Yori in City of London, Westminster

I love the food at Yori and I've been many times. That being said, yesterday I had a frustrating experience and want to leave a record (turned into an essay lol) so that hopefully staff can better address similar situations in the future. Also this will hopefully warn others to avoid the problem I had. TLDR: I came on my own and had no booking (nobody else did amongst 8 people in the queue) I was told to wait like the rest. I waited 30 minutes whilst starving. Everyone other than me was seated. When it came to my turn I was told there were no tables and abruptly asked to leave with no explanation. The whole time I could see 1 small empty table where I could have be seated. The details: I arrived at the restaurant on my own without a reservation at 4:55pm, and started queuing behind ~8 other people. The place was busy. Within a couple of minutes the first few were seated (they had no reservation) and the rest of us queing were asked if we had a reservation (none of us did) and told to wait. I waited a total of 30 minutes in queue, 25 of which the staff was aware of me having told me to wait. Everyone ahead of me was seated eventually. During the whole time I was waiting I could see at least one small empty table where I could have been seated, but this was not offered to me. Possibly it was reserved, but nobody used it. By the time I was first on the queue there were at least 10 other people behind me. Groups of different sizes, some with reservations, some without. Finally when my turn came, I was abruptly told: "sorry, we have no tables" and asked to leave. This was awful after waiting for 30 minutes and after seeing many other people without a reservation being seated. I can only imagine that they may not have wanted to offer me a table because I was on my own, and there were other people behind me so they may make more money by seating a group of two instead on my place. Well, long term, that strategy may backfire. I've been to Yori at least 20 times before, and have brought my partner, family members and friends (perhaps 8 different people that I can recall) with me. So Yori has made decent business out of me over the last couple of years. After this experience I am far less likely to return or to recommend the place. Short term seating 2 people instead of 1 may yield slightly more profit (better utilisation of space, although less than 2x revenue since 1 person typically orders, eats and leaves much faster than 2). Treating a customer so poorly means that long-term the customer won't return or refer the restaurant. Although there are many variables at play and it's hard to estimate, an incident like this may cost a restaurant hundreds or even thousands of pounds of lost future revenue if the customer never returns and stops referring the place. I'd venture a restaurant will lose a lot of potential revenue if treating people like this. Unless it relies mainly on one-off visits from tourists rather than regulars, which some in this central location do. Yori has many branches though, so it doesn't reflect well in the brand. The place was very busy as mentioned earlier, so I am sure staff was a bit overwhelmed and a bit disorganised and that's why this regrettable incident happened. Not claiming this was some sort of personal attack. All in all, great food, but don't do on your own, and don't go without reservation unless you are prepared to wait for 30 minutes and risk being told to leave afterwards.

This restaurant is simply outstanding!

Great service from SK and the whole staff. The food was lovely and affordable. My nephew liked the interior design. Five star! 🌟

Lovely food, friendly staff and a great atmosphere! We were so excited to eat that we forgot to take photos at first so that is why our kimchi jjigae is a bit empty!

A warm welcome and great service from Grace and colleagues!

Some of the best Korean ive ever had!! Tasty and fresh bulgogi and amazing teokbokki.

We had a reservation for 8pm and didn't get seated until 8.20pm, it was Saturday so we were not too surprised however we were not informed that the table had a time limit for the BBQ so less than one hour later around 9.10ish pm they just brought us the check while we were still eating without asking us if we wanted anything else and literally just dropped the bill on the table and walked off. this was already after a very bad service from the blond waitress with glasses. I asked before ordering, since she didn't ask for allergies which she must do by law and she didn't, if the kimchi was vegetarian as their online menu had the kimchi rice listed as vegetarian. she said she thought it was but wasn't sure. I told her to check as traditionally kimchi is made with anchovies sauce. she came back after checking with the kitchen and said thst the item was vegetarian because it's made with fish and shellfish sauce but the actually meat of the fish is not inside. I looked at her to make sure she was being serious and told her that then the item is not vegetarian and she insisted that it wasn't vegan but vegetarian. clearly she didn't have a clue about allergies and dietary requirements nevermind what vegetarian means and the chef knew even less. also shellfish is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared by law it's absurd that it's contained in dishes and the waitress doesn't know she must ask before taking an order. then another wait brought us the meat for the BBQ but not the oil to grease the bbq with. appalling service, we will not be returning and I wanted to ask for tue service charge to me taken off but the group in front of us did and and was subjected to a questioning as to why they didn't want to pay for it. stay away, there are much better korean restaurants in London.

I found the food to be bland and overpriced. Food did not have much of a flavour. I kept adding spicy sauce so it had a little bit of flavour. It's not worth the price nor the hype. Also there is no Korean staff which I find odd since YORI is supposed to be a Korean restaurant. At the bennig the waitress was friendly and welcoming and got me to sit down fairly quickly and I was impressed considering I did not book it. The service was okay. At the end of the meal there was service charge added on top of the bill. Since the food was expensive, I have politely asked one of the staff members if it was possible to remove the service charge as I was already paying so much money when I didn't like the food that much and a member of staff got defensive and said "why? It's a team effort". He guilt trip me into paying something I did not want to pay which I find it to be rude and inconsiderate. From my experience, I wouldn't recommend it to be honest.

Really good food and service by Kazi!

I’ve been here a few times and I’ve enjoyed it every time. Very good Korean food. BBQ is delicious I’ve also liked the other dishes. I’ve also been to the one in Covent Garden, but that one is smaller.

Amazing food at fairly reasonable prices. Wonderful atmosphere. I was lucky enough to be served by Mr. Dhaval, whose courtesy and recommendations elevated my experience here.

Kazi was polite and a good waiter

the food was great, stuff was so kind. we had a great time with my friend. kazi was our server, he is so nice. i would give yori a 10/10!!

Amazing food and service from Kazi, I had such a good time will be coming again.

An amazing dinner prepared quite close to closing time, particularly enjoyed the seafood kimchi pancakes and the radish kimchi. Kazi provided great service throughout the meal!

Incredible food, really authentic atmosphere. The food was quick, fresh and delicious, and also super affordable too. Our waiter, Kazi was great

We went for the beef selection and cooked it to our own liking on the barbecue. The meat was very delicious and tender, the sides really good as well. The best part was the sauces they gave us, one peanuty and another oil. For the things we didn’t quite like - the table was very small and it was a bit uncomfortable to eat. The service was decent but not great, quite slow and we had to ask for things a couple of times before we got them. Overall the dining experience was good.

It was nice to come here to see a musical and then eat some simple Korean food. The restaurant is not big so it is narrow. Travel in 2023.

This place offers great Korean dishes. I did think that portion was not enough for me, but their quality was great regardless. A lovely waiter called Kazi served us & he did a fantastic job looking after us.

Kazi was an excellent waiter. Attentive to our needs. Thank you very much for your service, we really enjoyed the food. Thank Kazi

Great food and service. Our waitress was great (Grace) at Piccadilly.

Excellent food and service. Thank you, Kazi and team for a great dining experience!

Went in with no booking on a Saturday, and the staff were very accommodating! The managers serving us were very kind, and special thank you to Dhaval for being our kind server. Good food and good service! Thank you!

Grace gave us great service, will definitely return back

We booked a table at Yori Restaurant because our friend was craving Korean BBQ. We found the restaurant on Google, and it looked delicious, so we decided to make a reservation. We arrived 5 minutes before our booking time, but no one informed us about the waiting time. Then, a large group with the same booking time as ours arrived, and they were seated before us. We waited 20 minutes for our table, only to be seated at a cramped table with one head seat. This was inconvenient and uncomfortable, especially for the person seated at the head since guests kept walking past them. We would understand if we were walk-ins, but we had booked a table in advance. The experience ruined our mood, and when we saw the table, we decided not to eat anymore. I don’t usually leave negative complaints, but this situation was disappointing and frustrating. It’s unfortunate that this happened.

We had the most lovely dinner here , it was packed to the brim with everyone enjoying the delicious food. We were served by the lovely Dhaval, who made sure we had a great time even though he was incredibly busy! 100% will go back :))

Food always great and staff are friendly, especially Grace. Definitely recommend for people visiting London.

Dead restaurant and poor service failed to bring us our meal. Did discount as apology, but food we did have wasn’t great. Wouldn’t bother trying again.

Really loved the place. Went for my friends birthday and Dhaval was very helpful in serving and telling me where to get the cake and preparing candles and bringing out the cake for us. Overall very nice people and nice food. Self barbecue was also a nice experience!

They serve food quick and the staff are really nice, special thanks to Grace and the other friendly male staff. They offer take away when we can't finish all the orders.

The food and service quality was truly exceptional. which was given by Dhaval. I can't wait to come back. I highly recommend this restaurant.and Dhaval sevice. ❤️❤️❤️

Had a great night out. Dhuval is the man and took great care of us. Go ask for him as he is a legend.

The service was so badly, We hadn't even finished our plate and they came to take it away and clean it while we were having our drinks and we wanted to order more but the owner came with the bill and I was already finishing my drink and wine and he told me that we have to leave because the table is already reserved. In other words, we paid and we can't stay 5 more minutes having our drinks. Terrible service.

Great Food! Mani did a terrific job.

Great food and Kazi our waiter was very helpful :)

The food and service were amazing! We had bibimbap, veg dumplings, and rose tteokbokki, and all of them were super delicious. Dhaval was really helpful—he gave great suggestions and even double-checked the ingredient chart in front of us to make sure everything matched our dietary needs, which we really appreciated. It made the experience even better! Overall, we had a great time and would definitely recommend Yori (Piccadilly) for some awesome Korean food.

Amazing food! Special thanks to Dhaval for the amazing service!

I had a great experience! I took my daughters out for dinner as there into Korean culture, and we wasn’t disappointed. It was very busy and i didn’t book a table they found us a table and we were seated and treated with care. Food was lovely and service was great will be returning soon. Thanks guys and will book next time before going!

Amazing food. Dhaval was incredibly welcoming and so attentive !! Highly recommend

Dhaval provided exemplary service and checked in on us occasionally

Food was brilliant and service was great. Massive thanks to Dhaval for making our experience here rememberable!

It’s one of my favorite Korean bbq Mani she is so kind thank you

Had an amazing time at Yori (Piccadilly)! The service was exceptional. Dhaval was incredibly welcoming and thoughtful, helping us select vegetarian dishes and even customizing them to suit our taste and dietary preferences. His attentive service, combined with the delicious food and the cheerful yet peaceful ambiance, made for a truly fantastic dining experience. Highly recommend Yori for anyone looking for great food and outstanding hospitality!

Had such a lovely meal at Yori! Couldn’t recommend it more!! That too service from Dhaval was excellent! Really made the whole experience for us 🩷

Had a fantastic experience here with their on-table Korean barbecue option. The meats and vegetables were fresh. The rest of the menu, including traditional sides was equally delicious. Dhaval’s attentive and friendly service made the meal even better. Highly recommend it for great food and a lively atmosphere!

thank you Angela you’re a star🙏🏾

Dhaval’s service stands tall, and the food is truly delicious.

the food was amazing as usual, the service was really good and mr kazi was very sweet anf friendly. thankyou:) definitely come here next time:D

Waiter named Kazi has been very helpful although out my dining experience. Yori restaurant is highly recommended

Great food, great service from Kazi

😍Great!if you want to enjoy a Korean dinner, like K Drama 😋

I loved the BBQ experience, the meat was top notch, I and my family enjoyed it thanks to Michael's service, as he helped us with the menu in Spanish.

Was are first time in London and the experience to eat at the KOREAN BBQ was excellent the food was delicious! Thank you to our friend Michael who helped us with the menu! We will recommend this place!

Management is great. He ensures everything was running smoothly and friendly approach. Service was good so as times for food arrival. Food was good in fare portions. Value/money relation is spot on in this restaurant. Well done guys.

Very good food, the restaurant is well located. However, the ordering method with the QR code was difficult because there was very little connection in the restaurant. We had to leave the restaurant to place our order.

Food was really good although a little pricey. S.K gave us a good service as well.

This is my second time here and I really had a great time with great food. Shout out to the whole team and special mention to Angela, who really took good care of me. This place is a must try.

Great food and great service! Dhaval was very helpful ☺️

Food was delicious, order the pork bulgogi for sure and rabokki!! Also Dhaval was the sweetest so so nice and really cares about customers!! Highly recommend:))

Food was great, service was amazing! We were served by Dhaval, such a sweet guy and he was so helpful!

Amazing food and service. Staff named Dhaval was amazing star for this restaurant. He went above and beyond.

Amazing good and great staff. Grace was so lovely and very attentive and hard working. The only reason I'm giving 4 star is because they don't have changing room for babies.

Pretty bad Korean BBQ. Meat was low quality and bland. Not helped by the fact we had almost finished by the time they have us any sauce. KFC was not freshly fried. No salt on the table either. No idea how this has a high rating.

The food is awesome as always, we came for late lunch and it was a very chill atmosphere. S.K. was a lovely waiter and with a kind vibe. 🙂

The restaurant was not busy but the wait to be seated was very long. Be careful when paying the bill, need to check your order details first. Because they add some item to my bill. This restaurant the service not like before.

Excellent food. Was very busy Saturday night. Worth the wait.

Helpful staff and very good advice Excellent savoury

Dhaval was an incredible waiter, made the whole experience.

We ate at YORI this evening: it was just great. Top service, top team. Thanks to Angela who served us and to the gentleman who welcomed us and explained the menu

Great food. Very hospitable staff. Dhaval was very considerate.

Amazing location! Food awesome!

Amazing food, good service by Dhaval!

Dhaval is a good lad 👍 top quality food

Nice food & service. Dhaval was a friendly waiter with good food recommendations.

Had booked a table for a family meet up. Had never been to a Yori Restaurant before, but this had a good rating on Google. After being shown to our table and given the menus, someone eventually came to take our order after 30 minutes, and we had to say that we would like some drinks as they were not forthcoming on that front. We ordered some dishes to share and asked the waiter if he thought we had ordered sufficient. He said NO! He then suggested that we order another sharing dish that was £66! We decided not to and said we could always order some more food as we went along. To be quite honest, the food was very disappointing. The squid was very chewy. All in all, we did not have a good experience due to the male waiter (he seemed to be in charge) who we found extremely rude and offhand, and the food which was not particularly good quality. I am not in the habit of writing negative reviews but we were so disappointed and it did tarnish our evening somewhat.

Dhaval was an amazing server, great food and atmosphere !!

Great food and great service from Dhaval, you the real MVP

Ordered the bbq set via Deliveroo. Have ordered this a number of times. Price has gone up yet you have taken away the kimchi jjigae. Why use the same photo with the jjigae included? What's the point of sending 2 lots of plain boring rice?? Disgustingly expensive for very little food. Will not bother ordering from Yori again.

Food is delicious and good service Thanks Dhaval

My first time at Yori. Really great food and Dhaval who served our us was helpful, attentive to our needs, helped us, and left a great impression of Yori with us. I will definitely return.

The price was good. Some dishes were nice (squid), the bbq meat quality was below average (an unpleasant smell from the pork), the beef was very chewy), and the service was noticeably bad. After 40m of waiting, we were told they did not have that drink we ordered (I hadn't had any single drink for 40m). They also forgot two dishes and in 1.5h, after letting them know constantly, we could get rest of the food. The servers were not attentive at all and were not taking care of tables. I do not recommend this place at all.

Very delicious foods and great atmosphere and service by Dhaval is outstanding ..Thank you for amazing hospitality

The restaurant is good. Got good service by Dhaval. But the food was not good as expected.

Thank you for your great hospitality Dhaval. really enjoyed

Beautiful place, wonderful stuff and dinner is amazing Thank you for everything and see you soon

Don't even think about Korean food! London st Korean food.

Something went wrong in the kitchen with our food so we had to wait a while, but our server named Mani was really nice and even offered us a free drink. The food was really delicious when it arrived. We wanted to give a tip but apparently the tips go to the company and NOT to the servers which we think is not fair. Overall it was a good experience.

Mani who serves us was very helpful and very friendly… great service

Fabulous Korean food. Excellent service. A perfect stop after seeing a play next-door. I highly recommend.

I went to YORI Piccadilly Circus branch with a lot of anticipation. Even though I didn't make a reservation, they gave me a seat. I ordered Rabokki, Kimchi Jeon, Budae Jjigae, Water Makguksu, and Galbitang. It seems that YORI's target customers are people from all over the world. If Koreans go, they will be disappointed by the pancake-like kimchi pancake that only contains thick kimchi broth and has a slightly spicy taste. Yes. But the other Korean restaurant I went to the next day also served pancakes with the same feeling. I think they probably catered to the tastes of foreigners. After that, my adult son said he didn't even want to eat the pancakes he liked so much... The Rabokki was delicious! The galbitang and water makguksu were also good. Budae-jjigae actually has ham in it, but it tastes like you’re wondering if this is Budae-jjigae. I went there with high expectations, but decided to understand it as the globalization of Korean food.

I’ve been to this Yori location a couple of times already but I felt that overtime, the service has really degraded. The service isn’t attentive to the customers, some of the side dishes like rice were brought 15min after the soup arrived. Was greatly disappointed when the waiter told us to leave after we had 20min left to our booking. Felt like a bit of a conveyor machine, quite disappointing.

Mani was extremely welcoming, making sure we were happy with everything, very friendly and helped us with our order. The food was impeccable, as usual.

Lovely place! Mani was amazing and super kind!

I absolutely love Yori and have been to all of the locations in London, but this is my least favourite. It isn’t terrible, but every time I’ve been here, it takes AGES to be helped for anything. I was here again recently to celebrate my sibling’s birthday and we felt very ignored, not to mention there was no mention of their birthday (I’ve been to several birthdays at Yori, including my own, and each included some degree of acknowledgment when it had been booked as a birthday). Don’t get me wrong- the staff was very kind and helpful when we were able to get their attention. IMO they need additional help on the floor.

Cosy atmosphere, delicious food, and excellent service from our waiter Mani! Will definitely come back.

They kindly squeezed us in right before closing when we were running out of the theatre and hadn't had dinner ! Mani was so helpful and friendly

Loved the food and the hospitality! Thanks to Dhaval and the rest of the staff make you feel like you belong there:)

Good was amazing, Dhaval was great.

Food was great! Dhaval was very hospitable and very attentive to our needs. Thank you for lunch!

One of the best Korean bbq in London! A huge thank you to Dhaval for making our experience here even more enjoyable with his impeccable service! Would definitely reccomend. Food 10/10 as well