Ong Gie Korean Restaurant is one of the top spots in Edinburgh if you’re looking for a Korean BBQ experience. It’s only a walk from the city centre and Waverley Station, so it’s quite accessible to many people.

The restaurant has a spacious and bright interior with large tables equipped with gas grills. You can have their staff show you the right way to grill the food, and proceed to cook dishes yourself for the rest of the meal.

Their most popular items are their beef, pork, and chicken BBQ sets and fried chicken set, which we think are must-tries. They also have great lunch sets and a takeaway menu for bulgogi sets, bibimbap, stews, and an assortment of appetisers.

Although locals have given this restaurant high praise for their menu range and affordable prices, we’ve observed that many Korean travellers have commented that some of their dishes don’t give much of an authentic Korean flavour.

We’ve also observed that service, food quality, and serving sizes can be a hit or miss, especially during their busiest days, which is usually during weekends. On quieter days, however, staff members even chat with customers about how their dishes are made.

We recommend readers reserve a table and come earlier than their booked time slot. Even though they have a few points to improve on, Ong Gie Korean Restaurant is still notably a popular option in Edinburgh.

Korean BBQ Edinburgh might have the same speciality as Ong Gie, but they have their differences. You have the advantage of choosing between their two branches in Edinburgh, which are both highly rated by customers.

Inside, the atmosphere is warm and the place is well-decorated. They even have instructions on the walls on how to perfectly grill your meat, which we think is a great addition to help customers coming in for the first time.

Having noticed that most Korean cuisine in the UK is more or less adapted to the Western style, Korean BBQ wanted to bring authenticity to the table, using ingredients that are available to them.

They do a good job in doing so, especially with the chef specials such as kimchi-guk, bulgogi, gogigui, and budae jjigae. Of course, one of their most popular offerings is the BBQ beef set, which has well-marinated and flavourful meat.

Like Ong Gie, Korean BBQ is a small and busy restaurant, so you’ll have to call staff for service quite frequently. They also specifically say that they require booking at least 1 day before visiting for two people or more, so you can’t dine alone.

It’s best to eat at Korean BBQ with a small group of three-four people and to bring cash on hand because their card payment option isn’t always available. Overall, it’s an accessible and affordable option for satisfying your Korean BBQ cravings.

Hanmi is the very first tabletop Korean barbeque restaurant, so it has a reputation to uphold. Its newly renovated interiors are modern, spacious, and stylish, which make it an inviting place.

One of their advantages over the previous Korean BBQ restaurants in our guide is that they have smoke extractors over every table similar to authentic BBQ places in Korea. This keeps the smell of meat and smoke from getting on your clothes. 

Hanmi has an extensive menu ranging from classic BBQ sets, stew rice meals, noodle dishes, hot pot, and seafood choices like salmon and scallops. They also offer non-traditional Korean dishes like katsu and teriyaki, for a change in flavour.

Visitors also recommended going for their all-you-can-eat experience, which is a great way to taste a lot of main and side dishes. However, their BBQ and regular set meals are pretty pricey, and Korean dishes also do not taste the most authentic.

There’s also a huge language barrier with staff that hinders them from being accommodating. They also have takeaway options – but of course, you’d have to visit in person to get the full experience.

Still, Hanmi is a lovely family-run restaurant that’s informal and spacious enough to go to if you’re with a group with four or more members. They’re also open every day until late hours, which is a huge plus.

Kim’s Mini Meals is a cosy, family-run Korean restaurant based near the University of Edinburgh. It’s frequented by students for its affordable meals and is well-loved by those living around the area.

Although the place is on the smaller side and doesn’t offer the full BBQ experience, we’re glad to say that the dishes served are of consistently good quality and very authentic tasting.

Their most popular items include pork ribs, kimchi & sundubu jjigae, bulgogi, and a lot of other options that aren’t available in other Korean restaurants. Of course, Mrs. Kim’s homemade kimchi is a must-have.

Another aspect we love is that they allow customers to choose the spice level for most dishes, which is convenient for those with a lower spice tolerance. They also serve portions that are worth the price you pay.

Do note, however, that they do not take reservations, so we recommend going earlier than opening times to try and miss the queue. The venue isn’t as spacious and as posh as others, so definitely prepare for a casual dining experience only.

We highly recommend trying Kim’s Mini Meals if you’re craving hearty, flavourful simple Korean classics. Hopefully, they’ll implement a reservation system soon – in the meantime, be ready to brace their 15-20 minute queues.

Lastly, we have Cafe Andamiro, another informal establishment serving both Korean and Japanese dishes. We had high expectations since they have some of the highest consumer ratings on our guide – thankfully, these were met.

As an Asian fusion restaurant, they have a mixed menu. Their Korean dishes include several jjigae options like sundubu, yukgaejang, and kimchi jigae, as well as sizzling plate meals such as ttukbaegi bulgogi, bokkeum bulgogi, dak galbi, and others.

Their Japanese dishes include a variety of donburi, katsu, and ramen. Unfortunately, a majority of Cafe Andamiro’s menu consists of Japanese food, so don’t expect to have a long list of options.

But since they are primarily a cafe, they have a great drinks selection from teas and lattes to juice drinks. Their ginger tea, matcha latte and cake, and Korean lemonade are some of the most well-received on their menu.

In terms of service, the staff is known to be courteous and very friendly. Customers will also appreciate that they have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free versions of most of their dishes, which is a plus.

We recommend Cafe Andamiro to those looking to have a peaceful meal alone or with a small group of people. The place also isn’t that busy, but they do accept reservations through their website in case you want to secure a time slot.