Itaewon Halal Food and Seoul Central Mosque Guide (2026)

Quick Answer: Take Seoul Subway Line 6 to Itaewon Station and leave by Exit 3. Walk to Itaewon Fire Station, turn right, turn left at the Bogwang Elementary School junction, and go straight for about 250 m to Seoul Central Mosque at 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil. Eat halal Korean food at EID Halal Korean Food or Jipbap Gim Seonsaeng, Turkish kebabs at King Kebab, and Uzbek lamb at HojiBobo. Have a coffee at Baraka Cafe inside the mosque grounds. Visitors are welcome from 10:30 to 17:00, and Friday from 12:00 to 15:00 is the busiest time.

Itaewon is home to Seoul Central Mosque, Korea's first mosque, which opened on 21 May 1976. The streets around it have halal restaurants, halal butchers and halal grocers. This guide covers the walk to the mosque, what visitors need to know, seven places to eat and drink nearby, and a halal grocer.

If you are planning the rest of your time in Seoul, read our Seoul halal food guide for Myeongdong and beyond. For a deeper look at bulgogi, Korean BBQ and what to ask in an ordinary Korean restaurant, see Is Korean food halal?

How to get to Seoul Central Mosque from Itaewon Station

The mosque is run by the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF). Its address is 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and the phone number is 02-793-6908.

The KMF directions page gives this walking route from the subway:

1. Take Line 6 to Itaewon Station and leave by Exit 3.
2. Walk to Itaewon Fire Station (이태원 소방서) and turn right.
3. At the three-way junction by Bogwang Elementary School (보광초등학교), turn left.
4. Go straight for about 250 m to the mosque.

By bus, KMF lists the 110A and 405 from the Hangangjin Station side and the 110B from the Samgakji Station side. Get off at Itaewon Fire Station, walk straight toward Bogwang Elementary School, turn left at the junction and go straight for about 250 m. KMF asks visitors to use public transport where possible.

Visiting the mosque: hours, dress and etiquette

KMF's visitor page sets these rules:

• Visiting hours are 10:30 to 17:00.
• For 30 minutes before and after each daily prayer, and on Friday from 12:00 to 15:00, the grounds are crowded, and guidance or a walk around the grounds may be difficult.
• Not allowed for sightseeing visitors: entering the prayer hall, revealing clothing such as short skirts, pets, photos during prayer, filming or photography without prior permission, smoking, drinking and loud noise.
• KMF's introduction page adds that if your clothes are too revealing, you should wear the skirts and hijabs kept in the changing room next to the guard office.
• Individual visitors who do not need a guide can walk in without booking. Groups, film crews and anyone who wants a talk on Islam should apply on the KMF website. Talks need at least one week's notice.

The prayer halls are on the first and second floors of the main building. The annex has separate wudu rooms for men and women in its basement, a lecture room on the first floor and offices on the second. The Islamic Center, a three-story building in the same complex, holds rented shops on the ground floor, the Prince Sultan Islamic School, and the women's association and library on the third floor.

Friday prayers and women's prayer space

KMF does not publish a fixed time for Jumu'ah on its website. It posts a monthly prayer timetable for Seoul, and its visitor page names Friday 12:00 to 15:00 as the busiest window. If you want a place for Friday prayer, arrive before 12:00.

KMF also does not say on its website which floor is set aside for women. Women travelers should ask at the guard office when they arrive.

Halal Korean food

EID Halal Korean Food serves Korean dishes made halal. Diners in 2026 ordered bulgogi, bibimbap, samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) and fried chicken. Its official Instagram describes it as a halal Korean restaurant and lists opening hours of 11:30-21:00 every day, with last orders at 20:30. It has more than 1,200 Google reviews. It sits at 15 Usadan-ro 10-gil, on the same lane as the mosque.

Jipbap Gim Seonsaeng (집밥 김선생, listed in English as Halal Korean Restaurant, Home Cooked Meal Gim Seonsaeng) serves Korean home-style meals such as bulgogi and fried chicken, with ordering at a kiosk. Its official Instagram describes the food as "정성 담긴 할랄 한식 한 끼", a halal Korean meal made with care, and lists opening hours of Monday to Saturday, 11:30 to 21:40. It has close to 1,400 Google reviews. The restaurant is on the first and second floors of 3 Noksapyeong-daero 32-gil, and Noksapyeong Station (Line 6) is the closer stop.

Kimchi served as a side dish. Illustrative photo. Photo by makafood on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/kimchi-in-white-ceramic-bowl-8838806/)

Turkish kebabs

King Kebab at 185 Itaewon-ro is next to Itaewon Station and suits a quick doner kebab, a falafel wrap or a late snack. Google Maps lists it as open 24 hours. The brand's official Instagram describes its food as "best-of-class halal food & Turkish cuisine", and the Itaewon branch's Google Maps name ends in "Halal". The brand also runs a branch on Gyeongnidan-gil and several outside Itaewon.

A doner kebab wrap with fries. Illustrative photo. Photo by Shawkat Galib on Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/doner-fries-and-pide-behind-15202777/)

Uzbek lamb and steak

HojiBobo is an Uzbek-style restaurant on the third floor of 140-1 Itaewon-ro, closer to Noksapyeong Station than to Itaewon Station. Order the lamb set or the mixed grill to share, or the steak finished in butter. Shashlik skewers and Uzbek-style lamb rice are also on the menu. Its official Instagram calls it a "HALAL RESTAURANT" and "The first HALAL STEAK in Korea!", lists opening hours of 11:00 to 23:00 every day, and was posting new photos in October 2026. You can book a table by phone.

Malaysian and Indonesian food

Siti Sarah sits at 7 Usadan-ro 10-gil, on the same lane as the mosque. It cooks Malaysian and Indonesian home-style food. The restaurant's Google Maps name is "Siti Sarah Korea - Indonesia Melayu Halal Food", and a Diningcode review from December 2025 notes a halal food mark on the front of the shop.

📱 Find halal restaurants, prayer rooms and Muslim-friendly places in Korea and Japan with the free Halal Navi app.
Download on the App Store · Get it on Google Play

Burgers, pizza and coffee

Halal Pizza & Burger PB+ (피자버거플러스) is a small counter-order burger and pizza shop at 33 Usadan-ro, about seven minutes on foot from Itaewon Station Exit 3. A Diningcode reviewer paid 10,500 won for a beef slice burger set in December 2025. Its Google Maps business name starts with "Halal", and diners' reviews from 2026 describe it as a halal burger and pizza place.

Baraka Cafe is on the first floor of the new building inside the mosque grounds, at 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil. It serves Turkish tea, coffee and Turkish desserts at low prices: a Diningcode reviewer paid 2,500 won for an Americano in November 2025. Its official Instagram calls it a "Halal Cafe in Seoul Central Mosque" and lists hours of 10:00 to 20:00 every day.

Usadan-ro and halal groceries

KMF's own description of the mosque notes that the street outside has halal restaurants, halal butchers, an Islamic bookshop, halal supermarkets and travel agencies.

For groceries, Al Bazaar Korea is a halal grocer based on Usadan-ro 10-gil; its website gives the address as 1F, 23 Usadan-ro 10-gil. The website says it sells halal meat, dairy and pantry goods, describes its range as "100% halal" and "Certified products only", and delivers across Korea, with next-business-day delivery to most areas for orders placed by 3 pm. That is useful if you are staying in an apartment or heading on to Busan or Jeju.

Practical tips

• Learn one word: 할랄 (halal). It appears on signs and menus in Itaewon. Pork is 돼지고기 and alcohol is 술.
• Ask about alcohol. Restaurants in Itaewon differ on whether they serve alcohol. If that matters to you, ask before you sit down.
• Plan around Friday. KMF says the mosque area is at its busiest on Friday from 12:00 to 15:00.
• Use Noksapyeong for the west side. Jipbap Gim Seonsaeng and HojiBobo are nearer Noksapyeong Station, one stop west of Itaewon on Line 6.
• Find more places on the map. Our list of halal restaurants in Seoul covers other districts. If your trip continues south, see our Busan itinerary for Muslim travelers and Jeju Island itinerary.

What we could and could not verify

On 19 October 2026 we checked every restaurant and shop above against its Google Maps listing by place ID (all showed as open), against the business's own Instagram or website, and against Google and Diningcode reviews dated after October 2025. Mosque details come from the Korea Muslim Federation's website, which was posting notices as recently as October 2026 and whose 2026 prayer timetables were published in January 2026. The directions, visitor rules and facility pages themselves carry no date.

What we could not confirm: Korea has no public register of certified halal restaurants, and none of the businesses above names a certifying body on its own pages, so we describe them in their own words. We could not confirm the alcohol policy of any restaurant listed, the exact time of Friday prayer, or which floor of the mosque is used by women. Please ask on arrival if any of these matter to you, and tell us if something has changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a mosque in Itaewon?

Yes. Seoul Central Mosque, Korea's first mosque, stands at 39 Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu, a short walk from Itaewon Station. From Exit 3, walk to Itaewon Fire Station, turn right, turn left at the Bogwang Elementary School junction and go straight for about 250 m.

Can non-Muslims visit Seoul Central Mosque?

Yes. The Korea Muslim Federation welcomes visitors from 10:30 to 17:00. Visitors may not enter the prayer hall, should dress modestly, and should not take photos during prayer. Skirts and hijabs can be borrowed from the changing room by the guard office. Groups should apply online in advance.

What time is Friday prayer at Seoul Central Mosque?

The mosque does not publish a fixed Jumu'ah time online. It posts a monthly prayer timetable for Seoul on its website, and its visitor page says Friday from 12:00 to 15:00 is the busiest time. Arrive before 12:00 to be safe.

Where can I eat halal Korean food in Itaewon?

EID Halal Korean Food on Usadan-ro 10-gil and Jipbap Gim Seonsaeng near Noksapyeong Station both describe their Korean food as halal on their own Instagram pages. Bulgogi and fried chicken are on both menus.

Are Itaewon halal restaurants certified?

Korea has no public register of certified restaurants. The places in this guide present their food as halal in their own business names, signs, Instagram pages or websites, but none names a certifying body there. Ask the staff if certification matters to you.

Sources

• Korea Muslim Federation, Seoul Central Mosque introduction (address, history, facilities, dress code): http://www.koreaislam.org/seoul-muslim-info서울중앙성원안내/ (checked 2026-10-19; page undated)
• Korea Muslim Federation, directions page (Exit 3 route, buses): http://www.koreaislam.org/오시는길/ (checked 2026-10-19; page undated)
• Korea Muslim Federation, visit information and application (hours 10:30-17:00, busy times, rules): http://www.koreaislam.org/방문신청/ (checked 2026-10-19; page undated)
• Korea Muslim Federation, monthly prayer timetables (October 2026 posted 2026-01-30): http://www.koreaislam.org/예배시간표/?uid=7397&mod=document (checked 2026-10-19)
• EID Halal Korean Food, official Instagram (posts to 2026-09-24): https://www.instagram.com/eid.halal.korea/ and Google Maps listing with reviews dated 2026-03 to 2026-09: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJa0VtDbWjfDURqx-5tftT9es (checked 2026-10-19)
• Jipbap Gim Seonsaeng, official Instagram (posts to 2026-07-15): https://www.instagram.com/halalfoodkorea_official/ (checked 2026-10-19)
• King Kebab, official Instagram (posts to 2025-12-18): https://www.instagram.com/kingkebab.korea/, official website (branches): https://www.kingkebab.co.kr/ and Google Maps listing https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJbws5L0yifDURFgAOMUuqWzk (checked 2026-10-19)
• HojiBobo, official Instagram (posts to 2026-10-08): https://www.instagram.com/hojibobo_restaurant/ (checked 2026-10-19); Diningcode reviews 2025-10-25 to 2025-12-08: https://www.diningcode.com/profile.php?rid=RoK4Y6uJtp2c
• Siti Sarah, Google Maps listing: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJG_frvkqifDUR5B2sYhOKPX0 (checked 2026-10-19); Diningcode review 2025-12-10: https://www.diningcode.com/profile.php?rid=PgFvFzerfwrF
• Halal Pizza & Burger PB+, Google Maps listing with reviews dated 2026-06 to 2026-07: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJof8rWTWifDURDw39MwN5whE (checked 2026-10-19); Diningcode review 2025-12-24 (price): https://www.diningcode.com/profile.php?rid=n1iYgUFbmVj1
• Baraka Cafe, official Instagram (posts to 2026-03-20): https://www.instagram.com/barakacafekorea/ (checked 2026-10-19); Diningcode review 2025-11-13: https://www.diningcode.com/profile.php?rid=DbcnDPbgfUyq
• Al Bazaar Korea, official website (© 2026): http://www.albazaarkorea.com/ (checked 2026-10-19)

About this article

Written and halal-verified by Zeshan Hayat, CMO & Head Halal Auditor, Halal Navi.

Update policy: If you spot outdated information, we will review and correct it within 7 days.

Disclosure: Halal Navi receives no payment from any restaurant or hotel in exchange for inclusion, and all recommendations reflect independent editorial judgment based on Muslim-friendly criteria. Some articles contain affiliate booking links (e.g. Trip.com); if you book through one, Halal Navi may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Last verified: 2026-10-19