SOJU Korean kitcken & bar in Brighton and Hove

Delicious food at very reasonable prices. I really enjoyed it. It seems to be authentic Korean as far as I know. I would certainly visit again next time I'm in Brighton.

Date: 14th March 2025 Cost: £86 for two The beauty of Korean barbecue is a contradiction in terms: its simplicity makes it special. That contradiction is nowhere more apparent than in Korea itself, where uncultured waegukin can’t be trusted to snip and sear their own samgyeopsal, and will subsequently be supervised to ensure each correctly-cooked portion is dipped in salted sesame oil and ssamjang the the right order and proportions. I learned to find it endearing, interpreting in those seemingly patronising actions a sense of hospitality and pride. But at the end of the day it’s just grilled meat and veg, right (albeit wrapped up with other accoutrements in little lettuce parcels from heaven)? So how did Soju get it so wrong? I sometimes get the sense in the UK that Korean restaurants can survive on their being a point of cultural interest - it’s a thing people go and do every once in a while, taking a few photos along the way (our meal didn’t justify any) and then moving on to the next exotic foreign cuisine - whereas in Korea, barbecue joints live and die by the strength of their contribution to what is a cultural institution. Soju Brighton, sadly, wouldn’t last long. In hindsight, I think it was that hospitality and pride I mentioned that was lacking, but the thing that set us off on the wrong foot right from the off was that they didn’t have any namul. In fact, their banchan selection overall was really lacking. It’s one of my favourite things about Korean eating culture: that assortment of small shared dishes that awakens your tastebuds, lines your stomach and gets you thinking and talking about flavours. It prepares you, bodily and spiritually, for the occasion ahead, and the selections are varied and delicious, too. But instead, ahead of the main event at Soju, we had to settle simply for some kimchi, mandu and longtime favourite japchae, which in fairness was wolfed. It was only later we realised that was probably only really because it’d been so long since we’d had any: the noodles didn’t slip down slimily-yet-satisfyingly, the veg didn’t crunch and the beef was lacking, which didn’t seem to matter; we weren’t really that fussed when it was finished. For the barbecue we opted for beef bulgogi and samgyeopsal, which arrived with a few lettuce leaves, two halved slices of courgette, a bit of radish, some green beans (?), a blob of ssamjang and… that’s it. No chillis or garlic to grill. No salted sesame oil. No spicy spring onion salad. And this isn’t even a gripe about cost - I’m long past any hope that prices over here are in any way comparable to what you would find even in high-end places in Seoul - those things just weren’t available. We were even told by the waitress - who later picked up some tongs we dropped on the floor, wiped them on her apron and returned them to the table - that they didn’t have any salt. Once the lettuce had disappeared and the salt situation was rectified by another apparently more experienced server it was possible to enjoy the rest of the admittedly high-quality beef once we had our adjusted our expectations down from ‘full Korean barbecue experience and all that entails’ to simply ‘some barbecued meat on its own’, but that wasn’t really what we came for. The melon ice lollies did help us to end the night on a high, but the search for good Korean food in Brighton continues.

We visited Brighton as a family and ended up having lunch in this lovely Korean restaurant. We were very impressed with the food, which was delicious. We will certainly come again and highly recommend this restaurant!

Delicious Korean food. The seaweed rolls (that on the face of it don't sound that enticing) were excellent, as were the kimchi and pork dumplings, bibimbap and bulgogi (and other food coming out of the kitchen looked equally enticing)

It is difficult to get service unless you order online

It was a superb experience with the food being excellent and the staff being very welcoming. Must try their pork dishes and their bibimbap paired with a chilled milkis

Came in for bbq. Wasn't expecting it to be as good as in Korea but we were craving it. The banchan was quite small, meat was frozen, staff micromanaged the cooking a little(?The staff were quite sweet so maybe theyve been asked to do that?) So it was a little awkward. It was okay! My standards might be a little higher than the Brits as I am from Australia and we have fantastic Korean restaurants over there that are on par with Korea. On the bright side the set meals outside of the BBQ menu looked fantastic.

I don't know how many times I went there while I was in Brighton. The waiter was very kind.

Cute place with great good and an authentic feel!

I have been to South Korea many times and I have eaten in a lot of family run side road kitchens. The kind that are affordable where you have your no fuss lunch or tea. This place is a genuine piece of South Korea in Brighton. They are not trying to replicate a fusion of cultures to suit your pallet but to give you straight up Korean cooking how it is done there. Very enjoyable. The service is impeccable. 감사합니다

Amazing food, great service. Highly recommended

Lunch at Soju - A Flavorful Korean Feast Today’s lunch at Soju was nothing short of delicious. We started with the Boneless Chicken (5 pcs), glazed with a rich, sweet soy sauce (£12.60). The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the sauce adding the perfect balance of sweetness and depth. Next, we had the Kimchi and Beef Fried Rice, topped with a perfectly fried egg (£13.80). The rice was packed with flavor, and the kimchi gave it a nice tangy kick, while the beef added a hearty, savory element. The fried egg on top was a nice touch, making the dish even more comforting. To wash it all down, I tried the Korean Pear Juice (£3.70), which was refreshingly sweet with just the right amount of crispness— a perfect complement to the bold flavors of the meal. Overall, Soju delivered an outstanding Korean lunch, with dishes that were both satisfying and full of authentic flavors. Highly recommend!

Would highly recommend if you're in Brighton. The food is incredible and the service was great!

Food was great, portions were good for the price paid, the Korea BBQ came with a few side dishes and garnishes which was a nice addition. The table layout felt a bit awkward, my table was in the middle of the room, I was right under a standing heater which made it a bit uncomfortable, the staff were ok, the service lacked enthusiasm, which is a shame as the food was good.

10/10, would certainly dine again! I’m always on the hunt for good fried chicken and SOJU always comes up whenever people talk about fried chicken in Brighton! Decided to give it a go and was blown away by the FLAVOUR! Tried the fried chicken curry, plus sweet soy chicken and… exceptional from that first bite. Flavourful, filling yet delicate, clean and presented well! Great drinks, too! Staff were super friendly and service on point - prompt, attentive and speedy. Thank you! SOJU is a welcoming place - chilled, cosy vibes and a great location too! Definitely worth popping by if in Brighton, will be back soon I’m sure!

Eh, it was okay. The portion sizes were small for the price.

My partner and I went to this restaurant, for the first time, yesterday evening and my gosh aren’t we pleased we did! There was a great food selection and the food we chose was deeeelicious. I cannot wait to try more off the menu! The waiter (with bright red hair) was so kind and courteous and the vibe/atmosphere was really positive! I will 100% be recommending this restaurant to friends, family and strangers. I look forward to my next visit! Thank you Soju!

The food was delicioussssss jubchae and fried chicken so good I definitely comeback !!

the atmosphere was so lovely and the food was delicious perf date spot

Such a fun little place. So different from what I’m used to. Was a great experience from start to finish. The waitress helped explain the dishes and I learned a little about Korean food culture while there.

Amazing good and amazing service! Everyone is so kind, the vibes are great and they have a wonderful drinks selection!

Amazing food, we ordered the BBQ meat platter followed by the sweet soy fried chicken, which was the best fried chicken I ever had. Staff were also lovely and offered to take a photo/video of us. Will definitely return!

Great Korean food, usually space for walk ins! Nice soju and Korean beer selection as well

Lovely meal with friends, waitress was welcoming. Smashed it X

First time and really impressed the food was so delicious, the quality and flavour fantastic. The staff were so friendly and service charge not inforced which is really nice for those that are on a tight budget but still want to go out ☺️❤️

We had a lovely lunch and enjoyed both the meat and vegan options. The melon cocktail was very fun. On a side note the facilities are located up a long set of stairs which my elders might find tricky.

A real discovery, an excellent Korean restaurant, THE BEST in Brighton (and of all those I have been to in London). The setting and atmosphere are simple and relaxed. The service is very friendly and very attentive. The food is tasty and excellent, delicious dishes, very well seasoned... In short, a treat. A restaurant in the image of Korean cuisine, simple, generous and full of flavors. Can't wait to go back next month!! A real discovery, an excellent Korean restaurant, THE BEST in Brighton (and of all those I have had in London). The setting and atmosphere are simple and relaxed. The service is very friendly and very attentive. The cuisine is tasty and excellent, delicious dishes, very well seasoned... In short, a treat. A restaurant in the image of Korean cuisine, simple, generous cuisine full of flavors. Looking forward to going back next month!!

Brought me back to my time in South Korea. The food was amazing, the people were so kind and overall a wonderful atmosphere. I will be back again! It reminded me of when I was in Korea. The food was really delicious, the people were friendly, and the overall atmosphere was really nice.

Amazing service and delicious food! Fried chicken and beef japchae were out of this world 😋

Ordered the bibimbap and it was delicious, absolutely Sweet Server. Would recommend if you’re missing Korean cuisine:)

So friendly. Just had a little dish but it was delicious and I’ll be back to try more.

Such a lovely experience. I was a bit nervous as I was not familiar with the menu but the lovely waitress recommended some dishes and we loved them thank you.

From london and is the best korean we have ever had will definitely come back when we come back to Brighton friendly staff very welcoming great place overall

Staff was lovely, food was fantastic. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Brighton!

Such a wonderful restaurant Especially one of the staff named by Dahee was so kind. Highly recommend this place.

Best Korean food I’ve ever had in U.K. since moving back from living there highly recommend!

Absolutely Amazing, best fried Chicken I’ve ever had ( highly recommend the sweet soy) and a huge range of soju flavours

Perfect somaxxxxx and chicken! The best combination for hang out

So so good! Bibimbap was amazing! 100% must try this place.

Dahee and Yerin are very nice, They did the nice service for us. And the food is traditional, i like it.

Dahee and Yerin are so helpful and kindly. I had a nice experience in here.

Delicious food, service from Seohyun was amazing - would really recommend the beef glass noodles & the boneless sweet soy fried chicken!!

Absolutely delicious and authentic cuisine

Great food, especially the barbecue. Highly recommended. It’s quite a small restaurant, so make sure to make a reservation.

Great food, great atmosphere. Thank you!

great and helpful staff, amazing kitchen. will be coming back again

Cute and nice food! Has K-pop music which is fun.

Client service perfectly and the food it’s Amazing!

The staff is very, very friendly, and the food tastes better than real Korea.

I visited during a day trip to Brighton, and it was truly a treat that melted away all the travel fatigue! The spicy soft tofu stew, which is difficult to find overseas, completely took away the greasiness in my stomach!! And the service was really impressive. I was even more impressed because the staff explained the menu so kindly and took great care of me!!!

Absolutely amazing. Will definitely come here again.

Fantastic food and service, recommend coming here!

Really good! Loved the fried chicken and bibimbap. Definitely one of the best Korean restaurants I’ve been too, and I live near New Malden where I’m usually much spoilt for choice.

Always very helpful , I love this place so much ! Food is really good

DELICIOUS FOOD AND NICE STAFF ♥️♥️ HIGHLY RECOMMEND ♥️♥️

Third time being here. Always amazing food and lovely service, highly recommend!!

The food is amazing, the best Korean food in Brighton

Very good service, food was super fast and very tasty. Highly recommend

My favourite restaurant ever!!! Love the vegan food, always look forward to coming with my friends. Lovely helpful staff too :)

My favourite restaurant in Town, very nice food at reasonable prices. Two of us ate for £32 with bottled water. A beef fried rice with spinach and a fried egg.

I had Tteokbokki for the first time, the vegan version, and it was really tasty. Service was quick and the waitress was lovely.

Great authentic Bibimbab (as much as I am able to judge this as a non-Korean!) and very friendly attentive staff.

With a friendly and helpful staff plus an excellent food with a wide variety of options on the menu makes this place a brilliant choice for those craving for korean cuisine. Their beef japchae glass noodles is chewy thus giving an authentic feels. I also recommend their cimaek (korean fried chicken + beer). Will definitely come back.

Absolutely brilliant and our new favourite place to eat! Some of the food is pricey for what you get so just check quantities. But overall, 100/10!

This Korean restaurant offers an extraordinary dining experience. The food that I ate was stir-fried rice cake, that was beyond exceptional, with every dish showcasing the chef’s meticulous attention to detail and creativity. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the presentation was nothing short of art. The service was impeccable, with staff who were both attentive and genuinely welcoming.

The one star was just for the canned drinks and nothing else. I generally do not give a bad review for any place. But!!! Was in Brighton just for a day and thought we would enjoy some good Korean food. The food was bland and sad but that was not the worst part, it was the after effects. Kept me all night with diarrhoea and vomiting. Paid 76£ just to experience some food poisoning. This was very sad. Feels like I need a refund for the whole mess.

Excellent Korean restaurant. The food was authentic and generous. The service was excellent. Would definitely recommend coming here!

The food is a bit too salty for me.. But the presentation is good. Difficult to catch the attention from the waitress for the service.

Can’t think of visiting Brighton without eating at SOJU ! Make sure you get ur family with you, they have some amazing Korean dishes and prices are reasonable

Really tasty Korean food, and great service - will defnitely be coming back.

Very authentic Korean food, worth a try. I highly recommend trying the chicken feet and ramen.

The food at this restaurant is really good, especially the Haemul-pajeon, which is packed full of seafood. The Kimchi-jjigae is incredibly tasty. The only slight downside is that the Japchae is a bit salty for my personal taste. The staff were very friendly and made us feel welcome. The only issue is the lack of extractor fans, so if a nearby table is having barbecue, you might leave with clothes smelling of cooking. Despite this, we definitely would come again.

It's perfect as a snack it is delicious

It's the best Korean restaurant in Brighton. I'll come again.

Best Korean restaurant in Brighton If you want to drink soju, come here... ㅠㅠㅠ

The best Brighton Korean restaurant. ❤️ taste soooooo good. >.< The staff are so kind! ❤️ I recommend you!!!!

Ordered takeout, staff were lovely and food was super tasty. Look forward to sitting down for a meal here!

Beautiful food, people so friendly and welcoming !

Definitley a new favourite! They have a full vegan menu and everything we tried was delicious! I think those are the best spring onion pancakes in Brighton and the tastiest vegan chicken too (we had the sweet soy flavour). The staff were all so welcoming! Absolutely love this place!

Great place to visit in Brighton!

I swear here is the best Korean restaurant in Brighton! I ordered Tteokbokki, Kimchi pancake and beef Japchae. All of them were so good👍🏻 Also, the staff was really kind and friendly 🥰 I definitely visit here again🤗

Fresh food and delicious. Friendly staff. Highly recommended! Yummmm

When we googled the place we thought; "Almost 5 stars? Oke?" But after the meal I have to say: 5 stars are still not enough, everything was perfect, the food was divine (hatten chicken with sweet chilli and chicken soy see picture), the ambience is like you would imagine a Korean restaurant, advertising everywhere for Korean drinks, desserts etc. Your writing and this fun K-Pop music. I don't even have to talk about the service, the manager or owner, whatever he is, is the nicest waitress I've ever met, he's nice, attentive (he brought me a knife because he saw how I was struggling). separating the meat without me asking) and personable. So the conclusion: So far the best Korean restaurant I've been to so far, if you like Korean you MUST come here.

Employee Hyerin!! I really enjoyed it ㅠㅠ The atmosphere was really nice and the food was really delicious! Thank you ❤️

It's great to come here when you miss Korean food!!! Thanks to staff Hyerin, I had a fun meal🤗🤗

All food is delicious👏👏👏 Thank you, employee Hyelin..🩷

Hyerin was so kind that I had a good time eating and the Jjamppong and Kimchi Udon were so delicious!!!

I came to a Korean restaurant, and Hyeri explained things very kindly!!

I visited with my family who were tired from traveling. I was surprised that the food tasted better than expected. In particular, the seasoned chicken and kimchi udon tasted great. Stone pot bibimbap, tteokbokki, tofu kimchi, kimchi delivery It was so delicious. Overall, the food tastes good, The servers' service is also satisfactory. Personally, I think hygiene is important. Hygiene was also observed!!

Best kimchi pancake I've ever tasted and the service is great. I was served by hae-in and she was incredibly helpful, friendly & had great customer service!

Love this place, especially the fried chicken!

They mirco manage people of colour with the bbqs. They do not allow birthday celebrations although it was all written in my booking. Basically unless you are Asian or have Asian friends to go with do not bother wasting your money here and go to Yori instead they are super friendly and the food is actually delicious.

been here multiple times over the last couple years and can say that i’ve never been disappointed! lighting fast service, vibrant atmosphere and delicious food! (personally think soju has the best vegan chicken in brighton) no meal would be complete without the delicious sombek, a drink that i’ve never tasted before visiting Soju! delightful all round!

I must say I had definitely an amazing meal here. The atmosphere is great and the staff were nice. I definitely loved the Melona Melon Ice Bar haha. I would say that I was expecting bigger portions of food tho compared to prices as I definitely get more in London and Colchester for that type of price but it definitely was all fresh and tasted nice. Also got have to say I am surprised they had Peach Soju as majority of places I go they never have it.

Overrated Expensive for the quality And the hygiene didn't look good I would not recommend this place

Amazing food, authentic and presentation was immaculate by far the best K-BBQ restaurant in Brighton

Hyerin looked after us wonderfully. Service was next to none, extremely friendly. Food came very quickly, was hot, crispy and delicious. Ambience and music was great. We will be back, a lot!

Such friendly service and amazing food! Shout out to Briana for always making us feel welcome ❤️ This is our new favourite Korean restaurant in Brighton, and we will definitely visit again☺️ The staff are so helpful and kind, and the food is really authentic. Would highly recommend!

The food was really good everyone was so nice

The food was delicious and the staff was so polite and helpful. The place looked very clean, including the bathrooms. I would tell you to ask for recommendations from the server because she knows what she's talking about and will be really helpfull.