I came here with my wife for the first time on Monday and had an amazing time. The bartenders Marvin and Jonathan were absolutely friendly and welcoming.
Marving was very attentive of us making sure we were ok and gave us really amazing recommendations the Mushroom japchae is amazing I recommend everyone to try it.
Jonathan made amazing cocktails for us ,super friendly and charismatic he made us laugh a few times.
The food was Top tier I highly recommend everyone to come.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julian Bransier
The food was very good, maybe a little bit pricy for what it was. The atmosphere at this restaurant is great but the service ruined the experience for me and my party. Un-attentive waiters that rarely checked in without having to be flagged down. They forgot a food item and it took them 30 additional minutes to bring out.
Angela Mira Choo
March 2026 update: I’m changing my review after my latest visit. First, if the kitchen closes at 9:30, that should be prominently disclosed in its reservation system for reservations later than 9:30. But worst of the night was that their reservation system messed up and despite my showing all the text messages I got from Resy - the confirmation, re-confirm, reminder.. they kept asking me to show them the actual email which I didn’t bother keeping. Even a confirmation from Resy app itself didn’t seem to satisfy them. Not one apology from the host or wait staff for the inconvenience; finally the manager came out, asked all the same questions and apologized, but all that aggravation was a moot point because the kitchen was closed anyway. I had to scramble to find an alternate post-theatre spot in Ktown that won’t make our clothes smell like kbbq in heavy rain.
Review from Feb 2026: A cute little pub in k-town with nice drinks and good food. Gave 4 stars for food for now because I have yet to try that many different things on the menu. Love the vibe. It’s a place for you if you want to actually talk with your friends - not too noisy, not too dark, cozy setting. Hard to get a reservation, so do it in advance.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Ricardo De Lemos (HarDLemons)
We found this place close to the hotel we were staying, and decided to try it out. What great finding! Great atmosphere, food is great and the best cocktails we had on our trip to NYC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Shank Tender, Braised Short Ribs and Bone Marrow
Catherine Yang
The service was phenomenal, our server was attentive and incredibly polite. Overall, most of the food was fresh and flavorful, though on the pricey side. Nearly everything we ordered was enjoyable, with a few notable exceptions. The beef carpaccio missed the mark entirely. Rather than a true carpaccio, it resembled sliced roast beef and a salad was a throwaway because the dressing wasn’t very good- and the dressing makes the salad . While the beef tartare was extremely fresh and delicious, the spicy Korean sauce completely overpowered the meat. Unfortunately, the flavor of the beef was lost, I could have been eating anything and wouldn’t have known it was beef. The cured shrimp was solid, but the uni tasted like it was past its prime, and the quinoa was undetectable. I had expected some crispness for texture, but it fell flat. The squid fries were fried to perfection and very tasty, but the dipping sauce didn’t work for me…and for me, the sauce makes the dish. We also ordered two dozen Kumamoto oysters during happy hour, but they were disappointing. They seemed out of season-dry, lacking liquor, and many were unusually small. I also didn’t enjoy the dipping sauces. Unfortunately, I need some sort of cocktail sauce/horseradish or Mignonette- I prefer it traditional that way. One standout dish of the night was the Johnson Tang. It was my first time trying something like it, and the flavor was exceptional. The depth and complexity were hard to describe, and I was genuinely, pleasantly surprised, which doesn’t happen often.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Squid Fries
The Chinese Guy
Came here on Valentine’s Day with my date, and we left very happy (which honestly says a lot because Valentine’s dinners can be chaotic). I ordered the kimchi fried rice with steak, and WOW — it was straight fire. Perfect flavor, generous portion, no notes.
We grabbed seats at the bar, and Marvin took amazing care of us all night. Attentive without being overbearing, great energy, and made the whole experience even better.
Great food, great service, great vibes. Would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
april choi
If you’re looking for Pacific Ocean oysters, look no further. The Kumamoto oysters they offer perfectly hit the spot for our family. Among the other dishes we tried, our favorites were the endive and pear salad, the uni rice, and clam soup. We came with our family, but this place also feels perfect for a date night. I can’t wait to come back and explore more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
wendy gray
Super rude when I said I wasn’t happy with my drink. Then made me a $4 white gummy bear cocktail and tried to pass it off as craft. That’s ALL you need to know about this place.
We walked in 25 minutes before close for a nightcap. They already seemed annoyed we were there. I asked for a tart cocktail and the first bartender told me there was nothing on the menu like that. He called another bartender over, who clearly just found something on the menu to sell me and told me this cocktail with rose in it was tart. I specifically asked if it was super rose forward because I don’t love rose, but can do a subtle rose flavor. He told me very confidently, “no, it’s not!!” Liar. It was the MOST rosy, LEAST tart cocktail I’ve ever had. I asked for something else and the bartender initially told me no because they had already done last call... Mind you, it wasn’t even midnight yet and they close at 1 am. They finally BEGRUDGINGLY agreed to make me another cocktail. I repeated I wanted something tart and they proceeded to make me…….. a white gummy bear shot as a cocktail and thought I wouldn’t notice. For $18. ABSOLUTE TRASH. Don’t go here if you want a bartender who knows what they’re doing or cares about your preferences. Absolutely the worst bar we’ve been to in NYC. Perhaps they need to be reminded that some of their guests have worked in the restaurant industry and know EXACTLY what they’re doing and how they’re manipulating and ripping off their guests.
TL;DR find somewhere else to spend your money. They don’t care about their guests and will happily rip you off while giving you the worst tasting drinks. Not worth the money or the attitude.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Suling Zhou
Best thing is kimchi fried rice with steak😍😍 and truffle fries
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Hahn
Speakeasy a trend. One of the better ones. Namesake 531 cute. No prohibition here.
Narrow stairs up, reminiscent of soju house, third floor... nice decor. Silk wallpaper, mirror frames, silhouettes curtains, darkly-lit, individual lighting. Wall of antics, LP, typewriter, etc.
We had a bottle of white wine, only option in the menu, Flowers. Very short selection likely intentional. Perhaps good strategy to bias cocktails. Similarly saw bottles of Buffalo Trace. But, when asked, not in the menu despite extensive in Scotch, even Japanese.
Cocktails, we tried several. Carrot concoction very well made. Negroni and old fashioned too. Oyster only kumamoto not bad. Sweet potato fries, opposite of shoestring version, nicely done. Delish.
Service bit perky. Guests at times may, but servers, no need to be overly assertive. No reservation, so only couple hours. But, asked to leave although several other tables available. No problem. We wrapped up. There are plenty other watering holes in this city that never sleeps.
Solid food. Will give them that. However, the service was really unpleasant.
We were advised of a 2 hour limit after we were seated. It’s news to us even though we had a reservation, but still understandable. A couple of our friends were delayed due to the recent snow storm, so we went ahead and ordered food and drinks. However, the server (Elle) just kept pressing us and asking if our friends were coming at each turn, while being very passive aggressive throughout.
Nevertheless, we still respected their 2 hour limit. Only to notice the party next to us (same size - seated before us still enjoying their meal, with another person joining them as we were leaving. WELL over 2 hours).
It makes one wonder why the arbitrary rule and whether the rule only applies to non-Korean customers. Will not return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Alana de Haan
10/10 incredible meal. The wings were extraordinary. A must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Romina Metse
Amazing spot with a great vibe, excellent cocktails, and delicious food. Everything was beautifully presented and full of flavor. The service was friendly and professional, and the hidden speakeasy upstairs is a really fun touch. Highly recommended — I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Savannah Drechsler
i loved everything. the food was to die for. no complaints on service. the vibe was nice. i cannot wait to go back and try more dishes
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kimberly Curry
delicious signature Korean cocktails that were all uniquely flavored. They also played great hip hop music the whole time and the patrons were young and hip
I came here with my wife for the first time on Monday and had an amazing time. The bartenders Marvin and Jonathan were absolutely friendly and welcoming.
Marving was very attentive of us making sure we were ok and gave us really amazing recommendations the Mushroom japchae is amazing I recommend everyone to try it.
Jonathan made amazing cocktails for us ,super friendly and charismatic he made us laugh a few times.
The food was Top tier I highly recommend everyone to come.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was very good, maybe a little bit pricy for what it was. The atmosphere at this restaurant is great but the service ruined the experience for me and my party. Un-attentive waiters that rarely checked in without having to be flagged down. They forgot a food item and it took them 30 additional minutes to bring out.
March 2026 update: I’m changing my review after my latest visit. First, if the kitchen closes at 9:30, that should be prominently disclosed in its reservation system for reservations later than 9:30. But worst of the night was that their reservation system messed up and despite my showing all the text messages I got from Resy - the confirmation, re-confirm, reminder.. they kept asking me to show them the actual email which I didn’t bother keeping. Even a confirmation from Resy app itself didn’t seem to satisfy them. Not one apology from the host or wait staff for the inconvenience; finally the manager came out, asked all the same questions and apologized, but all that aggravation was a moot point because the kitchen was closed anyway. I had to scramble to find an alternate post-theatre spot in Ktown that won’t make our clothes smell like kbbq in heavy rain.
Review from Feb 2026: A cute little pub in k-town with nice drinks and good food. Gave 4 stars for food for now because I have yet to try that many different things on the menu. Love the vibe. It’s a place for you if you want to actually talk with your friends - not too noisy, not too dark, cozy setting. Hard to get a reservation, so do it in advance.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
We found this place close to the hotel we were staying, and decided to try it out.
What great finding! Great atmosphere, food is great and the best cocktails we had on our trip to NYC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Shank Tender, Braised Short Ribs and Bone Marrow
The service was phenomenal, our server was attentive and incredibly polite. Overall, most of the food was fresh and flavorful, though on the pricey side. Nearly everything we ordered was enjoyable, with a few notable exceptions.
The beef carpaccio missed the mark entirely. Rather than a true carpaccio, it resembled sliced roast beef and a salad was a throwaway because the dressing wasn’t very good- and the dressing makes the salad . While the beef tartare was extremely fresh and delicious, the spicy Korean sauce completely overpowered the meat. Unfortunately, the flavor of the beef was lost, I could have been eating anything and wouldn’t have known it was beef.
The cured shrimp was solid, but the uni tasted like it was past its prime, and the quinoa was undetectable. I had expected some crispness for texture, but it fell flat.
The squid fries were fried to perfection and very tasty, but the dipping sauce didn’t work for me…and for me, the sauce makes the dish.
We also ordered two dozen Kumamoto oysters during happy hour, but they were disappointing. They seemed out of season-dry, lacking liquor, and many were unusually small. I also didn’t enjoy the dipping sauces. Unfortunately, I need some sort of cocktail sauce/horseradish or Mignonette- I prefer it traditional that way.
One standout dish of the night was the Johnson Tang. It was my first time trying something like it, and the flavor was exceptional. The depth and complexity were hard to describe, and I was genuinely, pleasantly surprised, which doesn’t happen often.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Squid Fries
Came here on Valentine’s Day with my date, and we left very happy (which honestly says a lot because Valentine’s dinners can be chaotic). I ordered the kimchi fried rice with steak, and WOW — it was straight fire. Perfect flavor, generous portion, no notes.
We grabbed seats at the bar, and Marvin took amazing care of us all night. Attentive without being overbearing, great energy, and made the whole experience even better.
Great food, great service, great vibes. Would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you’re looking for Pacific Ocean oysters, look no further. The Kumamoto oysters they offer perfectly hit the spot for our family. Among the other dishes we tried, our favorites were the endive and pear salad, the uni rice, and clam soup. We came with our family, but this place also feels perfect for a date night. I can’t wait to come back and explore more of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Super rude when I said I wasn’t happy with my drink. Then made me a $4 white gummy bear cocktail and tried to pass it off as craft. That’s ALL you need to know about this place.
We walked in 25 minutes before close for a nightcap. They already seemed annoyed we were there. I asked for a tart cocktail and the first bartender told me there was nothing on the menu like that. He called another bartender over, who clearly just found something on the menu to sell me and told me this cocktail with rose in it was tart. I specifically asked if it was super rose forward because I don’t love rose, but can do a subtle rose flavor. He told me very confidently, “no, it’s not!!” Liar. It was the MOST rosy, LEAST tart cocktail I’ve ever had. I asked for something else and the bartender initially told me no because they had already done last call... Mind you, it wasn’t even midnight yet and they close at 1 am. They finally BEGRUDGINGLY agreed to make me another cocktail. I repeated I wanted something tart and they proceeded to make me…….. a white gummy bear shot as a cocktail and thought I wouldn’t notice. For $18. ABSOLUTE TRASH. Don’t go here if you want a bartender who knows what they’re doing or cares about your preferences. Absolutely the worst bar we’ve been to in NYC. Perhaps they need to be reminded that some of their guests have worked in the restaurant industry and know EXACTLY what they’re doing and how they’re manipulating and ripping off their guests.
TL;DR find somewhere else to spend your money. They don’t care about their guests and will happily rip you off while giving you the worst tasting drinks. Not worth the money or the attitude.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 1
Best thing is kimchi fried rice with steak😍😍 and truffle fries
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Speakeasy a trend. One of the better ones.
Namesake 531 cute.
No prohibition here.
Narrow stairs up, reminiscent of soju house, third floor... nice decor. Silk wallpaper, mirror frames, silhouettes curtains, darkly-lit, individual lighting. Wall of antics, LP, typewriter, etc.
We had a bottle of white wine, only option in the menu, Flowers. Very short selection likely intentional. Perhaps good strategy to bias cocktails.
Similarly saw bottles of Buffalo Trace. But, when asked, not in the menu despite extensive in Scotch, even Japanese.
Cocktails, we tried several. Carrot concoction very well made. Negroni and old fashioned too.
Oyster only kumamoto not bad.
Sweet potato fries, opposite of shoestring version, nicely done. Delish.
Service bit perky. Guests at times may, but servers, no need to be overly assertive. No reservation, so only couple hours. But, asked to leave although several other tables available.
No problem. We wrapped up. There are plenty other watering holes in this city that never sleeps.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Solid food. Will give them that. However, the service was really unpleasant.
We were advised of a 2 hour limit after we were seated. It’s news to us even though we had a reservation, but still understandable. A couple of our friends were delayed due to the recent snow storm, so we went ahead and ordered food and drinks. However, the server (Elle) just kept pressing us and asking if our friends were coming at each turn, while being very passive aggressive throughout.
Nevertheless, we still respected their 2 hour limit. Only to notice the party next to us (same size - seated before us still enjoying their meal, with another person joining them as we were leaving. WELL over 2 hours).
It makes one wonder why the arbitrary rule and whether the rule only applies to non-Korean customers. Will not return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
10/10 incredible meal. The wings were extraordinary. A must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing spot with a great vibe, excellent cocktails, and delicious food. Everything was beautifully presented and full of flavor. The service was friendly and professional, and the hidden speakeasy upstairs is a really fun touch. Highly recommended — I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
i loved everything.
the food was to die for. no complaints on service. the vibe was nice.
i cannot wait to go back and try more dishes
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
delicious signature Korean cocktails that were all uniquely flavored. They also played great hip hop music the whole time and the patrons were young and hip
Service: 5
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