City, Korean Restaurant Guide

“Amazing fine dining with Korean flavours running through each dish creates a real joy for the taste buds” at Woongchul Park & Bomee Ki’s passion project in a street in the shadow of The Shard. For foodies, it’s a must-visit, with a “restrained, unshowy and a pleasing menu” mixing classic French culinary techniques with inspirations from their home country; and all “at a reasonable price for this level of cooking and quality of ingredients”. Quality wines come from Keeling Andrew (associated with Noble Rot) although “more cheaper labels might encourage the topers amongst us to a bigger spend”. Service is “amazing”; and the neutral, 28-cover space is super-tasteful (but maybe not one for thrill seekers).

This “tiny, unbookable but excellent” Finsbury Park stalwart has been a source of “great home-cooked Korean and Japanese food” for 15 years. It’s good value, too, which means it gets “a little crowded”. Cash only!

Open in June 2024 in the City’s august Royal Exchange (alongside a sibling cocktail bar called Engel) – a modern Korean restaurant from former D&D London CEO Des Gunewardena. It aims to be the flagship of his ambitious new company D3 Collective, with ex-Seoul Bird chef, Dana Choi running the kitchen.

“A tiny, smart, very small Korean in Kentish Town which seems to get better as it goes along”. “Takeaway is maybe the main business, but there are a few tables with a dozen covers by the kitchen” – “service is fast and you’re in for some very reliable Korean staples (bibimbap is a favourite and kids like Yangnyeom fried chicken”). “Some people rave about New Malden for Korean cuisine, but in my experience this is a cut above”.