A Seoul day from Myeongdong dumplings to a Sinsa BBQ

A fifty-year institution around the corner from the main Myeongdong drag. Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and mandu (dumplings) is the set. Expect a line; it moves fast. The chili paste on the table is optional but it's the thing.

A smaller Joseon palace with two unusual Western-style buildings on the grounds — Seokjojeon was an imperial Korean attempt at a neoclassical palace. Changing of the guard at 11:00. Thirty to forty minutes inside.

A cable car up Namsan mountain (or walk the 45-minute stone path up if you have the legs). Deck views over the whole city, the Han River bending through. Fifteen minutes at the top; skip going inside the tower.

Handmade makgeolli (unfiltered rice wine) in a small hanok in the Ikseon-dong alleys. Order a bottle of yuja makgeolli and a plate of Korean pancake. Midday makgeolli is a Korean business-lunch classic.

A 13-metre-tall library in the basement of the COEX mall, built around two stories of open shelves. Take any book off the shelf, sit in the reading chairs. Students, office workers, the occasional napper. Free.

A ginkgo-lined street of independent designers and third-wave coffee in Gangnam. Walk both sides. Tailor Coffee if you need a boost — a small Seoul specialty roaster, pour-overs only.

Korean BBQ specialising in hanwoo — premium Korean beef, grilled tableside over real charcoal. Ssamjang paste, lettuce wraps, a bottle of soju. The lunch portion is the steal; dinner is more expensive but the meat is the same.