First of all, I have lived in Korea and am a lover of Korean food. I've been to many/most of the London Korean restaurants and was very excited about trying Jinjuu. I tried to book lunch online through their website (OpenTable) but was unable to so called and left a message. They called me back within 20 minutes and said I could sit at the Bar. The location of the restaurant is good, right behind Regent St./Carnaby St. The decor is excellent - very modern, industrial, with exposed lighting, a lot of steel/rough surfaces. The bathrooms (downstairs) are very cute - with K-Pop posters and old Korean government safety/health posters on the walls. The menu(s) were fairly extensive, but somewhat confusing with a lunch, dinner, anju (side dish) menu as well a separate drinks menu all provided. The dishes were a mix of traditional Korean favourites (e.g. Japchae, Bibibimpap, mandu, kimchee, etc.), as well as some fusion dishes (e.g. Scottish mussels with white wine, dwenjang and bacon!). We ordered Japchae, Korean fried chicken, Bibibimpap, a side dish of kimchee and corn (popcorn) tea. The service was generally good, with the utensils and presentation sophisticated. The quality of the food was mixed though. The Japchae was very salty (we had the vegetarian plate), but still edible. The Bibimbap and Korean fried chicken were both good - particularly the quality of the beef and chicken in both. The kimchee was frozen! After complaining, it was replaced quickly. Overall it was a good meal, reasonably priced. I still think they are having some teething problems. I am keen to try again at night - when I think the style/decor would really shine through. Glad there is a new, sophisticated Korean restaurant in London. read more

I think 3.5 is more appropriate. Overall I really want to like it. I think most of the menu is well priced, well presented, and the service I received on both occasions was pretty good. The soju even with locational mind I think is at least £3 too expensive for a bottle. I've had the carnitas fries, fried chicken thighs, Bo Ssam, bibimbap with bulgogi, and yook hwae. Overall well presented food and I absolutely love the fries, I will keep coming back for those, but my complaint is that everything seems over seasoned. I don't like either of the sauces that come with the fried chicken. Ssamjang for me bumps up the seasoning when eaten with unseasoned Korean bbq not with seasoned fried chicken. The crisp batter isn't what I think of when I eat fried chicken but I definitely see the tip of her hat to the Brits with the way it's battered. I just wish there was a bit more of a sweet, spicy element rather than so aggressively savoury. Bo Ssam fell flat in so many ways, you need oysters for Bo Ssam even if it's and additional surcharge, ditch the ggim on the salad platter, have your server explain all sauces (and understand their kimchee, the runner had this very wrong), and don't serve it cold! Bibimbap was ok but again I think over seasoned. Yookhye my gf enjoyed but other than the quality of beef I wasn't excited. Observing the wait staff downstairs there is still work to be done as it looks a bit clumsy at times, but our server was pretty good. I will go back again and again for the fries and to try new things hopefully my review update will be more delightful. read more

See all

Great restaurant, delicious food!! Chicken is highly recommended. Very hip scene. Can't wait to go back.

Went to JinJuu for my birthday celebrations with Family. I was blown away by how delicious the food was! Modern, Korean fusion food. We ordered several of the small plates including the famous 'Sae-woo' pops... Jinjuu offered a twist on traditional Korean cuisine of which I was a massive fan. Everything we tried was delicious, full of flavour and different textures and cooked to a very high standard. My favourite thing that we had was the SSAM platter (Short Rib)... WOW... The meat was so tender and fell apart as you dig into it, coupled with the lettuce wrap, toasted seaweed, kimchi, sauces and rice... It really was a culinary experience I will never forget. The staff were friendly, the environment and ambience was great! I will be back, and trying even more food! A MUST visit while in London! read more

A good glass of wine followed by delicately made small plates of Korean food? What more can one expect in this big city! Their food was creative, simple and had the perfect touch of flavor and quantity to keep you satisfied. Their tofu burgers, kimchee rice and drinks are amazing! A perfect place for a date night ! Jinjuu you have done justice to Korean food...until next time! read more

Awesome bibimbop!!! Great service. We walked in and were struck by the ambiance. Our waiter gave us our sliders for free because our friend couldn't eat dairy and he had been mistaken that our sliders had none. Honestly the best service we've gotten in London. read more

Our first experience was in SoHo, absolutely lovely staff and good food with an interesting menu selection! It was a great experience. Then we tried the Mayfair location, and we went away so disappointed it was puzzling! Wait staff weren't as friendly as the SoHo location and the food just didn't have the same excitement either. The menu is just a bit different in Mayfair, but can't put our finger why we left so...Blah! However, will definitely recommend the SoHo location. read more

I popped into Jinjuu for a quick lunch and ordered a Bibimbap with crispy tofu. As a Korean, I've tried my fair share of Bibimbaps and this place is now Top 3 on my list of best Bibimbaps. I love the fact that the food has that Western twist but without compromising on the authentic Korean flavours. Highly recommend it to everyone! read more

We walked in with lunch and had a good experience. We had 5 different starters to share to taste a variety of options, Loved the taste of them, and was nicely presented. Service was oke. read more

Went for a few drinks and some nibbles - prices are standard for anywhere in central London; quite a nice place with a fairly Korean ambience. read more

Jinjuu is now one of my favorite restaurants in London. I love the contemporary twist on Korean food. It's a flavor explosion! My favorites are the saewoo pops, bi bim salad, fried chicken, short ribs, mushroom tacos. After one bite of the snickers dessert, all my friend could say was "holy moley!" Cocktails are also creative, using traditional Korean liquor and Asian flavors elegantly. After 9pm on sat, the bar had quite a cool scene and good music so you can linger after dinner. Service was attentive and friendly. Decor is hip and industrial. Highly recommend jinjuu! read more

Amazing food for reasonable price! Environment very comfortable as well. The special chicken is really tasty

Not a bad spot for a casual bite with a group of people. But if you know Korean food, don't expect that. This is more toned-down fusion like Korean food. read more

Very average. Service was so so and the bibimbap was mostly rice. Ice cream dessert was just ice cream. Really unimpressed

So, i tried this place for the first 2 weeks ago after i finally got a reservation. we were very excited to try everything as we had heard a lot about it, we LOVED the chicken sliders and beef tacos (not to mention beef short ribs) i cannot stop thinking about the food and when i can go back. Great flavours and really a perfect menu as may veggie options for my friend. Buzzy atmosphere and delicious drinks make this place a winner winner CHICKEN slider dinner!!! can't wait to go back!! read more

Visited Jinjuu with some old friends on a random Tuesday night. It was by far, one of the best experiences I've had of late. We were looking for some drinks and nibbles and Jinjuu definitely didn't dissappoint! We took the opportunity to sample through the drinks menu and found our favourite, the Bourbon Baby. While we went through these libations, we also sampled the wonderful food! My favourite was the Korean Fried Chicken. It's the best I've had outside of NYC. The atmosphere was buzzy and the service was fantastic. We'll definitely be visiting again! read more

I've been here lots of times now and I absolutely love this restaurant! Great place to start the night, the food is amazing! Great vibes and music, perfect for group dining. It's hard to get a table so I would recommend booking early :) read more

This is by far my favourite Korean restaurant in London. If you have a chance do not miss Judy signature dishes. We had the chicken wings with a combination of sauces that where so explosive in flavour. Then we order the Korean tacos with a secret sauce that where superb. Do not miss the bugolgi noodles made with traditional marinated sauce. And to finish it all try the apple pastries for dessert, it comes with a yogurt dipping sauce to satisfied any sweet tooth. The place is super chic and hip the service is outstanding. The portions are generous. Do not miss it!!! read more

I was lucky enough to have a chance to eat at Jinjuu during a recent trip to London. It has an interesting and contemporary décor that sets the mood for a great dining experience. We shared the Korean Fried Chicken sliders, Beef Bulgogi Tacos, a noodle dish, and the Short Rib, before having the Snickers Hoettek for dessert. Chef Judy Joo has created some great, imaginative dishes and manager John Iglesias really took great care of us, ensuring that we had everything we needed to enjoy our visit. What can I say; great atmosphere, wonderful service and great food. I highly recommend Jinjuu to anyone eating out in London! read more

I went to Jinjuu last night with a girlfriend to have a catch up and a nice meal in Central London. It's so difficult finding a restaurant in W1 to eat freshly made food, has an ambience and where you don't feel like you're either sitting on someone's lap or they are earwigging in on your conversation. Jinjuu is my dream come true! Awesome food, gracious service, cool decor and a buzzy but chilled environment downstairs. My friend was running late but it didn't matter to me because I was so comfortable in a nice booth and it gave me time to peruse the menu. I must have studied that menu for over 20 minutes because I couldn't decide what to order because there were too many tempting dishes to choose from! My friend doesn't eat red meat so I didn't get the Korean disco fries because it has pulled pork but I'm definitely getting them next time! I did have to order the pork belly tacos with Apple slaw and I ate both of them all by myself! They were absolutely delicious and what I loved most was I was expecting them to be quite sweet but they were the perfect blend of moist tender naturally sweet pork, a bit spicy sauce topped with that fresh crisp tangy Apple slaw - absolutely divine! We also had the home made prawn crackers which were absolutely out of this world ! salty, spicy, crunchy, perfect! We also had the Korean fried chicken wings with the two different sauces, again absolutely perfectly fried chicken that didn't taste greasy at all. We also had the Korean Caesar salad with grilled prawns which was divine. You could tell that the prawns were fresh and not frozen because they tasted sweet and not rubbery. Oh yes and we also had the tuna tartar with the fried lotus root- I think was one of my favourite dishes of the evening! We also had a small bowl of white boiled rice which was cooked to perfection, bit sticky and I had sesame seeds on top as well- Yum! Which reminds me the other super highlight was the veggie dumplings. The dipping sauce was freaking delicious and the black and white sesame seeds just made each mouthful a flavourful sensation. You'd think that we had enough with all those small plates but of course we found room for desert. We ordered the Snickers doughnut which had a fancy name but all I remember was that it was a snickers doughnut. When it arrived, it was a deconstructed dish, so there was a small round plain donut, some chocolate ganache, nougat ice cream and some sprinkled chopped nuts- put all together on a spoon, absolutely amazing like a snickers flavoured donut! We actually didn't drink any alcohol that night but I had some delicious mint tea which really really went well with the dinner. I should mention that the presentation of the dishes, the type of teapot my tea came in plus the cups were all very tasteful. Jinjuu is the kind of restaurant that I can go with my husband, go with a group of girlfriends, or bring work colleagues to. I haven't been this excited about a restaurant in a long time. I'm so happy I've found a central London spot! read more

The chicken is the jewel in the Jinjuu crown. I've gone back time and again just to have it and have told anyone and everyone I know to try it atleast once. It's absolutely finger licking great!! The decor is lovely, the service is fantastic and the prices are affordable and in line with the caliber of food you get. The bar is well stocked and the mixologists make great drinks. there is a great Sunday deal and they do take away. Enough said in praise of the is place...just go and try it! read more

I was in London for work for 2 weeks. My family came with me for the first week and we were lucky enough to pop in and grab a meal. We were seated upstairs and ordered a bunch of small dishes and then shared a main. (Note that there are 2 pages to the menu! We almost didn't notice it, and that would have been a pity.) Of note are the sae-woo pops (fried prawn balls on sticks) - so delicate and perfectly fried. We also had the bulgolgi sliders, steak tartare, and short rib and kimchi mandoo. My son, who can be hard to please, especially liked the sliders and mandoo. I usually find Korean dumplings to be bland but these were especially flavorful. The slight sweetness of the pears in the beef tartare was a pleasant surprise. My son was stuffed at this point and wanted to save room for dessert, but my husband and I decided to plow ahead and have the bass ssam. Never had a fish ssam before and this was so incredibly good. Light, delicate, perfectly cooked. I wasn't able to sample much of the desserts because of a nut allergy, but my son and husband tried the gochugaru brownie and the chocolate mandarin ice cream. Portions were very generous. I love little details like the crispy chocolate rice that came with both desserts. They were so tasty. When my project was completed, I came back with my team to celebrate. We were seated downstairs which I ended up preferring as it was quieter and we got a view of the open kitchen. Since we were a larger group (and it was on the company), we went all out and ordered a lot more. I feel like we ordered half of the menu. We had the prawn crackers, kong bowl (I want to know what that seasoning is and if it's available for purchase!), carnitas fries, tacos, chicken sliders, fried thighs and wings, steamed mandoo, a salad, noodles, short rib ssam, sirloin ssam and the bass ssam (yes, again, it was that good). There may have been more. I can't believe we finished almost everything and then got a tasting plate of desserts to boot. The chicken was juicy and tender, the short rib and sirloin ssams were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It was a great meal to end my trip. Oh, and the drinks. I can't believe I forgot to order the Bloody Mary. I did have the bourbon drink and the negroni, both were excellent. Don't forget the bathrooms. Spam doors. Love it. Not sure when I'll be back in London but there are more dishes on the menu I want to try. Like the Bloody Mary and the roasted pork belly bossam. read more

We are traveling from the states and we scoped out places to eat and found Jinjuu prior to arriving in London. I couldn't be more excited to have found a Korean fried chicken place near where we were staying as I am a Korean American. We get to this place, and seeing how packed it was, I had high hopes. That feeling was long gone after we sat. We were stuck with a terrible server who barely acknowledged us and treated us with complete annoyance when we didn't ask for anything other than an extra spoon. There was a big group next to our table, and the way he treated us compared to them was alarming. He was all smiles with the group and while serving them, he didn't check on us once, even to ask if we were doing okay while being inches away. He also stood there while I was trying to pay in cash which made me really uncomfortable. Once I put cash on the table, he immediately took it without saying a word. He didn't even thank us or asked us how the food was which was mediocre to say the least. The chicken was nothing I had hoped for and the raddish had way too much vinegar, taking away the fresh and raw taste it should have had. I usually am not this specific but he was unacceptable. By FAR the worst server I've ever had including the ones I've encountered in the states. The only thing greasier than the food was our servers hair! Watch out for the blonde highlights! read more

I love this place. I am a long time customer and always have a great time. It is by far THE BEST korean in all of london. no msg, great quality of meats and produce and the real authentic flavours of korea are there. the kimchi is fantastic which is always the bar on which to judge good korean restaurants. the desserts are really taste as well. so so nice. and the greatest soju cocktails ever!!! read more

This place was great fun. The cocktails were excellent, the food was better. We had the Interview cocktail to start. Highly recommended. Food-wise we had so much fun with each course as another adventure. Sae-woo pops, fried chicken wings, beef bulgogi tacos, tofu sliders, dumplings, shrimp skewers and jap chae. All tasted great with the sliders and chicken wings everyone's favorite. read more

Love Jinjuu! My friends and I had such a great time there. Everything we ate was delicious--very bold and interesting flavors. The space is very cool and hip, and our waiters were really attentive. Judging by how crowded the restaurant was, it's clearly the place to be in London. Can't wait to go back the next time I am in town! read more

Amazing food, great vibe... love the fries and the chicken's a knockout. I go about once a week. Great that they combined the anju menu with the traditional. Way better value than the Kurobuta or Flesh & buns. read more

We ordered several small plates including the sae-woo pops, plus the bibimbap. All were great items, though some of the spices did start to repeat themselves a bit. Maybe this was just due to the items that caught our eye, hard to say without going a second time. They also have a great drink menu - highly recommend The Interview. read more

Jinjuu is a welcome addition to the London dining scene offering casual Korean dining in a fun atmosphere. It's a great place for groups and to celebrate occasions with its sharing concept, fun drinks and weekend dj. I highly recommend the Korean tacos (finally a place in london offers this!) and the Ssam platters. You also can't go wrong with ANY of the starters - I had to order another serving of the bibim salad when I went - and the carnitas fries is a must. The gochu bombs and sae-woo pops are also a nice representation of Korean comfort food. I don't think you can go wrong if you're looking for a fun night out with good food! read more

Seriously - give me all the food! The drinks are great as well - super friendly staff, and a cool venue to impress both friends and clients. Perfect London bar/restaurant combo if you are looking for somewhere with elegant service and style with no pretention. read more

Ate here last night and had somewhat mixed views.. The food itself was really good, however the service left a lot to be desired. We were left hanging around whilst being shown to our table as the host stopped to talk to a member of his staff. We then were offered water for the table but was not told that this would be chargeable, our glasses were filled with still water and the bottle taken away, we didn't see the bottle again but we're still charged for the whole bottle. The waitress was very polite but also very distracted and in taking our order we were left worried that she would forget something as she appeared more interested in the other tables than ours. We declined to pay the optional service charge and on leaving were challenged as to why that was. The waitress was again very polite and we discussed our concerns but it was obvious she had been sent by her manager to find out why we did not pay..awkward!! read more

Excellent food, quite unlike other Korean restaurants in London. The interior is a little dingy and tries too hard to look cool (K pop posters in the bathrooms!), and the food is not cheap. However, I have always had delicious mains and starters here. read more

love Korean food and this place looks cooler than most with the perfect combination of traditional dishes like bibimpap and belly pork bossam alongside cocktails (especially the kimchi bloody mary) and Korean anju ( delicious fried snacks) and fried chicken. Trick is to order some snacks like the prawn pops and fried chicken with your cocktrails but save room for meltingly good shortribs, pork and fish, served Korean style with lettuce leaves, rice / pickles and home made kimchi,...the dessert platter is worth taking a group of friends for..will be back. read more