Koreana in Manchester

Had a booking here. Arrived to find out that they had not booked us for BBQ instead a standard table. Honestly wouldn’t recommend it. We travel 2 hours from the midlands to come for a birthday meal and was let down.

I ordered the lunch deal with beef bimbimbap and meat dumplings. It was a very filling lunch, the beef was nicely marinated and mixed in well with all the vegetable, you can add your preferred amount of sauce too. It also had some pickles in the bimbimbap, which is very different but very refreshing. It would have been nice to have more of the spinach and less of the lettuce.

Dolsot bibim bab?? Beautiful. Definitely recommend

We had the beef bibimbap and kimchi pancakes. I really enjoyed them all. The staff looked so busy but they were so helpful. After the main meal, I had the ginger ice creams. It was 3 scoops and the real gingers were in them. I absolutely loved it!

Koreana Restaurant in Manchester offers a mixed experience, blending affordability with culinary inconsistencies. While their lunchtime business deal presents an attractive offer, certain aspects of the dining experience leave much to be desired. One of the highlights of Koreana Restaurant is their lunchtime business deal, which provides good value for money. The option to choose either a main dish with a drink or a starter is a convenient choice for those looking for a quick and affordable meal during the workday. However, despite the enticing deal, the execution of certain dishes falls short. In particular, the dolsot bibimbap, a staple of Korean cuisine, missed the mark in terms of taste and authenticity. It's surprising to encounter such a misstep, as dolsot bibimbap is typically a fail-safe dish. The lackluster flavors and improper preparation detracted from the overall dining experience. Another issue worth noting is the inadequacy in service. There seemed to be a shortage of staff available to attend to diners, resulting in longer wait times and less attentive service. Additionally, the dim lighting within the restaurant, exacerbated by its basement location, created a somewhat gloomy atmosphere that detracted from the overall dining ambiance. Despite these shortcomings, Koreana Restaurant does show promise, particularly with its competitive pricing and convenient lunch deals. With some improvements in food quality and service, it has the potential to become a go-to spot for affordable Korean cuisine in Manchester.

Great Korean food! I recommend eating here.

Old, tired, disorganised restaurant, below average and expensive. The passion is gone, Avoid.

This is a small, independent restaurant. The clientele are mostly Asia, which is a good sign for an Asia restaurant! I found the service was great and the food was excellent. The food had a decent portion and they didn't skimp on the meat either. As the queue from about 6pm (Saturday evening) was always pretty long it is best to book. Having visited the a few of the numerous Korean restaurants in New Malden (South London), or Little Korea as some call it, I really think Manchester has its own little gem in this restaurant. I would like to thank the Korean lady (manager/owner) for her service, as my wife had a number of questions about the food and drinks which she happily dealt with.

After order the food, I wait for more than half hour. After chasing the order, they start cooking my meal, well done. Never come back again, poor service, poor experience

I was really excited to try some authentic Korean food and chose one of my favourite dishes kimchi soup. It tasted nothing like Kimchi soup. The pork was not belly pork, I have to say the meat was dry and not edible. I can’t believe this was authentic Korean food having visited South Korea many times over the years. Really disappointing. The service was good though.

Yum!!!!!! So warm and cozy inside it was an instant relief from the other large neon-light filled trendy restaurants. I had the vegetarian kimchi-jjigae (they called it a casserole) with rice and an iced plum tea and it was really great. Would go back!

Nicest Food I Have Eaten Yet, The Waiters Are Really Nice And I Will Surely Be Returning Any Time Soon. 🐊

I was happy with them until i ordered takeaway, expensive, small portions, , If you want to have nice one go to the restaurant

Ambience was good .food really tasty and staff very helpful We will return and recommend to all

It's hard to stay warm in there as customers bring the cold wind in when they come in and out through the front door. The beef bibimbap isn't tasty even with the chilli sauce, but the pancake is very nice!

Not good. Galbi was over cooked and burned. Two stars because they accepted my return and cooked it again, but was still bad. Tasteless. Won’t recommend. It’s hard to believe how bad Korean restaurants are in UK, including this one.

Used to be my regular value for food bbq destination but I felt the food quality and portion has reduced and not as enjoyable anymore. This is probably because of poor service too. It’s a shame because it’s indeed was one of my favourite bbq place.

Most authentic Korean food I have had in Manchester, shame the service didn't match, although they were helpful in moving reservation. Came back to this one. The service improved vastly, so more than happy to give 1 star back as food still excellent too

Kimchi Jjigae was decent, pancakes were bread-like, and the BBQ pork belly cooked by them were so overcooked it was bacon.

-Seafood in the soup is so stale, tastes like boil water with paprika and zombie seafood, also too fishy -The beef rib is not newly cooked as ordered, with boiling sauce but still cold inside the meat, tastes weird and worrying; some pieces are just as hard as stone, like a piece of wood burning for a week -Can’t find any kimchi in the kimchi pancake, maybe one or two leaf for the whole pancake? -Better order veg bibimbap cause the meat tastes really stale and meaty, we ordered chicken but I believe the beef is similarly terrible, just enjoy the sauce which never goes wrong -The service and atmosphere is good anyway, but the cooking is so perfunctory, done like the way they cooked

Not gunna lie, it’s the worst Korean restaurant I have ever had. The seafood soup tasted like you overcooked all the ingredients and put them all together. As for the beef ribs, the sauce wasn’t bad but I seriously doubted the freshness. The kimchi pancakes required more effort and sincere as it’s more of a kimchi sauce pancake.

No bad experience, we order more than 70pounds for 3 person but we are not full yet, just half full

Fast service though restaurant was crowded. Courteous waitress with clean eating area. Food was good.

Absolute gem of a place. Tucked away in Manchester, but worth a visit! The restaurant was slightly dated but that added to the charm! The staff were all attentive and friendly. The food was absolutely amazing! We will definitely be going again.

decent food! but quite expensive for the portion.. japchae and pork belly bulgogi were very good.

Excellent food, excellent service, great price. Little gem of a restaurant.

Nice food, lovely people, okay place.

Food absolutely delicious, looking forward to going again.

Genuinely one of the best meals I've had in a long while, I'll be back!

Amazing food and reasonable prices. One of the favourites

Quick and easy service and amazing food. Had the Bibim Bab, if it's your first time trying it go easy on the chilli sauce!

Super nice home style cooking. Absolute comfort food !!

Good taste, dishes in small size

A lovely authentic Korean place. The food was amazing and to die for. The servers were extremely kind and accommodating. I only got to try the vegetarian dishes for a change but I can’t wait to try the bbq menu specially the sharers. They accept American Express so that’s always a plus. Makes a lovely place for romantic dates!

I must of gone to the wrong restaurant because the reviews are fantastic. It must of been an off day when I went. We were running late due to the traffic in Manchester town centre so rang to let them know and they said it wouldn't be a problem. We arrived at about 7-30 so my partner had already been given our table as I went to park the car. So I arrived at the table and asked my partner if she had ordered drinks. No she replied. We ten Sat there for at leased 15 mins at this point my partner had tried to get someone's attention but with no look. As I am sat looking around I have noticed two different couples been shown to a table. Still no drinks. I watched both tables get there order in before ours. Drinks come 8pm. But no Food order. Then I watch the other couples food come to the table. Waiter came over and then told us the banquets menu was not on. Another Lady comes over and takes our order. 45 mins now. so I ordered Ribs as starter, Wings as middle, pork as main. Much time later the starters came out. As this was happening the couple who came in before have now eaten paid and left. The other couple are about to do the same and we have just got our starters. The Main came out at about 9:15 it wasn't anything special. We turned down the deserts because of time we had to travel back to Bolton. By this time I had enough. I watched another table of 4 come in eat and pay within 45mins. The service was on a scale I've never witnessed before. I can only put it down to the fact we were late. We left at around 9:30 and I have to say the food was average. Maybe we got the wrong things. The menu is way to small to read and over complicated and the service was shocking. Just a tip. The menu need explaining to people and ask the customer want they like. I don't think I will be returning.

A lovely restaurant with helpful and efficient staff. I find the foods are really good and authentic but my friends find the dishes not spicy enough. We tried the Korean bbq and rice dishes. The Korean pancake was fantastic.

Pros: the food is pretty tasty, menu has a good selection, service is good. Cons: only lost a star because I can't believe 김 is £3 and 반찬 is £9.50. Of course I ordered it because no Korean meal is complete without it. And I do understand, it must be hard getting Korean ingredients to Manchester so I don't know. Maybe losing a star for £9.50 반찬 is a bit harsh.

This place is a pure delight. It was my first time visiting, even though I recall seeing it years ago when I used to work around the corner from this place! it has stood the test of time, and my only regret is not visiting this place years ago. The staff are really friendly and attentive. We had the bbq meat - where you have the option to cook the meat yourself on the grill or the kitchen will do it. The meat was marinaded to perfection. We also had another dish, which was very nice overall. The decor is most definately dated, but it adds to the charm of authenticity! The prices are very reasonable. Definately, come back here and would recommend.

Such lovely authentic food and attentive staff. We came here as a party of 9 and all agreed we'd come again!

I can't believe it was so busy but the staff were really attentive and taking care of everything. The cuisine is very rich and uses traditional Korean cutlery. Would go again.

I’ve been going to Koreana for 20 years or so and today was the first time I’ve been disappointed. Our starter came half way through our mains. When we questioned the mains arriving first they said the starter took longer to cook. I think they’d forgotten to make it.Also the squid in my seafood japchae was tough because it was so overcooked.I really hope this was a one off…

This place was really nice, quality of food was good and the staff were friendly. Only issue is that its small with poor ventilation. Gets very smokey inside. Also unless you specifically request Korean BBQ in your reservation chances are you may not be seated at a table with the option to have that which isnt ideal if thats the reason you've chosen to go here.

Lovingly and cosy place. Good food. Maybe little pricy, but worth it.

It's a busy restaurant because the food is goooooood!! This is my second time here, all foods were food. I LOVE the belly pork for BBQ, can also wrapped together with the assorted pickled. Recommended and will definitely go again!

I love Korean food and Koreana is one of my favourite places in Manchester. So far I’ve tried their chicken, beef and seafood bulgogi which all taste amazing, and the kimchi and kimchi pancake are also really good! The service was average, it was very busy when we went for dinner so it but they could have been a bit more attentive. The banchan and rice have to be ordered separate as they don’t come included with the mains, but overall great tasting food and the prices are reasonable.

Was very excited to be trying this Restraunt following a visit to HOME. I had not tried Korean food before so let’s start there. My partner had a rice dish and I had a beef stew. My wife’s dish was vibrant with rice veg and egg and she loved it. My dish was tender beef in a beef stock with glass noodles. It had no other flavour or spice that I detected and was therefore not to my taste (even with the help of a chilli sauce) . I found the kimchi again a bit bland. I think the food is well cooked so that is not my issue. The service was terrible: innatentive, clearing my partner fihes when I hadn’t finished then not clearing mine away at all. We had to ask for water on multiple occasions. We were not offered coffee or desert and we had to get up and ask for the bill twice or we’d still be in there. It was a shame give my excitement to go but such is life. I’m not giving up on Korean food but I will not go back here!

Friendly staff, the some pickles/Kim chi was a bit too over-fermented.

The rice box lunch meals are divine

Excellent restaurant, I think family run. The waitresses are very polite and attentive. Really enjoyed the food, would definitely recommend.

I visited Koreana for the first time for lunch with my partner. We loved it! The servers were extremely helpful and even suggested to order a starter that was included in a set menu we had missed. When our food arrived our server explained each dish and how they are typically eaten. The bibimbap was delicious. We will be returning very soon.

We had a great time here. The food was excellent, we had the set banquet, which gave us a great mix of food to try and share between us.All the wait staff we had were really friendly and helpful. They answered all our questions when we weren't sure. We are looking forward to returning in the future.

Absolutely love the food here! I had the vegetarian bibimbap and I just wanna go back and have it again haha. Would seriously recommend to anyone !!

Popped in for lunch and so glad we did. It was so good and the service was fab. Lovely girls that worked there. I had the spicy prawn noodles and my partner had the chicken and rice off the specials menu. Both portions were huge and the price is good. My only complaint is that the menu was a little confusing and it wasn’t really clear what things were. Either way we really enjoyed it.

We had an amazing time here. The staff were so friendly and considerate. A few of my friends are hijabi Muslims and one of the staff members came over to make sure we all knew that the beef wasn't halal. We all appreciated the gesture.

Our favourite restaurant in Manchester! The food and service is always wonderful and its so cheap for how good it is!

I came here twice so far, and love it both times. On my recent visit, due to covid it was totally empty which was sad to see, as it used to be so busy. But the food was amazing as always. I had beef bulgogi, lots of kimchi and banchan and it all tasted great. The food also came pretty quick as well, as the staff were friendly. I love Korean food and Koreana is my favourite Korean place in Manchester for authentic Korean food. The menu has lots of variety, portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable. You do need to order things like rice and banchan separately though, which is an upside if you are like me and do not like rice which I always ended up wasting when it was included in other Asian places. Overall lovely Korean food for Manchester.

I had been craving korean food all lockdown and this place hit the spot! The food and the service are both wonderful. Also really good prices! Will definitely be back!

Fantastic food. Staff very friendly and polite. Highly recommended. One of my favourite restaurants

Food never disappoints here. My favourite place to eat in Manchester, looking forward to returning to work and going for regular lunches 😁

Really really nice restaurant! Staff are lovely and the food is to die for, so much choice and everything is lovely, extremely well priced for the food you get and has a great selection of drinks too

Fantastic Food, great service, shame the draught lager isn't available. Been going to this restaurant for a long time and will continue but sort the draught beer out. Asahi isn't a great substitute and the Korean bottled I found too sweet.

Han pasado cinco años desde que visitamos este restaurante familiar bien establecido y fue bueno ver que los estándares siguen siendo altos. No hay muchos restaurantes coreanos en Manchester y la cocina es diferente y vale la pena probarla. Puede tener la opción de banquete habitual o hacer su propia comida de la amplia gama de menús.Teníamos tres platos cada uno de la selección de banquetes [alrededor de 20 @] junto con una botella de Pinot a un precio razonable. Teníamos platos de pescado y carne. Estaban bien cocinados y extremadamente sabrosos. El servicio fue rápido y amigable. El restaurante estaba lleno cuando llegamos allí, pero no tuvimos que esperar mucho para nuestra comida. Definitivamente volveremos a Koreana y te sugeriremos [por algo diferente] que lo pruebes.

Me encanta la comida coreana y vine a cenar aquí una vez. Tuve la cazuela de mariscos que era como un guiso coreano picante y sabía muy bien. Las porciones son muy grandes, por lo que no tenía arroz, ya que era suficiente para llenarme, pero los lados como el arroz y el banchan deben pedirse por separado. El kimchi aquí es tan bueno, me encanta el kimchi y descubrí que Koreana lo hizo muy bien. El servicio era bueno y el ambiente era más tranquilo pero elegante, sin embargo, nos llevó un tiempo llamar la atención de los camareros. El menú tiene muchas opciones, desde bibimbap y bulogi hasta jigae y muchos tipos diferentes de panqueques coreanos. Recomiendo panqueque de kimchi, fue mi favorito. Los precios son razonables. En general, buena calidad de comida coreana con porciones generosas y un ambiente agradable.

Went with friends and the food was superb. Place was packed which is always a good sign. Ordered a number of different meals and drinks. The food was excellent and the beer was cheap by restaurant standards. For an authentic Korean meal this is a must visit place

Been here several times for lunch, quality never dops. Dumplings hot and tasty, main dishes vary and ample. One of my favourites

Don't know what you're buying here as there are no images to see, when food arrives you may be disappointed

The food is nice and the staff are very friendly too.

그나마 맨체스터에서 한국식 먹고 싶으면 한번쯤 가볼만 합니다 위치도 나쁘지 않고 종업원들도 친절한편이고 나름 맛도 무난합니다 가격은 싸다고 할수는 없음

Can’t believe how this place has kept its authenticity. Not been in over 10 years - had the business lunch, great value for money. Also do takeout which seemed very popular given the size of the queue Highly recommend

We went to Koreana for traditional coreean food and were not disappointed. The food was good and service very fast. They also have traditional beverages from Corea. Overall a nice experience.

Lovely place enjoyed my meal will go back again

Little gem hidden away in Manchester. Amazing food, excellent customer service and a brilliant atmosphere. I will definitely return when I’m back in the area and highly recommend.

Brilliant take out service and really cheap

Really enjoyed the food here, my first proper try of Korean and it was great! I can recommend the bibimbap and seafood pancake!

Introduced my wife to the Korean kitchen with a Korean barbecue at Koreana. For a first time experience of Korean food this was a total success. For me it was like going back to my visits to Seoul. Excellent food, service and atmosphere.

Went here for lunch for my youngest sons birthday. Wasn’t sure what to expect as never had Korean food before. So glad we chose this place, the food was fantastic and what an experience!We all had the spare ribs to start and the pork dumplings, can honestly say they were the best ribs we have ever had. Main course we all had the Korean barbecue, it was amazing and such a lovely and different way to eat. Will definitely go back again.

Was craving Korean BBQ last night and was delighted to find this absolute gem so close to the city centre! As it was quite a last minute decision to go out for dinner, we didn't have a booking - but the staff there were more than happy to seat us! We opted for the Korean BBQ set menu (beef and chicken), having chosen the Kimchee pancakes and the Prawn Spring Rolls as our sharer dishes. 100% happy with the meal - we were definitely in a little food coma by the end of the meal! Staff there were very polite and attentive. Paid £14.50 per person, which I 150% think was worth it! Will definitely be visiting Koreana again with some more friends in the not-too-distant future!

Slightly off the beaten track (only a minute or two from Deansgate) but worth seeking out.

Very friendly staff, great authentic Korean food!

This well established restaurant is a real "one off" being different ,friendly and reasonably priced.The food is fresh, appetising and good.This is clearly not part of some chain, but a family run place in the town certre proudly offering dishes that are different and enjoyable.

Came on a recommendation and really enjoyed it. An independent individual feeling restaurant conveniently situated. A good ambience at lunchtime. An extensive menu that was easy to digest. Excellent tasty fresh food.

Qué bonito lugar para comer algo de auténtica comida coreana. Fue servido caliente y estaba delicioso!

Great little Korean restaurant in Manchester City centre. Service is very quick and staff very friendly. The pork dumplings starter was excellent and the prawns bibim bab was lovely. Great place and great value!!

Excellent seollongtang. Best hangover cure. ;)

great food, arrived very quickly, and reasonable price, good atmosphere, great all round experience, good choice for vegetarian

Llamado a las especificaciones y eligió el menú Set Lunch - 11. 50. Primer plato: albóndigas de carne, 3 x 2 y bien embaladas con carne, salsa al lado, llegó caliente y estaba deliciosa.

I’ve walked past here many times when I worked in nearby Spinningfields but never went in. First time last night. Very busy so we were right to pre book. We picked a banquet for four which was very good. We will go again.

A group of Geographer's met at Koreana for their Annual Dinner. We enjoyed the food and the service was good - efficient without being overbearing. The meal was good value for money. The atmosphere was good, though the restaurant was a little plainer tha some we have eaten at in the past. I would recommend the venue for good value ,hearty food. and rather different culinary experience.

After visiting Korean pre Christmas thought I'd see what it's like in quieter times. No such luck, very busy again with takeaway doing a roaring trade a few tables left. Ordered the chicken and sweet corn soup due to the weather from the Business lunch followed by the sticky riceveg and beef dish with a fried egg. Just needed only a touch of the chilli sauce. Great lunch, tasty and with a coke came to a tenner. Real value for money

My favourite Korean place in Manchester centre! Seoul Kimchi is nicer in my opinion but this place is much more easy to get to!

Very good korean food. A lot better than other korean restaurant in the city centre both in food taste and environment. Recommend Beef chim, spicy chicken wings and all of the casserole dishes.

Many times I've walked apart this Korean restaurant so today on a cold brisk Manchester lunchtime I called in. I was shown to my table immediately and before I took my cost off the smiling waitress brought the menu. I opted for the Business lunch and started off with the soup. Very hot, tasty and spicy. I followed with a pork and rice dish that again had lovely fresh and crisp veg that the enhanced the taste. When I asked for the bill, it arrived without fuss and the waitress even had the card machine. An unbelievable £8.90 for a tasty 2 course great value and definitely worth return visits.

Hunted out the Koreana after reading a review and was not disappointed, if only the people sitting in San Carlo's just up the street had known what they were missing... Down in the basement there was a great atmosphere with a real mixture of customers, always a good sign in my view. Fabulous food, generous portions and reasonably priced. If I lived in Manchester I would visit often.

The spring roll and the squid are a must.

I enjoy my korean food and yous to love this place but havent been for like 2 years so decided to revisit during the summer. The food quality was definitely a lot lower than i previously remembered. The kimchi pancake wasn't crispy and didnt taste nice.

We had staffs dinner here last month . Food was amazing with Excellent service. Every individual enjoyed thoroughly. Can't fault any. We'll definitely back .

Una vez más hicimos nuestra peregrinación anual para celebrar el cumpleaños de un amigo en este pequeño gran restaurante coreano y, como en visitas anteriores, no nos decepcionó.

Este es mi tercer restaurante coreano que probé en Manchester y definitivamente guardé lo mejor para el final.

Yesterday, I was with my wife on the dinner in this restaurant. We ate starters, seafood and spicy wings. I'm impressed time of serving and quality of service. Of course food was excellent.

유감스럽게도 제가 '반딧불'에 한번 밖에 안 가봤는데 그 때는 음식 시켰더니 거의 35-40 분 걸렸고 나올 떈 정식적인 한국식 안이었습니다. 그렇게 오래 기다린 후에 다시 안 가고 싶다는 엄청 위대한 시망이었습니다.