Dotori in Islington

Tasty food and lovely service at our xmas party! Thanks Alan for making it a great day! 🤗

Good food and nice ambience loved it .

Great bento box. Food came quickly. Would recommend.

Amazing food and value. Very authentic. Best Korean food I have had in the Uk.

If you’re like me, you’ve passed this place a hundred times on your way into or out of Finsbury Park station, always saying to yourself “Wow that looks good. I need to try this spot.” Well let me tell you, DO IT. After finally dining here and having some of the best Japanese and Korean food I’ve had in London, I don’t know why I waited so long. The food is incredible, but that’s just part of the charm of Dotori. The staff were kind and understanding. The place is intimate and cozy. As soon as you step inside, you can tell the high quality of the food from the delicious smells that fill the air. We had the short rib Korean BBQ and the Japanese/Korean Set Menu A. It was a perfect amount of food for two people while getting to experience a good range of the wealth of options they offer. Overall, I’d strongly recommend to any and everyone looking for high quality Korean and Japanese that’s cozy and casual

After having what I thought was a nice meal here, my whole body starts to itch uncontrollably and face and lips swelled. I ended up having to go to A&E at 2am. I'm not allergic to seafood, fish, crustaceans, or anything of the sort, and have eaten them all since and been totally fine. The doctor told me he's seen the reaction before as a result of pesticides, so I'm now dubious of the quality of the produce they serve here and wouldn't risk going back.

Within 2 mins of paying the bill (including the service charge that was added by the restaurant)was told “we need this table in 5 mins, we have people waiting!!” despite no-one obviously waiting and at least two other empty tables in the restaurant. Was going to leave anyway but it was just unnecessary and soured the experience. Food between average and good.

Quick and friendly service and delicious food at a great price!

recently went and their attitude is very poor

Tasty kimchi, bibimbap and tempura. Attentive speedy service and reasonably priced. Cash only

Service was fast. Nothing special about the food, it was totally acceptable but nothing memorable.

Delicious food and great service

Good korean food, not too expensive or fussy.

Busy so get there early + cash only + no bookings. Huge selection of great food, will be returning. Buchu Jeon bangs. Bit weird they use iceberg lettuce for lettuce wraps.

Food is great. I only eat from the Korean menu. My favourite place to go out for dinner in north London!

Amazing food and lovely service. Better to eat in than takeaway.

Food was good my prawns dumplings arrived frozen inside…the waiter was rushing us to finish .waiters were quite rude,I’m coming here for 10years it’s the first time thé service was so poor…not sure if I’ll go back there…

Service chaleureux et portions très copieuses ! Je pensais que les portions seraient relativement petites au vu des prix mais au final pas du tout. J'ai eu des restes pour le lendemain (et ça s'est très bien conservé).

all excellent until the bill , don’t take a card recommendation nearest till , then do take a card . absolute nonsense and we all know why !!!

Given the same price range, this place is one of the most authentic Japanese and Korean resturant you can find in London. It was quite odd to me when they could serve both of two different national dishes in the same place, but they know what they do. The price was cheerful. Only negative comment here was that they did not accept the card payment.

Really good food, nice that both the Korean and Japanese food are done well and not just an afterthought of the other. We tried kimchi pancakes, tempura, yaki udon and sashimi and would happily order it all again.

Due to my previous experience with delivery, where I found the food very delicious, I decided to visit the nearby restaurant for a takeaway this time. Initially, the service was very friendly. Although they only accepted cash, they offered the option to pay via bank transfer. However, when I was having a picnic in the park, I found a piece of wire in the fried chicken, which was shocking. After returning to the restaurant to inform the staff and explain that my gums were bleeding because of it, the staff did not apologize at all. Instead, they took the wire to the kitchen, came back with a mocking attitude, refunded the cash, and I left. During the whole process, there were 3-4 staff members present, but none of them apologized. It seemed as if this was a common occurrence!

A cosy little place with excellent Japanese and Korean food.

Got there at 9:15 p.m and was rushed to select food. Didn’t realise the kitchen closed at 9:30 p.m. Felt a bit rushed to select food. Anyway ended up ordering a few things. The food was decent, I would probably need to return and have time to go through the menu property.

Having been recommended this place by our host we decided to give it a try. The sheer busyness convinced us it was going to be amazing. Walking in we were doubtful we would get a table but a kind waiter beckoned us to a seat. Once settled we perused through the Korean/ Japanese menu. I was very thirsty too so ordered sake, water , plum soda and a beer. To eat we shared breadcrumb scallops, miso, vegetable croquette, eel with donburi and yakisoba. As mentioned it was busy and we were asked if a couple could sit next to us. We agreed but instantly regretted it. They were very loud and did not consider us who are more gently spoken. So all we could do was just stare at each other. Anyway, the starters were of good size and very hot temperature-wise. My eel was plentiful but was difficult to eat with the tough skin attached and being In such large pieces. It only came with three sliced pickles as well. My partners' yakisoba was very greasy and not the best of flavours. Looking at other dishes being served like the pork and tempura prawns these looked immense so think it's luck out the draw ..overall food was okay, service great but hated the atmosphere

It's a small restaurant so a bit of a squeeze. Had some great jjgae, spicy tuna maki, korean chicken wings and Nigiri. The soft shell crab maki was not great. Really big menu with lots of choices though.

Quality food, Quality service, Downside cash only and Finsbury park seems to always have issues with their ATM'S so come prepared

I tried to eat there several times but failed each time. First, there were a lot of people and no room. Ok I see. It's a great restaurant, so they probably have reservations, etc. It's the second time because it's closed, even though Google says it's already open. And the third time because they only accept cash. Nowadays, it is standard to pay by card 😑

Really authentic Korean & Japanese food - a real local gem!

2018: Tasty, well priced, cosy 2024: still my favourite Korean

A bit too salty from soup to main, a bit disappointed. Make sure u have cash as they don’t accept card, which is okay, but can be better as Korean bibimbap is not too difficult cuisine to cook. But it locates very close to station

Convenient location, tasty food, speedy service +++

Amazing food, attentive staff and quick turnaround in courses, can’t rate this place highly enough #excellent

Really nice discovery. Quick and friendly service, extensive menu and very tasty.

Dotori is a hidden gem of a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant in London. The ingredients here are fresh and the prices are reasonable. I love coming here to enjoy Japanese and Korean dishes. I often dine here with friends.

我一直不是很相信把不同亚洲国家菜放在一个菜单里的餐厅，我总以为这样的餐厅肯定不正宗，但Dotori完全改变了我的这个想法！它加的日本菜和韩国菜好吃得疯了好吗？我说是日韩菜伦敦天花板真的不足为过了！我那天点了7个菜，每个都超级美味！ 🥢鳗鱼寿司 意想不到的大size！鳗鱼大，寿司也大！米软软糯糯，入口即化～鳗鱼切得很像一条龙，难怪菜单上叫龙卷呢～ 🥢炒年糕 这是我最喜欢的一道菜，鬼知道它上来后我就每一口都不能不吃它的年糕！质感没得说，那味道更是绝了，超级入味，现在想起来都流口水！ 🥢辣炒五花肉 小伙伴最爱的一道，可以用生菜包着吃，味道真的太好吃！必点！ 🥢什锦蔬菜 这道菜很惊喜，居然是放了柠檬一起炒的！无聊的青菜立马变身小清新，和滴柠檬汁的味道一点都不像，也给我们以后炒菜的灵感了～ 🥢炒粉丝 挺甜的，但不奇怪。就是很合格的韩国菜，鼓掌～ 🥢海鲜汤 给的海鲜超多，汤很鲜，热热的汤在冷冷的雨天喝了好暖心喔～ 🥢日式煎饺 它底部煎得不是很酥脆，比较适合我这种爱吃软食的人哈哈，当然味道还是非常ok的！ Dotori绝对是我会再回去的餐厅，它家人气真的好旺噢，工作日下班过去都是坐满了人的。顾客很多外国人，他们可真有眼光能找到这么一间美味的日韩餐厅～

I’ll definitely come back!! Best Japanese and Korean restaurant in town!!

Came with friends for lunch, and had such a lovely time. We all enjoyed the delicious food. The portion sizes were very generous too, especially the starters, which if we had known were such a good size, we would have shared, instead of having one each! We all look forward to coming again, as there are other options on the extensive menu we would love to try too! Recommended!

Excellent for a quick Japanese or Korean bite. Cash only.

I really like this Japanese and Korean restaurant. It’s very close to Finsbury Park tube station, just walk for about a minute or two and it's said to be run by a family for about ten years now. Initially, they only had four tables, but now they have two and a half floors, with quirky anime-themed decorations. Here are some of their standout dishes that I ordered and quite like: SCALLOP KATSU: Breaded and fried scallops served with tasty Japanese sauce. Crispy outside, tender inside, it's a fun taste experience. DEOJI BULGOGGI: Spicy pork belly marinated in honey, Korean chilli sauce, and soy sauce. It's a mix of sweet and oily flavours that's hard not to love. YUKHOE BIBIMBAP: Thinly sliced raw beef (or shredded beef) and raw egg yolk mixed with rice in a stone pot. It looks a bit like French dish Steak Tartare but the beef is partially cooked by the hot pot. It tastes really good.The sushi platter is beautifully arranged, with fresh salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, seaweed, and octopus slices. The sushi is made by the chef with great care, it's a pleasure to watch them being prepared. Their matcha ice cream is a generous portion and has a nice matcha flavour, it's delicious. In terms of London's Japanese-Korean cuisine, personally, it feels quite affordable. £30 per person can get you a pretty good meal.

amazing food with reasonable price! Definitely will come back again.

La galbl The dish was served hot and fragrant. The baby bones were oily in colour, tender and juicy in the mouth, and the meat popped to the teeth; the sprouts padded at the bottom were also very tasty, soaking up the fat from the beef, and you couldn't resist the disc straight away. Bulgoggi bibimbap The runny omelette 🍳 breaks with a poke and is served with tender beef, a must-order! BBQ Samgyeopsal Thickly sliced paneer tastes best when it's grilled until it's browned on both sides! There's nothing better than the sound of the meat sizzling on the iron plate. Sesame oil, BBQ sauce and lettuce wraps are also provided and are very refreshing.

Super tasty, friendly service and lots of choice

The food was amazing, especially those sushi and spicy beef rib with lettuce. Definitely recommend trying. The price is responsible.

Dotori is a somewhat hidden gem in Finsbury Park which you might walk by without noticing if it were not for the people waiting patiently outside for a table. The food is really excellent, with a good variety of Korean and Japanese food. Every dish we ordered was great. The sushi was particularly good, and only wish that we’d ordered more! Dotori is very affordable, especially compared to comparable restaurants you may find in London. You will definitely leave feeling full and content! Can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu!

Highly recommend this restaurant.

Dotori is the best! Eat in, takeaway, delivery - food and service is always 10/10

Absolutely perfect! Delicious food, quick and good service. Only cash and no bookings but completely worth it!

First time to Dotori. Food was super delicious and staffs are so friendly and great service. Highly recommended. We’ll be back soon 👍

Dotori is a hidden gem of a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant in London. The ingredients here are fresh and the prices are reasonable. I love coming here to enjoy the dishes. I often dine here with friends.

It's hard to get a seat in the prime time but the rest is awesome.

Walked in and was the only people in there. 20 minutes later there was a queue. Great seafood hotpot! Ample options were available for my Coeliac wife. Value for money and cash only.

My goodness! Firstly - no bookings (so you might queue) and cash only! Secondly - ignore the surrounding area (which can be a bit … lively). This place is fantastic. The food is freshly prepared and wonderfully tasty - fresh edamame, succulent gyoza, zingy sticky chicken, with wonderfully filling mains, and a good range of beers and soft drinks. The service is brisk and efficient. The tables are crammed together, so not a place for a quiet intimate evening, but the prices are the final clincher - great value!

Just had an incredible Korean dining experience! The sushi platter was fresh and delightful, and the cheese Tteokbokki was a perfect fusion of spicy and creamy. Absolutely a must-visit for Korean cuisine lovers!

Both the Korean and the Japanese dishes are delicious. Reasonable prices. Beware that they only accept cash, no card payments allowed.

Good food Great value for money The only problem is you need to pay cash and it's walk in only, so when it's busy you might need to queue for some time.

Very nice and authentic restaurant. Good price, very tasty. Definitely recommend!

So so so good. Delicious Korean and Japanese comfort food. Can't wait to go back.

The Special Bento Box is always delicious, and as ever, we ended up taking some home with us!

I've been here twice now and the food has not failed to disappoint me! Definitely one place everyone has to try. And remember they only take cash.

For a ‘cash only’ restaurant it’s quite pricey. 0,3 bottle of beer for £5.8 is a ripoff especially for cash only place. Portions are quite small competing to their prices and food itself is quite average. I was also quite disappointed with complete luck of flexibility when we ask to change one item in a set menu - we could swap it paying full price of the item extra. Definitely wont be back.

My go to sushi restaurant in London! It’s hard to find a place with good sushi at a reasonable price but Dotori hits all the right spots! The fish is fresh and there’s a good menu selection. My fabourite is the Osaka set and the dragon roll as I love a bit of both nigiri and rolls. They’re cash only and there can be a queue, especially Saturday evenings so go early or late to avoid waiting.

My best Far East beef experience ever. The bulgogi at Dotori is a must go. It's a small cosy restaurant, a hidden gem by Finsbury Park.

Best place for Korean & Japanese

The Pancake was really good ! But my ramen just missed the mark - to be fair I should have had something else on the menu. The staff were really welcoming and kind and there’s no wait time It’s cash only :)

Amazing restaurant. Always busy

My favorite restaurant in London ❤️

The staff here are so friendly. The restaurant is kinda small but cozy. The food was served quickly. I ordered Japchae and it tasted so good. I would recommend it to those who want to enjoy Korean or Japanese cuisine

Strong portion sizes, Fast service, Food was a bit over priced for its taste value. Food had a more Korean taste to it, definitely the fried chicken and sushi are the strong points here. Still on the search for the best J-curry in london. Cash only, not cheap but recommended 👍

It had been a while since I had tteokbokki, which I was really craving. Thanks to a friends recommendation, now I have a favourite place very close to my house! Really recomend it.

Popular Japanese and Korean restaurant. Used to be family run, but since Sam and his two kids left, it went downhill for a time, but is getting better. Food is tasty again. Although the whole experience, salads as an entree etc changed, the lack of that personal touch was noticeable but recently compensated by Jia and Cynthia. There friendly attention & effort made such a difference. Sorry that Jia has left to continue her law studies. Be aware they only take cash only.

Fresh, tasty food, fast service, atmosphere buzzy, take cash!

La comida estaba buenísima. Disfrutamos de cada plato y pudimos descubrir la verdadera comida coreana. Valió la pena tomar el metro expresamente para comer allí. Este restaurante me lo recomendó una persona en el avión que trabajó allí. Y fue un acierto total. Sólo aceptan efectivo.

Very delicious food, cosy place. Service is very fast and staff are friendly.

Big fans of Korean food here. It may not be perfect, but it's still very good, and the few Japanese dishes we've tried were good too. Lots of choice, tasty food... A good option in the neighborhood.

Nice little Japanese Korean eatery. We just turned up not realising it was Friday night and found it packed with a queue out the door. They gave us a call when a table became free while we walked in the park. The food was very good at reasonable prices. They were very helpful with a long list of allergies.

Lovely, lovely, lovely! We had tried to get in previously but there was always a queue. Lovely staff, we didn’t need to wait long for food, delicious tasty food at fantastic prices with very generous portions!! Great menu available. We left the venue stuffed full and very happy- highly recommend !! We ordered soo many dishes which therefore bumped up the price per person. Huge prawns- prawn tempura! Fried squid tentacles- ( in photo) very big portion!! Kimchi- yum yum

This is a defo worth getting to. Superb authentic food. Great spices!

Amazing - we stuck to Korean food on this visit but we'll be back to try more of the menu for sure!

I came here for dinner a few nights ago, wow! The food was amazing, the service was top and we had a great time. Can't wait to explore the menu and visit again.

Delicious mouth watering bibimbap Fantastic sizzling dishes

Such a Finsbury Park gem! Amazing portions of delicious authentic Japanese and Korean food

Food was excellent. There's a lot of choice here. We chose the set menu and it didn't disappoint. Staff were friendly and helpful. It's a small place so I would recommend coming early to avoid queues. Cash only is also a slight disadvantage.

Great authentic Korean cuisine at good prices. Love the seafood broth..in fact...I love all their dishes! Yummy 😋 Great prices, good value for money and friendly service. I can't understand why other people saying it's expensive. I eat here weekly on a budget. Dragon roll is heaven. Haemultang is wow. Too many yummy dishes to name. Go try yourself. Don't miss out. Oh, cash only. Well done Dotori. 👏

This is by far the best korean restaurant I’ve been. All the food I had was top notch👌. Although the space is bit small but the good is absolutely amazing 💯💯

The food and service is amazing. They accept only cash though

This place is easily missed as it is a tiny cafe right next to Finsbury Park station. Try to find it though… the food is amazing. I highly recommend the Japanese fried chicken, the miso aubergine & the hotpots. It is cash only & you may need to queue but it is worth it!

Fantastic experience! Super delicious sushi and attentive service. The place does not look fancy but the food (we only had sushi) is simply amazing. Thank you Dotori Team, we’ll be back soon!

We travelled almost 2hrs for the journey and was completely worth it. The staff were lovely and the food was amazing. A great experience and we plan to go again.

One of my favourite places for sushi and Japanese. North London Finsbury Park. Place is small and not fancy but definitely worth it to eat high quality Sushi, noodles or soups.

Tasty and lovely Japanese food served here in London. Great service clean and smiling staff and good prices and location at good point

This is my second attempt of leaving a review for Dotori in Finsbury Park - my first review was deleted by the restaurant I am guessing?...surprise surprise! I was at Dotori in Finsbury Park on the 22nd of March 2022 for my friend's birthday dinner. I will begin by stating; this was by far the worst customer service and dining experience I ever experienced (in and out of London) in my life, which is why I am making, again, an attempt at leaving a review as I do not think it is good enough to steal £150 from customers and then expect them not to respond.  I will first and foremost state: only visit this place if you are into incredibly rude, mannerless staff, who will do their utmost to treat you horrendously and make you feel used. I am never going back to this place. I will be honest, the food was good; not Marco Pierre White or Nuno Mendes good, but 'sweet, sufficient for a friendly, simple evening'. Considering what's on offer; the food is way too expensive, which again, is alright, IF the service had been up to some standards, not a standard, any standard at this point.  We got to Dotori and were directed to a table downstairs. As soon as we were given menus, we were asked every other minute if we were ready to order - mind you; with a member of staff looking over my shoulder to my left, throughout the evening. Once we ordered, we again got asked every other minute (!) if we were done, in the middle of a conversation, 'are you done yet?'. At some point another staff member who had been getting ready to leave, put his coat on and said 'did you want your bill? here is your bill'. We went 'but you are still open no (?) and we are still drinking'. He then went 'we need to clean downstairs, you need to go upstairs'. We went upstairs, were told they were still open for another half an hour and ordered another beer. About ten minutes later, another staff member told us we had to leave and got rid of our nearly full drinks and directed us to the door. Where to begin. I can't even express the whole scenario the way I had the first time around. My whole point being; I get you are tired, i get you had a long day and want to leave but there are ways of treating customers, just people in general with a little more respect, decency and tact. I was honestly so shocked about how pushy, aggressive and short they were that neither I nor my friends knew what to say. Also bear in mind; we weren't there for a £10 meal, milking it and just keeping the place open. Just some food for thought: why did you move us downstairs in the first place if you knew you were going to be overwhelmed or needed or wanted to even shut the restaurant before the stated hour? You could have just let use queue upstairs and then told us 'tonight we'd like to close in the next hour, take a seat and make your order only stay if this is okay with you'. Instead you took us downstairs, rushed us through our order, our meal, stood by our side whilst we were eating, pushed us around, took our money, didn't even let us finish or take our drinks and basically told us to get out.  People; I never write reviews. Even if I am pissed off, I just let it go. But these guys, really took the mickey on a whole other level and the aggressive atmosphere was just one of a kind. The staff is obviously underpaid or untrained; there is no other reason why they would be this visibly angry, frustrated and really uncaring.  Do yourselves and this place a favour by avoiding it. I am surprised a restaurant like this is still in service and about all the 'positive' reviews. I am guessing the restaurant reports or takes down negative ones as they go.  Don't go, unless you want to have your most horrendous dining experience with a hefty bill at the end. 

Amazing food and amazing service. I have an allergy and they were so careful and really thoughtful. The food was amazing, the quality, taste and amount was all great. Staff were lovely.

A small Japanese/ Korean restaurant a few minutes walk from Finsbury Park station. The food is fresh, great flavours and authentic. Service is quick and the restaurant is keen to have a quick turn around.

My and my partner try out different spots all the time and just want fresh food which is mildly authentic. I have tried a few korean spots and to be honest none have been as good as those in Chinatown or Kimchee in kings cross. Dotori is so close to home and we wanted to give it a go. The food came quickly but was super super disappointing. We ordered, ttepoki, prawn tempura, seafood pancakes, noodle dish and a soup based dish. The soup was so so oily they could see me using tissue to filter it. The pancakes were raw doughy texture and I just picked out the seafood. The tempura was good and the ttepoki was nice too. The rest was well below average. I explained that I did not enjoy the noodle dish or the soup based beef dish and they could take it back, the waiter was friendly but said he can take it back but we will be charged because the chef already plated it for you. I did not want to argue with him.

We have been to this restaurant many times and we have always been happy in the past but unfortunately they are now over pricing since Covid. My husband paid £38 on their recommendation. See photo attached. This consisted of rice, pancakes, lettuce and beef. Cheap ingredients that are being sold for a rip off price. We will not return! Dotori is not what it was...shame on you!

I've been coming here regularly with my now husband for about six years and it's our favourite nearby date night spot. Cheap, delicious food and drink and the service is always speedy and efficient. The staff are wonderful and the owner is really kind. For my birthday in lockdown last year, my husband wanted to get me dinner from my favourite restaurant and arranged a special delivery with the owner since we live just outside the Deliveroo/Uber Eats delivery area. The owner even sent a birthday card and flowers! I'm glad that Dotori is still going strong! We usually order from the Korean menu, although the sushi and other Japanese dishes are great too. The kkanpunggi and twigim are incredible.

This was a brilliant local gem before. So sad to see this restaurant gone downhill after the previous Korean owner (Sam) sold this restaurant to the Chinese chefs who cook Korean and Japanese food. The current owner is keeping the same name with a different menu. The hot food and bento boxes are average. The sushi’s are bad. Not fresh and warm. The bill comes £55 without alcohol. Cash only. I definitely won’t go back again!

My housemate and a couple of friends had already been and recommended Dotori to me and said to bring my girlfriend as Japanese food is her favourite cuisine! Anyway so we went - we had Korean mains and shared a Japanese Tofu dish with a couple of beers. We thought the food was great, one of the best meals we'd had out in a while and we liked the atmosphere/decor too. I'm Vegan and the waiter was helpful in showing me the Vegan section of the menu which had enough options for me for you non meat eaters out there! I would say try to be seated downstairs if you can like we were - we preferred the atmosphere there. Service wasn't the friendliest but I've always liked the no nonsense service approach you get in some Asian restaurants. Would definitely recommend and we plan on going back!

Having now visited on three separate occasions, I am an avid fan and advocate of Dotori. The food is great, the prices are reasonable, and the venue is understated but comfortable. Also, the wide selection of not only Korean, but Japanese food is very impressive! To be able to provide such a wide range of cuisines to a large customer base, and at such a high standard, is a success in itself. While I empathise with the reviews citing a rushed service, overall the staff are really friendly, they just have a lot of customers to serve! And in their duty of serving customers with their food in an appropriate amount of time, they do it shockingly well for how busy Dotori can get post-6pm. Overall my only qualm is their return to walk-ins only - travelling in to get a table can be a hard gamble! However, it's a risk I'm willing to take.