Recommended as a good option for dinner while in town. Stopped by to add our name to the waiting list as we were told it would be an hour wait (actually 90 minutes). Waited at a pub across the street as suggested. We checked back a number of times and felt others were called in before us. We finally got in at 9:30pm and escorted to the bottom section of the restaurant, small but happy to be sitting down. Vibe was quiet but not bad, just not the same as upstairs. Our wait staff advised us that it would be 20-30 minutes add'l for any Sushi or Sashimi, which is what this restaurant is known for as well as Korean? ? ? OK, so we wait since we're highly invested now, we finally get very simple items: edamame (lacking rock salt), a roll, a few sashimi and soft shell crab. The food was simply "just" OK but not worth 115 minutes of my life. All of the sudden @10:15 on Friday night, the wait staff drops the ticket on our table. We are not finished, called her over and asked why we have the bill. She says it's time to close & the Sushi chef turns off the works light. We call the manager (who has a very uncaring attitude) and ask what's going on AS we just sat down? He says that it was last call and we said we were not made aware of this. He reluctantly said OK & another staff member with even more attitude literally says nothing and drops the food on the table with no thank you, no enjoy your entree or did she bring any sauces. I try to avoid negative postings like this but I'm unsure how to improve this. The facts are the facts!!! The staff needs some classes in "customer care". These guys clearly have more business then they know what to do with. I will take my hard earned money to one of many other similar restaurants in the area, read more

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I seeked this place out because of its great yelp reviews and it also gave me an excuse to invite my friend along who lives around the area. When we first arrived, the small little restaurant was packed, and they kindly let me know it'd be about a 20 minute wait so we decided to go grab a drink elsewhere and come back. With Korean and Japanese on the menu, I went with ordering a Shrimp Tempura Crunch roll, Bulgogi Bibimbap, Dakbulgogi, and Jap Chae. The crunch roll was very good, and the great thing was that it tasted very fresh, which is always a plus. The Jap Chae was okay, not exactly sure what was off about it but it needed a little something. The bibimbap was very tasty, however, Bibimbap in Soho beats them on this one in my opinion. The Dakbulgogi was delicious. Succulent chicken drenched in spicy sauce, I love it. We also ended the dinner on a good note by getting some green tea ice cream. Overall, a lovely place with very good food. A bit out of my way, but if I'm ever craving some Korean, Dotori is a nice spot to go to. read more

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This is a great place if you're a value-driven sushi purist. In other words, you're not the type that needs rolls named after celebrities or a conveyer belt to deliver your food. For dinner we had the house roll, sashimi, and eel teriyaki.: -The house roll was good and decidedly non-fishy (it contained marinated beef and asparagus). -The sashimi was the usual fare. Salmon, tuna, and other types of fish served on daikon. Really nice and fresh, but would have been happier if they gave me enough wasabi to make my sinuses cry. -The eel teriyaki was a BEAST (but still a sweet and tender beast). A huge slab of grilled eel (think warm unagi) on a bed of bean sprouts. All very good and reasonably priced (if I recall correctly, everything listed above is under a tenner). Dotori also have an extensive menu of Korean dishes (really this place is more Korean than Japanese). Will have to check these out next time. Finally, they serve two beers here: Hite (Korean) and Asahi (Japanese). If you're looking for an anti-Yo-Sushi, this is it. read more

Dotori - eel teriyaki - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I absolutely adore this little place! Usually cheap food means compromised quality. This is literally the cheapest place to have Korean and Japanese food, but the quality is absolutely amazing! Come as a group and order the set menu to share (which you can make moderations to) and add some of your favorite dishes. The bill came to £65 for 5 people with drinks included. My personal recommendations include: - udon noodles (freshly made, not packet stuff) - bimibap (in a super hot bowl that makes the rice crispy) - tempura (the batter is just perfection) You should always book, but if you can't get through, then walk in might also an option for 2 people during non-peak hours. read more

Dotori - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I love Dotori - it's a total gem in Finsbury Park. The menu is split between Japanese and Korean food. I've really only tried the Japanese but have heard brilliant reports about the other food on offer. The Sashimi has been perfect everytime as have the lovely gyoza, miso soup and noodles. The staff are really lovely, the place itself very unassuming and welcoming and I cannot fault it at all. This sort of place is an oasis in an area full of vile chicken fast food joints! read more

Dotori - I *heart* Dotori - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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Great authentic Korean food! Prawn Tempura and Gyoza's were lovely. Staff were attentive and service was great. Can't say a bad word about this place. Would recommend highly! read more

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My daughter had eaten here before and knowing that I loved Korean food she suggested we visited for lunch today. We arrived at around 12.20pm and I'm glad we got there quite early as the small restaurant filled up really quickly. There was an extensive Korean and Japanese menu and the portions are very generous, I couldn't finish my food! My daughter had Bulgoggi Deopbap and I had the Haemul Tang along with a couple of side orders of their yummy kimchi. I highly recommend the quality and quantity of the food. If you plan on visiting at lunch time, I recommend getting there early. If you're going for dinner, I definitely recommend booking! read more

Dotori - Haemul Tang at the lovely Dotori Restaurant - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

You're not allowed to go here. It's difficult enough getting a table at the best of times without you going here as well. Too bad that the food is amazing: a fantastic mix of Japanese and Korean classics, great-value set meals, fresh-tasting hot and cold options and tasty delights. Too bad that it's insanely cheap, and convenient what with being just minutes from Finsbury park station. Too bad that the service is speedy and friendly, and that they'll do their best to squeeze you in even with no reservation on a busy evening/ Too bad that the atmosphere is convivial and reminiscent of a cheap eats kind of place in Harajuku. It's just too bad. You're not allowed. Sorry. read more

We loved this place since day one when they opened. At that time to find a place was easy but now you need to book. And they really deserve it as the food is really great, not only Korean food selection but even Sushi. Indeed a hidden gem. read more

I feel I ripped someone off - how can my friends and I have a multi-course set menu of Japanese and Korean dishes, add some specials on top as well, drink bottles of Hite and it only come to £20 each? Answers on a postcard please So as you can see... I'm not complaining about the prices here. They are more than generous and more than a bargain. This is the perfect choice for a low-cost group dinner and it doesn't show 1 bit in the food. Recommendations - spicy fried squid starter, korean fried chicken and all the set menus. read more

The best Korean food outside of Korea - if you can get in. The Japanese dishes are an extra bonus as they are amazing also. We've been coming here since the day they opened. Every so often we'll try and get in for our standard order of Dubu Kimchi, Kkanpunggi and a Beef Donburi. Sometimes I'll go for sushi with some Unagi or a Dragon Roll. I can't fault this place at all really. It's really cramped, really REALLY hard to get them on the phone and it's really worth the effort. I just wish they had a place twice the size. They've expanded into the basement now which is great but they're still full every night. More power to them. Dotori is a really nice spot to have in Finsbury Park. read more

Mmm kimchijjigae on a cold wet day makes everything better. Love. read more

Dotori - Kimchijjigae is wonderful on a cold wet day - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Super quick service with incredibly accommodating staff seeing I hadn't booked in advance and was trying to grab a quick bite before a gig. They fitted me in and were happy for me to have the table for a good hour. Not needed as the food was in the table in less than 10minutes of me ordering! Excellent presentation, pretty tasty, very hearty and all for under £8! (50p card charge if your bill is under £10). Now to dash to the gig! read more

Dotori - Tempura donburi in under 10minutes! - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

We had to go to the Finsbury Park area to run a couple of errands (involving suit fittings and buying cheese). We got off the train, and I was ready to find some food. So I turned to Yelp and realized that I hadn't had Korean food since moving from the Bay Area! I hadn't gone often, so I'm a bit of a Korean virgin, but I remembered liking what I had, so I thought why not? It's quite small, and it was incredibly busy for 2:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. But we get a place to sit, and we order the Korean set menu for two (about £13 a person) and green tea ice tea. The tea was really good. It was incredibly green looking, which creeped me out at first, but the taste was amazing. The set meal included five Korean small dishes (cucumber kim chee, seaweed, bean sprouts, some greens, and something else I didn't recognize) to start and all were very tasty. I would have preferred my kim chee to be a bit spicier, but the flavors were nice. Next they brought us some fried chicken in a sweet and spicy sauce and seafood pancakes. The chicken was a bit tough, but the flavor was amazing. The pancakes were probably my favorite part of the whole meal. Full of flavor and a great texture. Last, we had some bulgogi. Delicious! The service is a bit slow, but I think it was partly due to the place being packed. Anyway, if I'm ever back in the Finsbury Park area and want Korean, I'll be back! (Maybe we'll try some of the Japanese this time.) read more

I love this place! Have been coming here for Korean food since 2009. Have always lived walking distance and take all of our friends here for a guaranteed great meal. It's a family business and the consistency is incredible. I've lost count of how many times I've eaten here but it's always great. I've had both my birthday and my husband's birthday here with tables for 18 and despite being a tiny restaurant, they are always friendly and accommodating. They also serve Japanese food which is delicious but I think they excel in the Korean side of things. Highlights include the dumplings the rice sticks, the kimchi pancake, the mapo fried tofu, the fried tofu bento box, the deep fried and stir fried korean squid, the beef bulgoggi and the black sesame ice cream. They are super busy so it's rare that you'd ever get a table without booking but sometimes if it's just two of you they have room at the bar downstairs. They rarely pick up the phone which is annoying but keep trying because it's totally worth it! One of my favourite restaurants in London. read more

My order: maeuntang (spicy fish stew), £7.50 and iced green tea, £1.50 Pros: Large portion of bubbling goodness for an all-time low price, by London standards, and it had a generous serving of seafood - fish, shrimp, mussels. Rice comes for free, which one should not take for granted in many Asian restaurants here. This little restaurant is literally a 3 minute walk from my flat. Quick, fuss-free service. Cons: Not the best maeuntang I've had. It was missing minari (water dropwort) and ssukgat (edible chrysanthemum), both of which are staple ingredients in basic maeuntang, not to mention the substitution of enoki mushrooms with white mushrooms. Struggles. No complimentary banchan, which again, is standard for Korean restaurants in London, but you can hardly call any Korean meal authentic if it's not accompanied by some kimchi, at the very least (although I should mention that there was a little appetizer salad and I was given a couple orange slices with the check). Spice level was turned way down. I would have liked cold boricha (Korean barley tea) rather than green tea, but they didn't have it. :( All in all, this starving student left comfortably full, and my craving for Korean food was sufficiently quenched, although I'm still dreaming about my mom's home-cooked meals. Also, I have an inherent bias against places that serve both Korean and Japanese cuisine. read more

Went again today -- shared a bulgogi bibimbap, a hot beef soup (which was filled with big strands of meat and packed full of soft veggies), and tempura. All were great. The tempura was very light and had crispy bits all over (almost like pieces of panko but not heavy light bread), the bibibap was excellent with teh very tender and deliciously seasoned bulgogi, and the soup was terrific; spicy, filled to the brim with veggies and meat, and a major bargain. I imagine places in New Malden are better when you get BBQ or other more involved mains, but as a little bibimbap joint this place is as good as I've had in London. The cheap prices and generous portions popped this place from a 4 to a well-deserving 5. A caveat though; I've never ordered off their Japanese menu, nor do I ever intend to. read more

Very tasty. Unfortunately I do not know the proper Korean names of the dishes we had but everything on the menu is described underneath the names and are pretty basic delicious things. But i am definitely coming back again to write them down on here. WARNING: it's a fairly small place and they are getting really popular so it's good to call in advance and try to reserve before you go. You don't have to but it helps reduce wait time sometimes. they're still working out the newly popular kinks. read more

Cracking! Dotori sits inconspicuously in between a Sri Lankan accountancy firm and Nigerian take away just outside Finsbury Park station. It's popularity has increased exponentially as the hipster contingent of Dalston & Hackney drifts towards better transport connections and cheaper rent... The £23 set meal for two is great value and excellent quality. The starter salad has a special miso dressing (which you may be tempted to drink), the prawn tempura is expertly battered, the sushi is always fresh and delicious. For a main you can choose either a bento box or a bibimbap, both are generous and fun to eat. The staff are extremely friendly if a tiny bit organised, so it's advisable to get an earlier table in advance as this restaurant is chock a block every evening. I would highly recommend the green tea ice cream if you fancy dessert! read more

This little restaurant was so promising, and the starters of salad and kimchi were fab. I was super excited for my vegetarian Bento box to arrive, and not disappointed when it did. The tofu was particularly good - sticky, sweet and spicy. As I went around the box trying bits of everything, I finally came to the last piece and bit into it, only to realise that it seemed a lot like meat. I looked more closely and then was sure of it - I'd been served deep fried chicken with my vegetarian bento box. I called a waiter over and asked what it was, and I could see the horror on his face as he started to explain that it was chicken. I told him I'm a vegetarian and had ordered a vegetarian meal. He left without saying anything and then another waiter came over to apologise. She brought me the beans that were supposed to have been in the box and my partner ate the chicken. Luckily, I'm not too squeamish so I was still able to eat the rest and found it delicious, but I was still completely horrified and just can't believe that they were careless enough to make a mistake like that. I would have given them one star were it not for the fact that the food was actually good, just completely careless and inappropriate service. read more

A bit of an oddity, this tiny, excellent value restaurant is hidden by the station at the wrong end of Finsbury Park, but don't let the scuzzy environment and occasionally slightly scary locals (I think I can say this, I lived here for 6 years) put you off. What is unusual in an area featuring mainly low-end kebab and fried chicken points is the Japanese/Korean menu, and particularly the fact that it has it's own sushi chef. Now, I'm not a sushi fan, so I can only really talk about the other dishes, but the number of people eating it suggests that it is probably pretty good, and the pricing certainly looks good value. My favourites here are the excellent, delicate tempura, and spicy, chilli loaded korean dishes, and especially the bibimbap which comes in an hot stone bowl that gives the delicious crunchy crisped rice texture. Pricing is cheap, c. £20/head with a beer, and as a result most of the time you'll either need to book or be prepared to queue, and often you just won't get in. If you're a couple you'll probably be sharing a table, but this is all part of the experience at a little gem of a restaurant that offers something very different from the rest of the local eating scene. read more

Maybe it was because we got takeaway, or maybe it was because we lived in Korea for 4 months but food here was not that great. After trying 4 times to get into Dotori (they seemed to be closed for forever during Christmas) we finally got in the front door only to find they were booked out for the whole night. Desperate to get a taste of this place we ordered a portion of japchae, ddeokbokki, bulgogi bibimbap, beef stew and a salmon teriyaki bento box to take away. While the ddeokbokki was ON POINT the rest was so disappointingly average. The bulgogi was rock hard, the japchae lacking the normal ompf, and the salmon was just ok. I will say that everything is fantastic value for money though especially the bento box (only £12!) which also came with a box of prawn and veggie tempura - which I imagine would have tasted amazing at the restaurant but was kind of soggy after our 10 minute drive - and a plate of California rolls - which were actually pretty delicious. Maybe it would have been a different story if we had gotten a table but sadly this was not the taste of Korea we were hoping for. read more

Last night I ate at Dotori for the second time. It's a little place just around the corner from Finsbury Park tube station. It doesn't look much from the outside - I'd walked past it many times and never intended to visit until recommendations from friends and Timeout started popping up. You can't phone and book - the number online goes to a full mailbox and no one picks up, ever! They are great at trying to squeeze you in, though you may feel like you're dining with the people on the table next to you. The food is very tasty, although I haven't eaten Korean anywhere else so I don't haveva comparison. Both times I've had the raw beef and egg Bibimbap. They bring it in a sizzling bowl and stir it in in front if you so the beef and egg cooks into the rice and vegetables at your table. The spicy pork belly from the Korean BBQ section delicious and the portion size enough for 3 people to easily share. We tried the Chinese cabbage kimchi which I personally wasn't a fab of - there are much tastier things on the menu to eat. We opted for plum wine to accompany our meal. You can order Korean or Japanese. The sushi menu looks quite extensive and the bento boxes yummy, though I've stuck to just Korean food both times I've eaten there. Oh, based on my first visit I'd really recommend the meat dumplings. Dinner for two, with wine cost just under £40. The staff are helpful and friendly, but busy squeezing through a packed place with a non stop flow of diners seeking tables, even on a Tuesday night. I will defiantly continue to eat here! read more

Best Korean I've ever had. The Kim chi fried rice, bulgogi beef & bulgogi pork is to die for! Also love the red bean dessert. Brown rice tea is also delicious. Good prices and good service. read more

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Wow, this place was busy. Seems like everyone likes it! When I rocked up wanting to order takeaway there was a small group outside. Unfortunately I had a little trouble ordering. I was told to wait and then had to wait a short while before seeing someone else, however, it was clear that everybody was rushed off of their feet. I was told that it would be a 30 minute wait for food but as I was only going to a place 5 minutes away I booked and came back later. Food was ready almost to the minute! As for what we ordered - we got a couple of donburi bowls which were more than enough food, neither of us finished. Even after being packaged up and transported for a few minutes, it arrived still fresh and tasty. The pork katsu was a good piece of meet and the beef Gyudon was also very tasty. Worth the long wait! read more

Had heard a lot about this place on magazines and websites and finally got to try it out last week. The restaurant itself is really small so be prepared to wait and try to avoid sitting right inside the door (it's freezing!). The menu is split into Korean and Japenese. The chicken terriaki was nice but we have tasted nicer in soho. The Korean hot bowl dish was delicious and something different. Would call back again. read more

The food here is seriously good. Everything comes out piping hot and fast! My favorite dishes are bulgogi (marinated beef), the spicy shredded beef soup ( it is fairly spicy), the goyza and the steamed rice is perfection. The ser ice has always leaked but when I went today after not going for several months there was the nicest male waiter who always had a smile on his face. When you asked for something he didn't make it look as though u were bothering him, which is the expression u get from some of the women. Can we get a menu online?! read more

Dotori was absolutely delicious!!! I was surprised I hadn`t discovered it earlier, living so close to Finsbury Park. Me and my boyfriend tried bits from both the Japanese and Korean menu. Everything tasted great, I`m especially happy with the sushi I had. The staff was friendly, although struggling with English at places..:) However, what I managed to learn is, that it`s a family run restaurant. Also, try to book in advance, we had a booking, but people were queuing for ages to get a table (and it was on a Wednesday) Recommend it a lot!!! read more

Nice cosy place to eat in Finsbury park. 1 minutes from station which is very convenience to go by train. Food is really good and fresh. You should book before one week to make sure you have a table on the day you want because it quite small place. read more

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Good price. Shared meal for 2 with things from korea/japan mixed. Really good taste! Don't come here for the sushi tho, I think the korean part was better (but probably a personal taste). read more

It is imperative to book in advance, at least the day before if it is for a meal during the week. The venue is tiny and can only accommodate a few people. The food was of very good quality, and for a fair price. We ordered 2 starters, and 3 main courses. It came to £45 without drinks, a bargain! I recommend the barbecue pork belly and the Korean beef, which were amazing. The crab for starter was a little watery however. They also have a huge selection of sushi that we did not try. We will definitely be going there again. read more

This is always my safe choice when I want to make my meal interesting and amazingly presented. All of these things apply directly to Dotori and its buzzing atmosphere. The menu is full of lovely choices like Chicken Gyoza and Tempura; the Beef BBQ is a definite must if you love your beef delicious. There's also a certain level of surprise when a meal arrives as I don't really know what to expect when I order something from the specials. The staff are great and have always meekly served us through the whole evening. read more

Delicious food, good service, great price. What else could I ask for? I live around the area but have travelled far to search for good Korean restaurants (even to Kingston) and this place ranks in my top Korean restaurants. For the price you pay, this is a great place to eat. They even made Yukhoe (raw beef salad) for me even though I could not find it on their menu. Great stuff, will definitely come back again and again. read more

I love Dotori. My brother lived in Japan with his wife for a few years and they both agreed that the sushi was some of the best they'd had in England. It's a place I'll take friends and you can guarantee they're going to be impressed. My only advice - book or get there early if you want a table! The place is tiny. read more

Absolutely delicious. Excellent food and good price. You'll need to book if you want a table in the evening. read more

Dotori is wonderful! The selection of Japanese and Korean dishes on offer is fantastic and everything that we've ever tried has been top notch. Seafood is especially excellent. The staff are very friendly and like to offer assistance when selecting. The only problem is that it is a very small room and tends to get overcrowded very quickly. If you do have to wait around for a table, persevere as it's well worth it! read more

Korean dream! The rumours are true, you will need to book even at times you wouldn't imagine as this place is always busy. Of course it is - the food is insane and really well priced. I bought my brother and his (veggie) girlfriend here for a cool catch up dinner when they came to visit and they loved it! The bento boxes are delish and there are loads of interesting combinations to try. Veggie options were a plenty too. Go! read more

This is probably my favourite restaurant in Finsbury Park. They serve a mixture of Japanese and Korean cuisine, including good sushi and very tasty bibimbap. The owner is really friendly and the decor is good. read more

Great food! Service can be a bit slow when they're busy. Often busy so best to book ahead.

A lovely hidden gem! Delicious and very reasonable bento boxes. Nice staff and just generally a good place to visit. Yummy authentic food!