Food and service very good. Odd that they keep the door locked and you have to knock to get in though. Would return.

So, I've been eating good Korean food for years in Cleveland. I was super stoked to try it here seeing as its so close to my home and the reviews were all favorable and i've been itching for some for awhile now. The kimchi was super shitty. The sides were small and bland and limited. The duk buk ki was blasphemy (tomato paste??? not spicy???) coupled with the fact that you had to order two table bbq dishes to get the table bbq and then the lady comes out and cooked it for us at our table all at once it was just a really lousy experience. and waaay over priced even if it was good. The nicest thing about this place is the bathrooms. super clean. the lettuce was really crisp too. not going back. read more

I waited to come here three times before I wrote my review, just to make sure the food/service/everything was consistent. What can I say? I love korean food, and there is a lot of good Korean food where I come from (Atlanta). I'm used to $8 fantastic tofu soup combos and loads of side dishes. And nyeungmyun. This place is almost twice the price and with a much more limited array of side dishes. Service can also be slow sometime. Oh. And no nyeun myun. However, I must say that the bibimbap here is the best I've ever had. In fact, I used to dislike bibimbap until I came here. Something about the perfect combination of crunchy rice, seaweed, bean sprouts, flavored meat, eggs, squash, etc, really hits the spot for me. I've also ordered their soon du bu jigae (both beef and seafood). It doesn't compare to the tofu soup I'm used to, and most of the time I find myself picking around the beef (it's like shredded sloppy joe beef...not even real beef) or avoiding the seafood. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of seafood. (They really should make a pork and mushroom combo. I would love this place so much more.) Still, I will probably keep ordering it because I love tofu soup that much. Their seafood pancake was okay, but not something I would crave. Oh yea, just a warning, they never have sushi for lunch. And their bulogogi is SO expensive. Haven't tried it yet but it's prob not worth it. If you're willing to dish $15 for a meal, or if you're craving korean food that much, give it a try. In all, I'm pretty glad I found the place. 4 stars for the excellent bibimbap! read more

It's okay. That's the best way to summarize my experience there. It's what you would call a mom & pop restaurant. It's owned and operated by this Korean couple. Very nice people. Overall my experience with them was very pleasant. Food was okay. Ordered the hot stone Bibimbap. It was definitely hot. So hot it cooked the crap out of the egg on top. I've had Bibimbap in the past and I've always enjoyed having to mix the runny yolk with the other ingredients. The owner saw me fuss with the egg and came over grabbed my spoon and mixed it all up for me. I have nothing against that. The guy was really nice about it. Ordered the kimchi pancake appetizer and it was just soggy/oily and just not flavorful. But the owner was so nice I felt bad leaving half of it uneaten. No worries he brought me a take out box without me even asking about it. The owners wife is the waitress/host. She is pretty forgetful about the orders. She forgot my order for a coke about 3 times. Fourth time she brought it over to right away but it wasn't cold. Turns out they don't refrigerate their soft drinks. If you want it cold you'll get some ice in the glass. That annoyed me more than anything else in the restaurant. I went there on the Fri night for dinner and it wasn't packed at all. I'm from NYC so my opinion regarding this restaurant may be biased. This place wouldn't last a month in NYC. read more

This place is soooo yummy and so authentic! The owner is the one cooking all the food from scratch. We got a hot plate soup for 2 and everything was fresh. She also walked out and explained everything and told us the best way to eat it. This place needs more stars! read more

This place is delicious! Totally yummy stone pot bibim bop for me, and the kimchi, pickled daikon, and other table garnishes are good for snacking. I came here with friends to celebrate a birthday, and was surprised to find it empty at 6 on a Saturday night. Kind of eerie. I'll have to try the table barbecue and the soju next time! read more

Delightful and warm atmosphere. Enjoyed the scallion pancake and beef bulgogi. Also, some enjoyable electric guitar at the end of the night :) read more

From 2013 --- The food was good enough to satisfy a craving for Korean food, but the service was lacking to say the least. The server was highly inattentive and her attitude was indifferent, bordering on disdainful. Once again, my beef is with the service, not the food! read more

Seoul's quality of food is less than that of Jersey's or New York's. There are far fewer banchans (side dishes) than I'm used to...and I think that the flavor of some soup dishes were accentuated by the almighty secret ingredient: msg (I think this because my mouth felt dry the following morning). However, I'm not making a real complaint here, because msg is one of those things that creep up when you least expect it ( like in many deli meats) and even five star restaurants use it time to time. Besides, Seoul is the only Korean restaurant in New Haven that will provide me with the Korean comfort food that I need. Family owned and operated, their service is very good. The owner is friendly and is very hands-on. She is willing to work at the sushi bar shoot the breeze with you. There is a zen-like homeyness here: quiet and comforting. But what I appreciate the most is not their atmosphere. It is rather their many choices in their menu. They offer enough variety to satisfy everybody's cravings and moods. My husband ordered yukaejang (which is a spicy beef soup), and enjoyed it thoroughly. My children had kalbitang, which is a healthy, mild soup dish for kids. I ate hot stone pot bibimbop (a vegetable medley on rice), and liked the fact that my rice stayed piping hot until the last bite. I know it's nice to cook healthier meals at home, but sometimes it's equally nice to get a break from the kitchen to taste all sorts of flavors. I know where I'll be going to, next time my taste buds yell for more gochujang (korean pepper paste). read more

Every time I go to New Haven I go to this place. It's so incredibly good. The service is great they want you to be comfortable and enjoy the food. I recommend it 100% read more

This is the the only Korean restaurant in New Haven, so you don't really have a choice. The food here is actually decent. The price, however, is steep, and the portion would be small even for two-thirds of the price. So all things considered, the food here is actually more expensive than the already expensive (but better) Korean food you get in New York. The service doesn't help either. Food takes a long time to come, and they bring you the small dishes very late, sometimes after the entrees are already here! And of course they never refill your water. If you want Korean food that is A LOT cheaper and A LOT tastier, try Jung's Kimchi Corner. I know it's a food truck, not a proper sit-down restaurant, but holy crap does it wipe the floor with this one. read more

This is a typical situation where there is no competition. They are the only ones in town so anyone wanting Korean food will have to travel an hour or so into NYC or just deal with it. The "bahn chahn", which the veggie little plates that come prior to the entree was weak and no variety. The cod stew had so little cod. I counted 5 little pieces in the whole dish and had very little flavor to boot. I also ordered bulgoki, a simple marinated beef dish, and had diarrhea shortly after and my son threw up afterwards. Unfortunately, I was already in Manhattan by the time the symptoms came so I didn't even bother calling them back for a refund. Plus the service was horrible. The owner was the server and she was taking care of other tables. She was the only one there, granted it was slow. Also, very pricey for what you get, even if we didn't get ill. If you want Korean and your in New haven, take a trip to K town, 32nd st in Manhattan. It'll be worth it. read more

Love thiis place. Best BibImbap ever in a hot stone pot. Service is always great. Great Korean Restaurant. Don't understand all the negative reviews on here. Highly recommend it. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone, in fact, I am pretty curious how they have survived for this long time with such food quality. The serve portion is small, yet more expensive compared to other Asian fusion places. The tofu stew with beef had like 5 tiny pieces of beef. The rice was not as soft as usual Korean steamed rice. It felt like either they served me with left-over rice or they overcooked it. For me, if I didn't hear the owners speaking Korean, I would think the chef never had authentic Korean food him/herself before. read more

I love this place. I got hooked on Korean about 5 years ago. I've been to other Korean restaurants when I travel around but Seoul always tastes the best, to me. Here is a generalization of all of my visits combined, take it or leave it. I love the food. The owner encourages me to try new things every time I visit and I have yet to be disappointed. You can tell she really cares about her cooking and what you think of it. The owner is a very sweet lady. She will ask what you're into and give you recommendations based on that. Stone pot bibimbap is still my favorite. Next, the service. It kind of blows because it's really slow. I mean, if you dont ask for your check you will literally sit there for 45 minutes twiddling your thumbs. The one weird thing is their little karaoke corner. They put that in some time over the last year and ever time I go in, the guy (who I believe is also an owner) is always over in that corner fiddling with shit. I have no clue what he's doing, aside from not helping his staff, but he's always playing over there. Just as well though; he's, like, the rudest dude on the planet and I hate it when he waits on my table. It's very, very odd and not once have I seen karaoke there. If you go to Seoul, I guarantee you will see him messing around back there. It's actually kinda funny to me at this point. Anyway, I love this place a lot and the woman who owns it takes pride in her food so for that I will always come back. read more

Now that there are two Korean restaurants in town, I thought I'd try Seoul again. I haven't had a bad experience here- the service is friendly and prompt, the food is decent, drinks are fine, it's a bit pricey but not unreasonably so, and especially not when compared to other places around New Haven. Last time I went, my friend and I split a bottle of very sweet Pinot Grigio and enjoyed the sample of little side dishes, albeit small. Her soon du boo (please don't hate me for not phonetically spelling korean correctly) came in a stone pot with lots of seafood and pleasant fluffy white rice, and I as usual enjoyed my stone pot bibimbap with plenty of stuff served steaming hot, though I prefer cracking the egg in myself. Their chap chae is also decent, and I hear the same of the rest of the food. There's a lot of talk about price at this place, and yes, it's not a cheap Koreatown joint like you'd find in NY or LA, but this is New Haven. It's not stellar Korean food, but it sure is comforting when you just want some good kimchi and gochujang (violently red korean spiciness). read more

Terrible service!!! $8 for a pina colada soju that was basically just pineapple juice. The $11 scallion pancake was good. Ehhh...probs wont come back. But maybe the other dishes are good? Not worth it for a veggie girl. read more

Seoul Restaurant - Scallion pancake. Pretty good! - Korean Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Like other reviewers said, the service is slow, especially when it's busy. Last night was the Yale-Harvard Football game, so the restaurant was more crowded than usual. You could tell the wait staff were stressed out and a bit disorganized. I have been here a few times, and every time we order the table side Korean BBQ. They are usually reluctant to do it because they have to stand there and cook it in front of you. Then why even have it on the menu? A couple days ago I called ahead and asked if they still do the table side BBQ. "Yes, no problem", said the woman on the phone. Now, we're at the restaurant, and you're telling me it's on the menu but you don't offer it? My heart sank, so instead, we ordered the scallion pancakes to start, two hot pots and the Jam Bong. Their scallion pancakes are some of the best I've ever had - crunchy but chewy on the inside, not too greasy, and full of flavor. The Jam Bong was delicious as well, with a nice spice and flavor to the noodles. Our hot pots however, were dry and lacked flavor, and I had to drown it in soy sauce. The reason I come here is for the Korean BBQ, so if they no longer have it, I probably won't come back. read more

Most people I have talked to seem to give this restaurant either a very bad review or a pretty good review, and I really think it's somewhere in between. I've had *really good* Korean food, so I know what it can be like--and this place falls notably short. That said, it's not terrible, and the stuff they serve here is still a step or two up from your typical Americanized Asian joint. My main beef with this place is the pricing...the food simply isn't good enough to justify the $10 and up per entree (and sometimes WAY over $10/entree) pricing scheme. This place would be four-stars if you could get in and out for $7-8 but it just doesn't deliver the quality to justify the higher prices. I would eat here more often if it were cheaper. If you want top-notch Korean food, for cheaper, go to Oriental Pantry on orange street. It's not a full-service restaurant (rather, a little grocery that happens to sell some food) but they make killer bibimbap, and a few other dishes, and they're a lot cheaper. And their food is really a lot better...true excellence, whereas here you just get a notch above mediocrity. read more

Poor Korean food for expensive prices. Soondubu seafood: only seafood I found were a few pieces of dried fish. Tofu was all broken up into little tiny pieces. Could not appreciate any tofu whatsoever. No egg to be dropped into the stone pot. No veggies either?? The soup tasted like water with chili oil. No flavor. Just spicy. The house special kalbi: is served boneless. Which pretty much takes away from the whole dish. Overcooked, dry, tough. Japchae: is okay. Can't go wrong there I guess. Flavor may be a little too sweet for my liking but some sriracha can fix that. Ban chan: low-mediocre-unimpressed. 6 were brought out. Not varied. For example, they put the same sauce over three types of veggies. Some were bland. I've had better. They also brought this out after they brought the first dish. Weird. Portions were not worth the prices. Huge disappointment because it smelled so good from outside. Restaurant is slow at 8pm on a Thursday. Yet between two servers, they only checked up on us once. Had to make an effort to get their attention since we were seated closer to the front. But they were nice and friendly. NYC has cheaper Korean food with five stars quality. read more

They told me no. "No." You can't have spicy shredded beef soup that is mediocre and overpriced, because it's your first time and it may be too spicy for you.... Still, I wanted this. I said "yes, without bean sprouts or mushrooms, please" because I don't like fillers. They reluctantly said "yes" and I obliged. I wanted that soup. I'm an RChef, btw. A reverse chef. This is someone who has developed specific taste preferences and who reverse works a dish on a menu to get the dish they really want. The soup, under my tutelage, was yummy and spicy. The soup came with rice. I added their red, table sauce to the rice. I knew it would be more sweet than salty since it was the sauce for an appetizer we just had, so asked for soy sauce. "No." Then I reluctantly received it. Out of spite I didn't use it and only had their red sauce. I didn't finish the rice. 2 stars. read more

Pretty good, not great, Korean food, and I've been eating Korean food here and in Korea since '84. Kimchi more sour than tasty. Yook Gye Jang was barely spicy and it's supposed to burn your face off. Soon Du Bu was just average. Also, stingy on the 'pan chan' in general. Perhaps the best in the area, but there are few choices evidently. Hostess was friendly enough. Considering Koreans can be outright rude as a rule, that's a bonus. read more

If you ever want to try Korean food this is the place to go doesn't matter your nationality wow the food is delicious. Service is amazing very friendly. And I can give this place 10 Stars I will. read more

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I am really disappointed of my experience from this restaurant that I feel I must write a review to warn the others. The place is clean and the Waiter is quite friendly but that are probably the only good things about this place. I had been to a lot of Korean restaurant before, this place's price is way over expensive compare to other places. I ordered the boneless beef for 24.99$ and I got like 8-9 pieces of bite size beef and the rest is all onions. The rice tastes dry, not the usual Korean rice I tasted before. Also you can not refill your side dishes and rice like the authentic Korean restaurant. I recommend anyone to stay away from this place if you want to get worth your money. read more

I came in here on a Saturday lunch with my dad. And wow, it was completely empty. From what we could tell by the setup, it seemed more like a dinner/bar type (they had a little stage for a band or maybe karaoke in the corner), so perhaps that explains why. We were served by the owner himself (from what we could tell), and the service was nice enough. The banchan (side dishes) were okay. Some didn't taste too authentic and the quantity was a little below average. The food that we ordered (Galbi Tang and Bibimbap) tasted pretty good though! For the galbi tang, the soup tasted great and hearty. My only gripes were that (1) the vegetables (radishes I think) were a little undercooked and (2) there was only one thing of galbi meat. (I'm sure the other scraps of meat in there was not galbi.) The bibimbap was good, but then again, it's hard to mess that up :P The bill turned out to be a bit pricey given the amount of food we were given. Going in, I was pretty bummed that there was only one Korean restaurant within a walking distance from the medical school. But thank God that it's actually decent, albeit overpriced, in terms of food. tl;dr Okay quality all around with a not-so-great price to quantity ratio. Definitely not the best tasting Korean food, but it will have to do as I go to school around here. Will definitely make me realize how good it is in Cali. read more

You have no choice. Decent Korean food across the spectrum. New Haven's only option really. So too bad. People are definitely nice, but talk about overpriced :( if it were cheaper and had some smaller portions for quick meals, I would have definitely been there quite often during my heyday. Decent food. Overpriced. What can you do. Actually, if you're really craving Korean food that much go to the train station in New Haven. $14 (have prices gone up?) will get you a one way pass to NYC and Grand Central. Take the shuttle to Penn Station, get up and out to W 32nd and Broadway and voila you are in KTown NYC some 2 hours later with a myriad of choices and at least you're in NYC so some of the cost is justified ... End rant. Seoul isn't THAT bad, but gosh give me any alternative pleaseeee. Cheers! read more

Stone pot BiBimBop was decent, nothing unpleasant but way way too pricey for a tiny bowl of "burnt rice" and veggies with hardly any meat. This isn't a "high end curated" type small dish, nor some fancy or rare ingredients. Perhaps if you are a Yale student far from home and missing your BiBimBop this may be worth the price to taste a bit of home? For a foodie, or anyone blessed with the bounty of good food that is new haven, I don't see this as a must try. To further inform you, oh reader, this is the favorite place of my trustafarian acquaintance who likes bad radio pop, bland overpriced restaurants, and subpar middle American theater productions, so I guess this meal is not surprising. Sadly out $20 including tax and tip, but at least I didn't get stuck splitting the check, which is always a danger with that crowd. read more

Food is tasty, portions are ehhh and prices are high. I think the fact they're the only Korean restaurant in town is the main reason they keep the prices where they are, they can get away with it!! No complaints, but I can't afford them for lunch very often. read more

Great Korean food... its as authentic as restaurant food gets. I had the beef soft tofu soup, and it was great. It wasn't overly spicy or too saturated with MSG. You could taste tons of flavor. The side items was great as well. The kim chi wasn't over fermented and still crunchy, as well as the cucumber. I also really enjoyed the fish cakes. I also tried the chicken skewers, which I didn't care for, because it was drenched in teriyaki sauce. FYI, they don't have the grills here, everything is prepared for you. So, good food that you don't have to work for. read more

I LOVE KOREAN FOOD. so i come here occasionally but every time i realize, wait...this isn't korean food! nice server and owner....but the food! no korean savoriness... bland, oily. doesn't mean i wont go back though, if i can't get to ktown in manhattan for my korean food fix. oh, also, really expensive compared to ktown food which is infinitely better as well. read more

The service here was horrrennndousssss. We had to wait like 30 minutes for everything to happen. They were clearly understaffed, but they are the only Korean BBQ place in New Haven, so i guess there's not so much we can do about it?? The food itself was alright. Seoul Kalbi was tender, Spicy Chicken was nicely flavored. Kimchee + scallion pajun. could have used a little more kimchee flavoring, but it was good. Definitely overpriced for the portions, but again, perks of having a monopoly I guess. Summary: I'd save my money for a train ticket to New York's Ktown to have better korean food with faster service and better value. read more

I debated for quite a while as to whether Seoul should get one star or two stars. I decided on one star because I realized my hesitation to give one star was only because New Haven has no other choice for Korean food. Just because something is the only option doesn't mean you should go. The food is not good and because of that is truly overpriced. I don't think I would return even if the prices were halved. The banchan (small side dishes) were few and rather bland. The bulgogi tough, lacking in flavor, and is as close to American steak and onions or Chinese peppersteak as it is to true Korean barbecue. The bibimbap was probably the least offensive dish but still overpriced and there's not much variety in terms of vegetables and accompaniments in the bowl. To conclude, if you're craving Korean, you won't get your craving satisfied at Seoul. Just wait until you go to NY, NoVA, or some other city/area that actually has a good Korean restaurant. read more

Like others have mentioned, the oddball 1 star reviews seem injust vs our experience there. The food was delicious (we especially enjoyed the bibimbap). It was all great for someone with a nut allergy. I will definitely be back! read more

Disclaimer: I have been here just once. Cons: it is really pricey. I shared an appetizer with several people, had a noodle seafood soup and a beer and spent 26 dollars. Compared to other Korean places I have been to (not in New Haven, to be fair) that's a lot. Pros: it is pretty good, and service was excellent last night. From what I gather from the other reviews they must have increased the amount of side dishes, which were plenty. I am not a kimchi expert so I can't talk about that, but they all tasted pretty good to me (something like fish cake was delicious). I had a seafood soup which was really rich and good, and those who had bibimbap really liked it. And the owner was super kind and sweet. I suspect the main problem of that place is that it's a bit out of the way and they compensate with too high prices that in turn keep customers at bay. read more

This was my first Korean restaurant. Food was okay, $13 got me a little bowl of soup and when I asked for extra kimchi I was charged $2 for three small pieces (waitress was nice enough to beg the owner to even let me have that!) Honestly, after going to this place I decided that Korean food is not my thing (even though I love all other asian food!). Thank goodness, my bf convinced me to try BCD Tofu House while visiting OC. That place was so much better! botom line, since there is no other options in new haven if you are desperately craving Korean food you can check out Seoul but I am not going there again. read more

The best Korean food you will find in New Haven. I had a delicious beef dish. However I will agree with everyone that this place is definitely overpriced. Spent around 60 dollars for a meal/drinks that easily should have been 30. I really did not notice any service issues because I was there to slowly eat, relax and enjoy time with a friend. If you need a korean fix, Seoul restaurant will basically be your best bet. read more

With friendly staff, comfortable seating, and a calming atmosphere, Seoul Restaurant was a very pleasant dining experience and perfect for a quiet Saturday night. We ordered the Kimchi Pajun, Stone Pot Bibim-Bap, and Soon Do Bu Jigae, all of which were very delicious and filling. I look forward to coming back when I'm craving Korean food in the New Haven area! read more

I had a good experience at Seoul Restaurant. Their Kalbee Tang (It's a non-spicy soup with meat in it) and their Dol Sot bi bim ba p (hot stone pot with rice /vegetables and meet) were both really good. They had side parking which was really nice. Their service was really quick and loved their hot tea. Their interior is very coordinated and spacious. You'll definitely won't feel claustrophobic. read more

The food served very late. It took about 10 minutes even I was only customer :( and it was even salty. (Beef Soft tofu soup-not recommended) but I ate because I was starving. No good service. The owner couples were so unfriendly. read more

Food was so delicious, some of the best in New Haven. They do what they do and they do it perfectly. Please try it if you can, the chicken bulgogi and rice was basically crack. It was spicy, sweet, and salty, and cooked to perfection. A hidden gem. read more