Eating

How Ordering Works

Sitting down, getting attention, the dishes nobody ordered, and paying at the door.

The short answer

Sit anywhere. Press the button on the table or call out to get attention — this is normal, not rude. Small side dishes arrive free and are refillable. Water is free and often self-service. You pay at the counter by the door on your way out, and you don't tip.

Getting someone to come over

Waiting quietly to be noticed is the one habit that will leave you sitting the longest. Restaurants here expect to be called.

Many tables have a button. Press it once; a chime sounds and somebody comes.
If there's no button, say 저기요 (*jeo-gi-yo*) at speaking volume. It means roughly "excuse me" and it is what everyone uses.
Raising a hand works too. Nobody will think less of you for either.

The dishes you didn't order

Little plates appear before your food: kimchi, pickled radish, something green, maybe a soup. These are 반찬 (*banchan*), they're included in the price, and you can ask for more of the ones you like at no charge.

They are shared, and they are not a starter to finish before the meal — they're eaten alongside it. Taking a refill of one you enjoyed is completely ordinary; leaving them untouched is what looks odd.

Water, and the machine in the corner

Water is free everywhere and usually not brought to you. Look for a water dispenser and a stack of steel cups near the entrance, and help yourself. In many places cutlery lives in a drawer under the table rather than on it — this catches people out constantly.

Ordering without the words

Point at the menu. If there are photos, this is the whole technique.
Say the number of people — holding up fingers is enough. Many dishes are priced and cooked for two, and a place that only does those will tell you.
하나 (*ha-na*) is one, 둘 (*dul*) is two. "This, one" — pointing — orders a dish.
A translation app's camera on the menu works better than typing, because menus are short phrases.

Paying

Except in cafés and fast food, you almost always pay on the way out, at the counter by the door, not at the table. Take the slip if one was left on your table and hand it over. Cards work almost everywhere, including for small amounts.

Nobody tips. There is no line for it on the card machine and leaving cash on the table will cause someone to chase you down the street with it. Service is included and staff are paid without it.

Things that surprise people

Shoes come off at floor-seating restaurants. If you see a raised wooden platform and shoe racks, that's the signal.
Sharing from communal dishes is normal, and so is a stew everyone spoons from.
Meals arrive fast, and the tables around you turn over quickly. Lingering after paying is unusual at busy places, though nobody will push you out.
Many small restaurants close for a few hours between lunch and dinner.