12 Best Restaurants in Yeosu (2026): Raw Crab, Eel Soup & Local Feasts

Yeosu is regarded as one of South Korea’s premier culinary capitals, celebrated for its bold Jeolla-do seasonings, pristine ocean catches, and unique agricultural specialties like Dolsan mustard greens (gat). A trip to Yeosu is incomplete without experiencing its famous Bap-doduk (“rice thieves”)—particularly raw marinated crab (gejang) and hearty seafood broths.

Here are 12 verified, authentic restaurants across Yeosu, categorized by signature specialty.

Famous Raw Marinated Crab Specialists (게장 백반 & 정식)

1. Crab 1st Avenue kkotdol (꽃돌게장1번가)

36 Bongsan 2-ro, Bongsan-dong. 4.3/5.0 (4,290 reviews). Specialty: Large Blue Crab Course (Kkotge-jeongsig) featuring plump female crabs loaded with rich roe. Yeosu’s largest and most refined modern crab dining establishment; the main blue crab set includes free self-service buffet access with unlimited stone crab (dolgejang) refills and fish-cake soup. Highly popular; expect wait times during peak lunch hours; tablet reservation on-site available.

2. Crispy crab village (싱싱게장마을)

40 Munsu 6-gil, Munsu-dong. 4.5/5.0 (1,101 reviews). Specialty: High-value Stone Crab Set (Gejang Baekban). A beloved local favorite away from tourist crowds; a single set arrives with both soy sauce and sweet chili marinated stone crabs alongside seasonal seafood side dishes, stew, and grilled fish. Closes early (typically by 15:00) once daily supplies run out; arrive before 11:30 AM for smooth seating.

3. Yeojin Restaurant (여진식당)

2-2 Hakdong 5-gil, Hakdong. 4.1/5.0 (841 reviews). Specialty: Traditional Stone Crab Table (Dolgejang Baekban). Located in the residential neighborhood of Hakdong near City Hall; praised for a milder, less overly salty soy-marinade highlighting the sweet freshness of the crab meat, served alongside authentic Yeosu Dolsan mustard kimchi.

4. 여수게장 정다운식당 (Yeosu Gejang Jeongdaun Sikdang)

12 Masangpo-gil, Dolsan-eup. 4.1/5.0 (171 reviews). Specialty: Female Blue Crab Set (Amkkotgejang) & Spicy Crab Soup (Kkotgetang). Relocated to a modern multi-story complex along the coastal cliffs of Dolsan Island; guests dine overlooking panoramic ocean views while enjoying generous crab roe mixed over rice with seaweed flakes and sesame oil. Featured on national culinary broadcast Huh Young-man’s Food Travel.

Local Soul Food & Traditional Jeolla Feasts (백반 & 서대회 & 보리굴비)

5. Rotary Restaurant (로타리식당)

2-1 Seogyo 3-gil, Seogyo-dong. 4.3/5.0 (2,182 reviews). Specialty: Round-Tray Home-Style Meal (Baekban). An iconic budget eatery delivering a generous Korean feast served on a giant retro tin platter: spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk-bokkeum), hot blue crab soybean paste stew, both soy and spicy marinated stone crabs, fresh lettuce wraps, and aged Dolsan Gat-kimchi.

6. Soonine’s Table (순이네밥상)

77-1 Jungang-ro, Jungang-dong (near Yi Sun-sin Square). 4.4/5.0 (427 reviews). Specialty: Braised Cutlassfish Set (Galchi-jorim Jeongsig) accompanied by soy and spicy crabs. Centrally located for travelers exploring downtown Yeosu and Yi Sun-sin Square; thick cutlassfish steaks simmered with sweet radish in an aromatic red pepper glaze, accompanied by over 10 side dishes.

7. Dongseo Restaurant (동서식당)

71 Janggunsan-gil, Seogyo-dong. 4.3/5.0 (592 reviews). Specialty: Seasoned Red Tongue Sole (Seodaehoe Muchim). Seodae (red tongue sole) is a prized shallow-water flatfish in Yeosu; at Dongseo Restaurant it’s thinly sliced and tossed raw in a tangy naturally fermented makgeolli vinegar sauce with julienned vegetables, served with a large mixing bowl of rice, sesame oil, and dried seaweed. Featured on Huh Young-man’s Food Travel.

8. 석정 (Seokjeong)

11-1 Sicheongseo 5-gil, Hakdong. 4.4/5.0 (410 reviews). Specialty: Naturally Dried Barley Croaker (Bori-gulbi Jeongsig). A traditional Jeolla-style dining room specializing in yellow croakers aged in barley grain; steamed until savory, deboned at the table, traditionally eaten with chilled green tea water poured over hot white rice.

Coastal Stews & Unique Regional Pairings (해산물 탕 & 갓김치 삼겹살)

9. Bokchun Restaurant (복춘식당)

5-8 Gyonamdong 1-gil, Gyo-dong (near Yeosu Fish Market). 4.2/5.0 (945 reviews). Specialty: Single-Portion Monkfish Stew (Agui-tang) & Braised Monkfish (Agui-jjim). Celebrated nationally on singer Sung Si-kyung’s YouTube series Meogultende; while monkfish dishes are usually served in large communal portions across Korea, Bokchun allows solo diners to order a rich single bowl filled with tender monkfish meat and liver simmered in a garlicky broth.

10. Sanga Restaurant (상아식당)

21 Eohangdanji-ro, Guk-dong (Gukdong Port). 4.1/5.0 (1,201 reviews). Specialty: Whole Conger Eel Soup (Tong-jangeotang) & Charcoal-Grilled Eel. Operating for over 25 years along Gukdong Port; stews fresh sea conger eel into a rich broth using slow-simmered eel bone stock and tender dried radish greens (ugeoji). A classic restorative meal after coastal travels.

11. Namwon Restaurant (남원식당)

5 Gwanmun 2-gil, Gwanmun-dong. 4.5/5.0 (106 reviews). Specialty: Toasted Sesame Eel Stew (Kkae-jangeotang). A 4-hour lunch-only gem operating daily from 10:00 to 14:00. Featured on Huh Young-man’s Food Travel; famous for its thick broth made by simmering fresh eel with stone-ground wild perilla sesame seeds and radish greens, giving the soup a rich, nutty profile rather than spicy heat.

12. 여수 갓육고 학동점 (Yeosu Gatyukgo Hakdong)

59 Seonso-ro, Hakdong. 4.9/5.0 (106 reviews). Specialty: 14-Day Wet-Aged Pork Belly paired with Grilled Dolsan Mustard Kimchi. A regional spin on Korean BBQ; slanted stone griddles allow hot pork lard from thick samgyeopsal cuts to flow down directly over aged Yeosu mustard kimchi (gat-kimchi), caramelizing its sharp mustard punch into a savory grilled delicacy.