Navigating IKEA’s massive 27-zone showroom maze takes serious stamina. Luckily, IKEA built the ultimate pitstop right into the shopping route: the IKEA Swedish Restaurant.
Located on the 3rd floor, right between the main Showrooms and the Home Furnishing Accessories section, it’s designed so you can take a well-deserved break, grab a delicious meal, and recharge before diving into the rest of your cart-building adventure.
Planning a home makeover or looking for budget storage hacks in South Korea? Read our complete guide to IKEA Gwangmyeong shopping & saving 350,000 KRW here! Otherwise, read on for the ultimate Swedish food pitstop guide!
Here is our complete walk-through of the IKEA Swedish Restaurant dining experience, including insider tips on timing, menu choices, and free refill perks!
Getting There & Timing Tips
- Getting Here: Just like visiting for shopping, you can drive (preferred if buying furniture) or take local buses (lines 2, 3, 12, 17, 75, 200, 500, 505, 1-1, 1-3, 5627, 5633, or 8507) directly to the IKEA Gwangmyeong Branch Bus Station.
- Pro-Tip on Timing: If you want to bypass long lines, try to visit outside peak Korean lunch (12:00 PM – 1:30 PM) and dinner hours (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM).
Note: On our latest trip, we came quite late near the end of dinner service. While the queue was blissfully short, most of the fresh bakery desserts were already sold out for the night! Keep that in mind if you have a massive sweet tooth.
Step-by-Step: How the Cafeteria Line Works
The IKEA Swedish Restaurant operates on a self-serve cafeteria line system. Everything is labeled in both Korean and English, featuring a mix of authentic Swedish classics and clever Korean fusion dishes.
Step 1: Grab Your Wheels & Cutlery
Before stepping into the food line, grab a three-tiered rolling cart, place a tray on each level (ideally one tray per person or meal), and pick up your forks, spoons, and knives.
Step 2: Cold Appetizers & Premade Desserts
The line starts with refrigerated glass display cases filled with pre-made salads, cheesecakes, puddings, and cold bottled or canned drinks.
We decided to skip the canned sodas here because we had our eyes set on the unlimited refill drink cups available at checkout!
Step 3: Ordering Your Hot Mains
Next up is the main hot food counter. Take a look at the overhead digital menu boards and tell the staff behind the counter what you’d like. They plate it up right in front of you in seconds.
On past visits, we loved the Double Pork Cutlet (served with savory gravy) and the Korean-fusion Kimchi Fried Rice with Plantballs. But today, we wanted to try something new:
- Our Mains Today: We ordered the Triple Chicken Steak (which satisfied my wife’s craving for crispy French fries and tender chicken) and the Mushroom Cream Pasta.
- The Lasagna Tragedy: I originally had my heart set on their Lasagna. However, it is strictly a weekday-only menu item (excluding public holidays). Even though we visited on a Friday, it happened to be a public holiday, so lasagna was off the table! The Mushroom Cream Pasta turned out to be a fantastic backup plan.
Step 4: The Hot Side-Dish Bar
After getting your hot mains, you slide your cart down to the side-dish counter. Here, you can self-serve items using tongs:
- Fried Chicken Legs (An absolute must-try!)
- Egg tarts & sweet potato croquettes
- Garlic bread slices, dinner rolls, and jams
- Warm cream soup bowls
Having remembered how crispy and juicy the fried chicken legs were from our last trip, I immediately loaded two of them onto my tray.
Step 5: Checkout & The Unlimited Drink Perks
You finish your line journey at the checkout counter, directly under the large sign marked "Cups & Glasses / 커피·음료컵".
At checkout, we picked up a box of KAFFEREP Chocolate Chip Cookies for a sweet treat later, along with empty drink cups.
IKEA Family Member Perk: If you visit on a weekday, members get 1 free hot coffee, hot tea, or soft drink!
Once paid, head over to the self-serve beverage station for infinite refills on sodas, coffees, and teas!
The Dining Area & Our Feast
The dining hall at IKEA Gwangmyeong is massive, showcasing various interior design styles, cozy booth setups, and high-top communal tables.
While we initially wanted a window seat to enjoy the evening view, the restaurant was lively and crowded, so we grabbed a cozy two-seater nearby.
The Mushroom Cream Pasta was rich and earthy, the Triple Chicken Steak was tender and perfectly seasoned, and those extra fried chicken legs completely hit the spot.
Returning Your Trays
When you finish your meal, Korea’s standard self-return etiquette applies.
Simply roll your cart over to the tray return station. You can’t miss it—it is located right next to a futuristic indoor hydroponic greenhouse where IKEA grows fresh greens right inside the store!
Slide your tray into the return conveyor shelves, toss your trash into the sorting bins, and you are fully recharged and ready to tackle the rest of your IKEA shopping trip!
Now that you're full and energized, ready to see how we picked out our living room storage and saved money? Click here to read our IKEA Gwangmyeong Furniture & Shopping Guide!