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    On The Bab

    4.0 (99 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:30 pm

    On The Bab Photos

    ON THE BAB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual

    Recommended Reviews - On The Bab

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    Left to right: Soondubu Jjigae, Yangyum Chicken, Beef Bibimbab
    Jacqueline C.

    I think the food served here is more a modern take on Korean cuisine but it's pretty delicious! The restaurant is casual and feels very homey. The prices are pretty reasonable and the service was quick too. The only negative is that there's always a wait whether for lunch or dinner. My friend and I came here because we wanted Korean fried chicken. This location only serves the soy ginger and sweet spicy flavors (you can do half-half) but the other locations seem to do more flavors. I prefer the sweet spicy more (although it wasn't spicy at all) and I also really liked their spicy mayo which they drizzle generously on the side cabbage. We also got the Beef Bibimbab which was a delicious classic but I'd like it more if it was served in a stone pot. The Soondubu Jigae was also nice but we only got very few pieces of seafood in our serving. Overall, the food here is pretty solid and decently priced. Other than the long wait, I can't think of another reason why I won't come back!

    Anna T.

    I very much enjoyed the mushroom fritters on the bun! I also had a side of tofu. If you're not a fan of the typical tofu texture & taste without spicing etc then maybe it's not for u. But for a supertofu fan like myself it was delish!

    Bi bim bap
    Andrea F.

    Pretty good bi bim bap! There is usually a wait, so be prepared. But the service is quick and friendly, and the cute decor and low lighting soften the high level of activity. It's a cute place, with a tiny bar and staircase leading down to the facilities. The pricing is very reasonable, our bill came to just under £30 for two veggie bowls, two teas and a seaweed salad. The salad was tasty, but not fresh. What really made it for me was the plum tea, it was so satisfying for my sweet tooth! I can't give full marks because the star dish was missing a bit of flavour, and we were really crammed in together, causing some discomfort to us and neighbours. But I'd definitely come back on a quieter day, for a quick fix of one of my favourite cuisines ... and looking forward to trying their kimchi, pancakes and the 'new' octopus salad!

    Bibimbap with bulgogi
    Caroline D. L.

    Best bibimbap I had in London. Good portion and so yummy. I had the KimchiJeon too and it was good, though a bit pricey for the quantity. Good service. It is a tiny place though and quite cramped. I was alone and seated at the counter, which is fine but between the coats hanging next to me and the people who ordered take-out literally surrounding me and often pushing me to let the waiters go through, it was uncomfortable... better to be seated at a table (so come with someone) or to take the food to go I would say.

    Christoph N.

    I wasn't deeply seduced by my first visit here. I love the idea of bringing korean food to the masses through this fast/urban type of venues, but my experience yesterday was "in a hurry". It starts with the queue (kind of getting used to that by now) but we were asked to wait outside in the rain..a joke. Our bibimbap was tasty but wasn't very hot so got cold very fast. Buns were good, korean fried chicken was definitely the best...waiter advised to take the big portion but this was just too much for the 2 of us. Horrible teenager music playlist, noisy and in a hurry...will have to come back as this went just too fast to enjoy.

    Seafood pancakes and tteokbokki:)
    June K.

    On the bab is probably famous for the bibimbab and this is what you should get. The ladies at the table next to us had botch huge bowls which made my small kimchi stew looked pathetic (it wasn't but the beauty pressure from the other table was real). The food was over all nice, the staff friendly and the music korean. I would come back to this spot for some quick lunch but probably not for dining and chit chatting since this venue is rather small and not the coziest place on earth.

    Look for this sign!
    Teresa C.

    OnTheBab is a small place, great for a sharing meal with 2 or 3 of your friends, since they doesn't take reservations. They're on a walk-in policy. Heck, they don't even take names when you get there, so be ready to be very English and do what they do best, and queue. When japchae is on the menu, I always get it. OTB has it as a starter portion and it's great size to share. Other great starters? Saeng Dubu: Fresh tofu - it was so fresh it almost melted in my mouth. For my main dish, I ordered the bulgogi beef on the noodle, it wasn't bad, just wish there was a bit more meat in it though. Service was great despite how busy it was, they were very friendly and courteous, even if they have missed putting in an item we ordered. We weren't charged so weren't all that fussed. They might try to serve a table that seats four to those in parties of three or four first even if you're in the front of the queue with just you and a mate, so if you don't mind sitting with some randoms, do speak up and tell them seat you with another party of two. Overall, I like this place, it's relatively in my area, not too pricy, good food & good service. Will visit again in the future.

    Bulgogi beef
    Lats B.

    This place was recommended by a friend and I wasn't disappointed. Wow never eaten Korean food before but this place was amazing. As there were a few of us got to share some dishes. The Korean fried chicken was divine - half of them were ginger the other half sweet spicy. I also had the spicy pork on the noodles soup - was just oh my gosh. The egg in there was lovely and spices just right for me. We also tried the bulgogi beef on rice. Can't wait to go back. On the down side because it's small we had to queue - best to go when less busy so not rushing. The amazing food made up for the queue.

    Wow!
    Hazel N.

    New Korean place on Old Street I was fortunate enough to go to for it's soft opening. Decorated in the current trend for exposed brickwork, but it's not distressed...note to self, if I shout at exposed brickwork will it become distressed and look more authentic. Sorry! enough of my nonsnse - kinda. All the waiters were dressed like models in a Jean Paul Gautier ad just without the bulging muscles and stature. It was crazy chaotic but the waiting staff still managed to be friendly, attentive and good natured - that impressed me. We had some delicous fresh, creamy tofu, seaweed and glass noodles to share for starters. I had the fish casserole, which was huge and delicious, but it came with lots and lots of broth. If anyone were to have I would recommend getting an additional serving of rice or noodles. All washed down with a glass ... or 2 of soju. All in all a very tasty, satisfying meal without being the least bit heavy.

    Christine M.

    My husband and I are vacationing from Boston MA and went to dinner here based on yelp reviews which I'm so happy we did! We loved it so much we came back a second time! The first time we got the kimchi pancake which are to die for, a perfect combo of spicy and sweet! Got our separate orders the second time, my husband ordered the fried chicken which he loved! Both flavors sweet and spicy and soy ginger! And I got the on the buns order with prawns patty, I added chili sauce for an extra kick. Small space though but the waitress seemed friendly. Overall the food was 5 !

    Katy G.

    Although I've only had the chance to try the takeaway here - I'm going to go ahead and say that yup, I'm a fan! If you do choose to do takeaway - note that the menu is scaled down from the normal men. I happened upon On The Bap walking home from a workout just the other day - I had noticed there was a new business moving in and was pleased to see quite an interesting menu. I tried the Kun Mandu (chicken dumplings) - though on the smaller side they were absolutely delicious. For a main I tried the On the Noodle Spicy Chicken - a noodleised verision of a bap that had just the right about of spice, meat and veg (I often find myself over noodled!). Though the prices may seem a bit steep, compared to other noodles in the area (and there are a lot!) you get quite a lot in a serving - I had more than enough for both lunch and dinner. I'm excited to get back and order off the larger menu during a sit down meal - it appears from 6:00PM they also have a cocktail offering. Don't forget to ask for a loyalty card!

    The toilet signs are so cute!
    Eakan G.

    I thought I already wrote a review for On The Bab. But I realized just now that I had only shared pictures previously. I was surprised to discover this place. My friend took me here saying he loves Korean food. I had no idea what to expect. I thought Koreans ate live squids! I was nervous. But the menu actually changed my impression. There were so many items to choose from. I chose something light. I don't remember the name, but after checking my photos that I posted on the day, I recollected it. I had OnTheBun with spicy chicken filling. It was amazing. But it was too small. It got over really quick. I also had plum tea. Sweet, warm, fruity tea, served in a steel mug My friend on the other hand had Kimchi fried rice and seafood pan-cackes. I did taste them, and it was really filing. Great quantity for the price. I had to get another one, and I went for it. Had another set of OnTheBun with spicy chicken. I'll visit this place again. On other note, the waitresses are pretty and the Chef is amazing.

    Large portion of Soy & Garlic Chicken with Crushed Peanuts and Coleslaw.
    A C.

    Finally made it to this place after hearing from friends that it's a 'must try' spot... We managed to get a seat for four around 10:30 (last orders by the way) in which the waitress was keen to tell us. After settling in we ordered the seafood pancake and shrimp dumplings. The starter portions were very small, a little too small for my liking. I think there were only three dumplings. The dumplings were well seasoned, and had good sized chunks of shrimp in them too! I felt the seafood pancake tasted a bit 'doughy'. Almost like it wasn't thoroughly cooked through. Not sure if this is how it's supposed to be, but at the time I wasn't feeling it - I may it try again upon my return... For main we went for a large portion of Soy & Garlic Fried Chicken with crushed peanuts and bowls of rice. The chicken was glistening from it's sticky coated sauce, I couldn't wait to get stuck in! Included in the tray of chicken was coleslaw with some EPIC sauce which the waiter described as Korean Mayonnaise. I wanted to take that sauce home with me, we were all trying to figure out whether it was store bought or homemade. The waiter unfortunately confirmed that it was homemade...boooo! The selection of chicken was perfect - boneless chicken thighs and bone-in wings (winning combo in my eyes). It went beautifully with the plain rice. To drink I went for the So Maek (recommended) which is Soju with Beer. It was served ice cold in a metal canister style bottle, and went perfect with the meal. This was my second time trying Korean cuisine and I can honestly say some of the best fried chicken I've ever tasted! If you're around the area, do yourself a favour and try On The Bab!

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    One of the best places to eat in London whenever I feel down. Their food warms my heart :)

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    On The Bab Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - On The Bab

    I ordered the bulgogi beef on a roll, and I was pleasantly surprised with the vegetables that came with.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Kinkao - Main course

    Kinkao

    4.1(54 reviews)
    0.5 miShoreditch, Brick Lane
    ££

    Great food and a really good evening spent with friends I was in the local Barbars when they told…read moreme where to find them and I was very pleased

    I loved staying in Shoreditch while visiting London because of all of the international cuisine…read moreoptions. I knew there had to be a Korean place nearby, and Kinkao was right around the corner from where I was staying. The inside of the restaurant is much bigger than expected from the outside, with lots of seating areas. I made a reservation for lunch at 1pm but it wasn't really needed; there were only two other people there at the time. I wanted to try the oi kimchi (spicy cucumber salad) but they were out, so I got regular kimchi and bulgogi as an entree. The kimchi was perfect; nice and spicy and crunchy. The bulgogi was more peppery and not as sweet as I'm used to, but I overheard my server telling another customer that they prepare it a little differently than traditional bulgogi. It was still very good and there was an ample portion of beef mixed in with glass noodles and veggies. It was so much food that I wasn't able to finish it all. The prices are very reasonable and my entire bill was about £18 (I also got a Diet Coke and large still water). The service was friendly, but a bit slow, especially considering by the time I left there were only three parties, including myself. After my dishes were cleared I waited about 10 minutes but still had to ask for my bill. It wasn't a huge deal because I wasn't in a rush, but I thought it was odd that the bill wasn't brought out shortly after my dishes were taken away. Either way, this is a good, affordable option if you're looking for Korean food in the area.

    Photos
    Kinkao - Lovely furnishings shipped from Thailand

    Lovely furnishings shipped from Thailand

    Kinkao
    Kinkao

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    K Place - Those are extractor fans.

    K Place

    3.4(30 reviews)
    1.1 miAldgate
    ££

    K, K Place, I really wanted to like you but, in the end, you were just (O)K…read more We'd read some things about how K Place was doing an AYCE Korean BBQ option. It's so rare in London that we thought we should definitely give it a try. We made a reservation for Friday night easily and they were flexible when we were running late. When we arrived, we headed down the stairs to the basement where the restaurant was. It isn't a huge place, with seating for about 30-40. Not all of the tables have grills, but the vast majority do. We were seated near the entrance and heard another group come in for karaoke and were directed out of the restaurant, so if you're looking for dinner and karaoke all in one - K Place could be a great option! After having a look at the menu, we decided to go with Set B Buffet, which was described as 10 course buffet with unlimited meats (£28.99). They also have a Set C with unlimited meats and seafood for £33.99. Soon after ordering, the dishes started to arrive. Banchan arrived first with 4 dishes: kimchi, radish kimchi, beansprouts, and cucumbers(?!). Odd. The cucumbers weren't the usual pickled cucumbers (oijangajji) but just some slices of raw cucumber. Maybe they had just run out of their pickles for the day? But we would have preferred them not providing this super random banchan. All the banchan were OK, but a bit bland. Next came the egg roll, dakdoritang (chicken and potato spicy stew) and mackerel. Everything was fine, though the dakdoritang was a bit bland as was the egg roll. The mackerel was overcooked. The kimchi pancake was standard, not the best I've ever had but not the worst - pretty middle of the road. The steamed mussels was probably the highlight. Fresh and sweet, cooked well in their own juices and a sprinkling of green onion. We then received a platter of 9 different meats - it was easy to tell that these weren't the highest quality. Yes, I know I'm at an AYCE place but I've had great quality AYCE meat at Korean BBQ places (Looking at you, LA). Spicy pork, (fatty) chicken, pork belly, rib eye, chuck, etc. all super unmemorable and pretty bland. At least the service was good and our server came over to turn over the meats and cut them for us. They gave us a small platter of some vegetables to grill as well as lettuce to wrap the meat in. There was also a huge container of ssamjang, which I always slather into my lettuce wraps so that was a plus as well. We could have ordered more meat since we weren't stuffed but found it all just mediocre and decided that we didn't want the extra calories for such blah food. Sigh, I had high hopes but I think I'll just wait until I'm back in LA to have the real deal. Additionally, at this price point, I expected a bit more. Maybe due to it being in the City, they charge more? The hunt for good AYCE Korean BBQ in London continues.

    I had never tried Korean barbecue before so I was excited to give this place a go. It's on the…read moretastecard which is how I found it so you can get some money off your bill and if you select the 10 course set menu you really get enough food to be stuffed by the end. As I found out, when you go for Korean barbecue you have the actual barbecue in the middle of your table so you can cook your own meat and veggies just like you want them. But before you get to that there is an array of delicious starters and sides that are put in your table, meats, fish, seafood, vegetables, rice and soups. Once you go through most of those, you meats of choice are brought out and the barbecue is turned heated up. You can then start cooking your steaks using the special wooden cutlery and cut them up with a pair or scissors. This way you can be sure you have everything as soon as it's done and nothing gets cold. We decided to go with the set menu that offers 3 types of meat per person but if you really want to push your limits or have not eater for days there's an unlimited meat option too. If you pick that one, I salute you. Anyway, I definitely enjoyed everything I tried and look forward to going back soon. I recommend going there with a group as that would be great fun and you can order a greater variety of foods. Either way it's worth putting it in your schedule.

    Photos
    K Place - Cook food at your table

    Cook food at your table

    K Place
    K Place

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    Jinjuu - Kimchi Fried Rice and Seoul Survivor Cocktail

    Jinjuu

    4.1(115 reviews)
    2.7 miSoho
    £££

    Great food. Awesome atmosphere. And located in one of London's most poppin' neighborhoods. If you…read morelike Korean food, this is your new jam. The interior gives you a sense of being in an underground bar somewhere in Asia, and it comes complete with Pucca dolls nestled on top of the booze bottles behind the bar. There is seating both upstairs and downstairs, but given how crazy it gets, if you're planning on coming, book in advance. I've eaten here twice, and I can safely say that the food is legit! It's surprisingly authentic given the location, and the drinks aren't half-bad, either. The Bibimbap with Bulgogi Beef is one of my favorites, thus far, with the perfect ratio of rice to beef, kimchi to veggies. It's one hearty dish, so come hungry. The Signature Fried Chicken is also done to perfection, and if you've ever had Korean Fried Chicken before, you know what I'm talking about. It's not expensive, but sadly, you only get 2 pieces. Believe me, you will want more. I can also vouch for the cocktails. Being a girly drinker myself, I can't pass up a delicious fruity cocktail from people who know how to put it together well. However, they also have a great Happy Hour with some of the cheapest beer you'll find to pair perfectly with your meal. That is how they do it in Korea anyway, isn't it?

    They treated us like no other. 12/10 stars…read more You want to come here for not only fine surrounding but TOP Shelf food.

    Photos
    Jinjuu - My Pret coffee wrapped in tissues because it offended "the manager"

    My Pret coffee wrapped in tissues because it offended "the manager"

    Jinjuu - Kimchi fried rice

    Kimchi fried rice

    Jinjuu - Little Seoul- Nikka Whiskey, Amaro, Dark Chocolate, Bitters, & Sweet Vermouth

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    Little Seoul- Nikka Whiskey, Amaro, Dark Chocolate, Bitters, & Sweet Vermouth

    On The Bab - korean - Updated May 2026

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