Top Vegan Restaurants in Gyeongju (2024)

I spent 3 nights in Gyeongju, South Korea and while there’s not a lot of vegan restaurants in Gyeongju, there are plenty of vegan food to enjoy.

Here are the delicious vegan restaurants in Gyeongju along with vegan options at non-vegan restaurants & convenience stores if you’re in a pinch.

If you’re visiting Korea for the first time as a vegan, make sure to read my Essential Vegan Food in Korea Travel Guide (updated 2024).

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Table of Contents

Vegan Restaurants in Gyeongju

1. Vege Bakery Cafe

Address: 1047 Poseok-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

Cozy vegan restaurants interior in Gyeongju with wooden tables, eclectic chairs, and indoor plants, featuring large windows looking out to the street

If you’re staying in central Gyeongju, you’ll likely find yourself at Vege Bakery Cafe, a charming and cozy vegetarian but mostly-vegan restaurant in Gyeongju.

It’s located right before the popular Hwangnidan-gil street.

Vegan sandwich filled with grilled vegetables and salad, served with seasoned fries and a cold beverage at a Gyeongju dining spo

A fresh vegan meal at a Gyeongju restaurant, showcasing hummus, falafel balls, and a crisp salad with a drizzle of balsamic glaze

I went twice and got the Vege Bread meal ($7 USD) and Falafel Plate ($7 USD), along with Sikhye, a Korean rice drink. The Vege Bread was really flavorful and fresh, and I’d recommend that one.

They also sell some baked goods at the counter.

The owner is friendly and even gave me a bag of strawberries to go.

2. Baru

Address: 874-3 Seoak-dong, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do South Korea

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Baru is a fully-vegan restaurant in Gyeongju that serves vegan temple food.

It’s a short 10-minute bus ride away from central Gyeongju, closer to the southern end of Gyeongju National Park.

They serve dishes like vegan bibimbap, mung bean pancakes, and sweet and sour mushrooms.

The menus are in English, and everything comes with side dishes.

You can find more reviews on Tripadvisor.

3. Hyangjeok Won – 향적원

Address: 131 Bulguk-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

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Hyangjeok Won is another fully-vegan restaurant in Gyeongju that serves vegan temple food.

If you’re going to visit the Bulguksa Temple, this is a short ride right before the temple.

You can choose from course sets, which are around 20,000-25,000 won.

4. On-Ve Vegan Bakery 온비 비건베이커리

Address: 59 207동110호1층상가 우방명사마을이파트, Bukseong-ro, Gyeongju-si

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On-Ve is an all-vegan bakery in Gyeongju (On-Ve short for “Only Vegan”).

They sell vegan breads, cookies, scones, and breads.

The price range is around $2-3 USD.

They also have drinks like lattes, teas, and ades.

5. Smells Like Bread

Address: 24 Gwangjung-gil, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

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Another vegan bakery you can check out in Gyeongju is Smells Like Bread.

They sell baked goods like salted bread, brownies, muffins, sandwiches, bagels, and rolls.

Options at Non-Vegan Restaurants

Lotteria

Address: 3 Jungang-ro 48beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

Lotteria is a popular burger chain throughout South Korea. They serve the vegan Miracle burger. For $5 USD, you can get a whole set with drinks and fries.

The Lotteria in Gyeongju is located north of downtown Gyeongju.

I really enjoyed the burger and had it a few times in different cities.

Dishes to Veganize at Non-Vegan Restaurants:

Some common Korean dishes you can ask to veganize at non-vegan restaurants in Gyeongju:

Bibimbap (without meat or egg)
Kongguksu (without topped egg)
Vegetable gimbap
Bowl of rice with banchan side dishes (aim for basic banchan that’s less likely to be flavored with fish sauce).

Vegan Options at Convenience Stores

For vegan snacks and if you’re at pinch, you can look for these at convenience stores in Gyeongju, beyond the basic nuts, dried fruit, and chips.

They’ll all vary, but some vegan options include vegan banana milk, bibim ramen, caramel puffs, plant milks, triangle kimbap (a bit rare), and inari tofu pockets.