New York City / Korean
Best Korean
Restaurants in NYC
Where to go for the grill-at-your-table KBBQ night, a proper Korean dinner, and the best Korean fried chicken — with prices and the group move.
K-Town runs late; book the KBBQ tables ahead. Barn Joo’s $1.75 oyster happy hour runs 12–5pm daily.
- 12 spots
- KBBQ to fried chicken
- 3 Michelin stars
- a real oyster deal
The short version
- KBBQ splurgeCote (Flatiron) – the Michelin-starred $82 Butcher’s Feast.
- Traditional KBBQJongro (Koreatown) – thick-cut pork belly, walk-in only.
- Best for groupsGunbae (Tribeca) – grill upstairs, private karaoke down.
- Fine diningJua and Mari – two Michelin one-stars.
- Fried chickenTurntable Chicken Jazz – wings, beer towers, open late.
The best Korean restaurant in NYC depends on the night you want. For grill-at-your-table KBBQ, Cote in the Flatiron is the Michelin-starred splurge (the $82 Butcher’s Feast), Jongro in Koreatown is the traditional walk-in workhorse, and Gunbae in Tribeca pairs the grill with private karaoke rooms. For a proper sit-down Korean dinner, the Michelin one-stars Jua and Mari lead, with Osamil and homestyle Her Name Is Han right behind. And for Korean fried chicken, Turntable Chicken Jazz is the group move. This guide covers 12 spots across all three – KBBQ, the sit-down dinners, and the fried chicken – with prices, what to order, and whether it’s a reservation or a walk-in. One tip: K-Town is the densest cluster, but the best meal might be a few blocks out.
At a glance
Grouped by the kind of night: grill, sit-down, or fried chicken. Tap a number on the map to place it.
| Spot | Signature | Area | $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cote | Michelin Butcher’s Feast | Flatiron | $$$ |
| Jongro BBQ | Traditional KBBQ, pork belly | Koreatown | $$$ |
| Gunbae | KBBQ + karaoke rooms | Tribeca | $$$ |
| Golden Hof | Korean pub, wings + pancakes | Midtown | $$$ |
| Barn Joo | KBBQ + $1.75 oyster HH | Union Square | $$$ |
| Jua | Michelin wood-fired tasting | Flatiron | $$$ |
| Mari | Michelin handroll tasting | Hell’s Kitchen | $$$ |
| Osamil | Uni bibimbap, gastropub | Koreatown | $$$ |
| Her Name Is Han | Homestyle galbi + hot pot | Koreatown | $$$ |
| Thursday Kitchen | Korean small plates | East Village | $$$ |
| Turntable Chicken Jazz | Fried chicken + vinyl bar | Koreatown | $$$ |
| Pelicana Chicken | Yangnyeom fried chicken | Koreatown | $$$ |
Map: where these 12 spots are
Most cluster in Koreatown and the Flatiron – tap any pin for the order, the price, and directions.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for details and directions.
Korean BBQ (grill at your table)
The tableside-grill night, splurge to walk-in. More in our Koreatown guide.
Cote
The splurge, and worth every dollar if the occasion’s right. Cote is a Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in the Flatiron, and the move is the Butcher’s Feast ($82 per person) – four cuts plus the steak-and-egg souffle, stew and banchan, cooked at your table. The Verdict: this is the best-in-class KBBQ night in the city. The Honest Caveat: it’s steakhouse-priced, not a deal, and reservations release 30 days out at 10am and vanish – book the day the window opens. Use the Flatiron original, not the pricier Midtown one.
cotekoreansteakhouse.com · See our Flatiron happy hour
Jongro BBQ
The K-Town workhorse, and the one locals actually name. Jongro on 32nd Street grills thick-cut premium pork belly and well-marbled galbi butchered in-house, and the room is loud, packed and exactly right. The Verdict: the best traditional grill-it-yourself KBBQ in Koreatown. The Honest Caveat: no reservations – it’s walk-in only, so expect a real weekend wait. The Local Move: go for a weeknight dinner and you’ll walk right in. Don’t confuse it with the AYCE sister spot down the block.
jongrobbqny.com · See our Koreatown happy hour
Gunbae
KBBQ built for a group and a party. Gunbae in Tribeca does the tableside grill well – the Han-Sang combo feeds up to four with four meats, sundubu stew and dumplings – but the real draw is downstairs: four private karaoke rooms, the biggest fitting about 30. The Verdict: this is the birthday-and-bachelorette move, grill upstairs then sing downstairs. The Local Move: reserve a karaoke room ahead; walk-in karaoke opens at 5pm. Loud, fun, group-first.
gunbaetribeca.com · See our Tribeca happy hour
Golden Hof
More Korean drinking den than pure grill, and better for it on a weeknight. Golden Hof, near Rockefeller Center, is a modern ‘hof’ (beer hall) – gochujang wings, a bacon kimchi pancake, jjajang disco fries, and a NY Kimchi martini. The Verdict: this is the Korean-food-and-cocktails hang, not a tableside-grill night (it grills some items, but that’s not the point). The Honest Caveat: if you specifically want grill-at-your-table KBBQ, go to Jongro instead. For small plates and drinks, it’s a great time.
goldenhof.com · See our Midtown happy hour
Barn Joo
The Union Square all-rounder with an actual deal. Barn Joo is a lively Korean gastropub with KBBQ grill tables upstairs and – the reason to time it – a daily happy hour (12-5pm) with $1.75 oysters. The Verdict: come for the gastropub small plates and the oyster deal, or book a BBQ table for the full grill night. The Honest Caveat: a BBQ table needs a reservation (with a 15-minute grace period). Use the Union Square location – the NoMad one is closed.
barnjoo.com · See our Union Square happy hour
Modern & traditional Korean
A proper sit-down Korean dinner — two Michelin stars and two homestyle rooms.
Jua
The high-end modern-Korean pick, and a genuine special-occasion meal. Jua in the Flatiron holds a Michelin star, and the seven-course wood-fired tasting (~$135) runs from mulhoe to dry-aged branzino to wood-fired lamb. The Verdict: this is Korean cooking as fine dining, intimate and precise. The Honest Caveat: it’s a tasting-menu commitment, not a group grill night – reservations required, and it’s small. The Local Move: for the same team’s a la carte, group-friendly version, their sister spot Moono is the move.
juanyc.com · See our Flatiron happy hour
Mari
The other Michelin one-star, and the most quietly thrilling meal on this list. Mari in Hell’s Kitchen is a counter, and the tasting (~$145) reimagines the Korean handroll – snow crab, pork belly, one perfect bite after another. The Verdict: if Jua is the wood-fired splurge, Mari is the intimate, handroll-focused one. The Honest Caveat: it’s a counter-and-tasting format, so it’s for two, not a group, and reservations are essential. A special night, start to finish.
marinyc.com · See our Hell’s Kitchen happy hour
Osamil
The cool-kids Koreatown gastropub, dim and R&B-soundtracked. Osamil on 31st Street does modern Korean – the uni bibimbap is the signature, plus double-fried wings and cheesy rice cakes – and pours oversized, shareable cocktails. The Verdict: this is the stylish, group-friendly Korean dinner-and-drinks move in K-Town. The Local Move: reservations are strongly recommended on Resy, and there’s an upstairs bar (Osamil Upstairs) if you’re waiting. Upscale-cool without being stuffy.
osamil.com · See our Koreatown happy hour
Her Name Is Han
The homestyle one, and the antidote to a loud grill night. Her Name Is Han, just off K-Town, cooks Korean home cooking – fire-grilled LA galbi, a seafood stew that’s a must, and the C7 spicy hot pot (~$26) that feeds three or four. The Verdict: cozy, rustic, and built for sharing pots family-style. The Local Move: it’s well-suited to groups and takes reservations up to 30 days out; the set lunches (~$9-11) are a steal. Comfort food, done right.
hernameishan.com · See our Koreatown happy hour
Thursday Kitchen
The buzzy East Village cult spot, all small plates and energy. Thursday Kitchen does modern Korean tapas – the Korean popcorn chicken (~$13), truffle mac & cheese and a seafood pancake are the orders – in a cramped, loud room people line up for. The Verdict: great fun for two or a small group grazing over cocktails. The Honest Caveat: no reservations and walk-in only, and parties over six can’t be guaranteed a table – so keep it small and come early.
thursdaykitchen.com · See our East Village happy hour
Korean fried chicken
The double-fried, sweet-and-spicy move — for a group and a beer.
Turntable Chicken Jazz
The Korean fried chicken move, with a vinyl soundtrack. Turntable near Penn Station does boneless and bone-in wings – spicy sweet-and-sour or soy garlic – plus a bulgogi burger and beer towers, in a record-lined room. The Verdict: this is the fried-chicken-and-beer group hang, and it’s open late (2am Friday and Saturday). The Local Move: great for big groups, takes reservations and welcomes walk-ins. Order both wing flavors and a tower.
turntablenyc.com · See our Koreatown happy hour
Pelicana Chicken
The no-frills fried-chicken counter when you just want the bird. Pelicana, inside the Food Gallery 32 food hall in K-Town, fries it fresh – original crispy, yangnyeom (sweet and spicy), soy-garlic, or a half-and-half combo (~$18-24). The Verdict: this is the fast, casual Korean-fried-chicken pick, not a sit-down scene. The Honest Caveat: it’s a food-hall counter with limited seating and no reservations, so it’s a grab-and-share, not a destination. Use the 32nd Street location – the 10th Ave one is closed.
See our Koreatown happy hour
Best Korean Restaurants NYC: FAQ
What is the best Korean restaurant in NYC?
It depends on the night. For KBBQ, Cote in the Flatiron is the Michelin-starred splurge and Jongro in Koreatown the traditional pick. For a sit-down Korean dinner, the Michelin one-stars Jua and Mari lead. And for Korean fried chicken, Turntable Chicken Jazz is the move.
Where’s the best Korean BBQ in NYC?
Cote (Flatiron) is the Michelin-starred, special-occasion KBBQ – the $82 Butcher’s Feast is the order. For traditional grill-it-yourself in Koreatown, Jongro is the pick (walk-in only, expect a wait). And Gunbae in Tribeca is the group move, with private karaoke rooms downstairs.
Where’s the best Korean fried chicken in NYC?
Turntable Chicken Jazz near Penn Station is the go-to – both wing flavors, beer towers, open until 2am on weekends, great for groups. Pelicana in the Food Gallery 32 food hall is the fast, casual counter version. Several K-Town spots (Golden Hof, Osamil) also do excellent double-fried wings as a side.
Which NYC Korean spots take reservations vs. walk-in?
Book ahead for Cote (30 days out, 10am), Jua, Mari, Osamil, Her Name Is Han, and a Barn Joo BBQ table. Walk-in only: Jongro and Thursday Kitchen – go early on weekends to avoid a long wait. Turntable takes both.
Where’s the best Korean food in Koreatown?
Jongro for traditional KBBQ, Osamil for a modern gastropub dinner, Her Name Is Han for homestyle cooking, and Turntable or Pelicana for fried chicken – all within a few blocks of 32nd Street. For the splurge, Cote and Jua are a short walk south in the Flatiron.
Last updated: July 2026. Hours, prices and menus change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
