee Choonghu, who in 2016 became one of Korea’s youngest-ever Michelin-starred chefs (at just 30), and the cooking is a confident blend of French technique and Korean ingredients, built around produce from across Korea.

We came for a birthday dinner and worked through the 6-course dinner tasting menu (₩190,000 per person). Here’s how it went.

The setting

Festa sits in its own building on the Namsan hillside, with greenery pressing up against the glass — there’s even an outdoor terrace “dining garden” surrounded by forest. It’s calm, elegant, and feels a world away from the city just below.

The courses

The menu changes with the seasons and leans on regional Korean ingredients (think herbs and rare local produce), reinterpreted with French precision. A walk through our dinner:

Amuse-bouche. Delicate one-bite tarts to start — pretty, sharp, and a good signal of the precision to come.

Caviar. A luxe early course — caviar over a silky base, wrapped under thin ribbons of allium. Rich, clean, and exactly the kind of thing you come to a tasting menu for.

Bread. House bread with whipped butter — warm, and dangerously easy to overdo before the mains arrive.

The fish main: hairtail (galchi). This was the standout. Hairtail (galchi) — a beloved Korean fish — cooked precisely and served over a deep, savory sauce with charred greens. Tender, clean, and full of flavor; the dish I’d go back for.

Desserts. A run of polished desserts to finish — a cocoa-dusted dome, a glossy chocolate dessert with cream — each one tidy and not too sweet.

The birthday touch

Because we were celebrating, the kitchen sent out a couple of special plates — including a “Happy Birthday” dessert and a beautiful cake plated against the Namsan view. It’s exactly the kind of thoughtful, occasion-making gesture that makes a fine-dining dinner memorable. (If you’re celebrating, mention it when you book.)

Tips for foreign visitors

• Reserve well ahead. It’s a destination restaurant inside a luxury resort — it books up, especially weekends. (CatchTable / the hotel handle reservations.)
• Price: the dinner tasting is ₩190,000 per person (about $140); lunch is a shorter, lighter course if you want a gentler intro.
• You don’t need to be a hotel guest to dine here.
• Celebrating? Tell them when you book — the birthday/anniversary touches are genuinely special.
• Pair it with the stay: if you’re already booking a Banyan Tree staycation, doing dinner here makes it a complete occasion.

The verdict

Festa by Choonghu delivers what a Michelin-pedigree, French-meets-Korean tasting menu should: precise, beautiful, and quietly confident — with a hairtail course worth the trip on its own. For a celebration in Seoul, paired with a night at Banyan Tree, it’s hard to top.

Read next: Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul — the full staycation review.

Frequently asked questions

How much is dinner at Festa by Choonghu?

The dinner tasting menu is ₩190,000 per person (6 courses). Lunch is a shorter, lighter course.

Do I need a reservation?

Yes — it's a destination restaurant inside a luxury resort, so reserve ahead via CatchTable or the hotel.

Do I have to be a hotel guest to dine at Festa?

No, you can dine without staying at Banyan Tree.

What is the signature dish?

The hairtail (galchi) fish main was the highlight — precisely cooked over a deep, savory sauce.