Michelin 1-Star STAY at Lotte Signiel Seoul

2020-05-14 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

For Parents' Day, we decided to have a nice family dinner. We originally planned a hotel staycation, but considering the timing and the high prices, we opted for a place where we could eat and clap like seals in delight instead. I didn't pick the place—my older sister did, and it seems women really know these spots best.

STAY is located on the 81st floor of Lotte Signiel (a luxury hotel in Seoul). This is the exact restaurant where Yoo Jae-suk was first shown the harp on the TV show Hangout with Yoo. I had no idea before going, but as soon as I walked through the entrance, it immediately reminded me of the TV screen. Sadly, the harp isn't there right now.

Being on the 81st floor, the most important point is the panoramic view from the restaurant. Unfortunately, it was heavily fogged in on the day we went, so we couldn't see much at first. Still, as the city lights turned on one by one and pierced through the fog, everyone let out a gasp of admiration and automatically gave three rounds of seal claps at the Seoul night view. You need a reservation to get this kind of service. I booked two weeks in advance, so it's probably best not to leave it to the last minute.

The courses are divided into breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but there's no price difference based on tier. It's just that the relatively cheaper and lighter menus aren't offered at dinner. We ordered "Emotion," the most affordable of the dinner courses. Even before we ordered, the welcome food came right out. Someone who looked like the manager introduced it at first, but my ears were already closed and all my senses were focused on tasting and smelling, so I forgot everything he said.

That was the welcome food. It provides just enough to make you look forward to the restaurant's dishes. I've received welcome drinks and food while waiting to check in at a hotel lobby, but this was a first at a restaurant. After this light bite and choosing our menu, the bread arrives.

Now the course begins in earnest. Since we drove and no one in our group drinks, we didn't order any wine.

Below is the main menu. It's written in French as "Le Principal," but I don't know how to read it, so I'll pass. You choose one of the dishes below for the main. I chose the lamb chops, and the lamb flavor is definitely pronounced. The meat doesn't feel tough at all.

I don't know if they time it on purpose, but the main dish comes out right around the time Seoulites turn on their lights one by one and the night view begins.

Just as I was thinking, "Are we just having a cup of coffee for dessert and leaving now?", the waiter led us to a small dessert bar. By this point, you're already starting to feel full. The mini-bar has so many desserts that look incredibly sweet just glancing at them. Even though we were free to take what we wanted, everyone just grabbed one piece each because we were full and they looked too sweet.

After chatting excitedly while enjoying the mini-bar, the dessert from the menu arrives. Maybe it's because I like pancakes, but the soufflé was incredibly delicious. The sweetness and softness were truly on a level I've never tasted anywhere else. If there were a bakery selling this, I think it would do really well.

If we're talking about value for money, it obviously falls a bit short, but for a Michelin-starred place serving a course meal, it's still on the cheaper side. Of course, we did order the cheaper course. The service and food were undeniably good. My family even talked about coming back next time, so the satisfaction level is quite high.

The only regret is that I wish I had taken better photos to capture how delicious it was and the artistic feel of the food, but I just snapped away without any of that...

Check reservations and prices here: https://www.lottehotel.com/seoul-signiel/ko/dining/restaurant-stay-modern.html