Ssam Original Korean Barbeque in Berlin

Yesterday, while on a business trip to Berlin, I was craving Korean food, so I went there. I asked for kimchi stew from a cold-looking female employee, pointing to a picture of kimchi stew on the menu. Instead, I got doenjang stew. She didn't understand Korean because she wasn't Korean, and insisted that the picture directly below the picture was actually doenjang stew. It was absurd. Also, wondering what kind of owner would train their employees like this, I asked if the owner was Korean. She said she was German, and even started a fight, asking what was wrong. The price was more expensive than Paris, but the kimchi was salty and bland, the side dishes were like cheap pickles, and the doenjang stew, which tasted like the Han River, was both unappealing and tasteless. Korean food is popular everywhere, which is nice, but I'm not happy with a Korean restaurant that does business like this. Regardless of who the owner is, I never want to go back.

The food was absolutely delicious and the service was excellent. The food arrived shortly after we ordered. The restaurant is quite popular, so a reservation is a must.

The portion was insanely tiny. Paid so much but left hungry. Wouldn't recommend.

There were six of us, and we had a lovely evening. I really enjoy sitting around a table together, grilling, and eating together. We tried pretty much everything. The food was quite good, and the Korean drink was a perfect complement. Unfortunately, there was no dessert, which would have made the evening even better. The service wasn't great, but that didn't spoil our evening.

We wanted to give it a try... The young waiter tried hard, but that alone wasn't enough. Most of the meats were of good quality. The Wagyu, of course, deserves special mention. The kimchi was also wonderful. The BBQ itself wasn't our cup of tea. Eating with lettuce leaves and scissors is probably just a matter of habit. Okay to try it as a joke, but too expensive to do it again. The head waiter/boss(?) seems very hectic and not particularly friendly. They advertise that your clothes won't smell of the kitchen after your visit... oh well... The dining room doesn't look clean or well-maintained, but the fact that all the doors and windows were open and it was simply drafty ruined the ambiance.

Unfortunately, we found the food to be just "okay"—not really outstanding. Everything tasted relatively sweet and somewhat similar, so we missed the variety in the flavors. The experience of grilling in a restaurant is certainly cool, but definitely wouldn't be worth a second visit for me.

Very overpriced in my opinion. We took the vegan option, we thought we could share one for 30 euros, but we had to take one each. The vegan meet was quite nice, but honestly I felt it was really overpriced. The place had a bit too much smoke. But the staff was really nice and friendly, for me the best of the experience. I didn’t try the meat options, which looked very nice

Good ingredients, average service

Had a great time here! We ordered the beef and chicken mix - both were great quality and perfectly seasoned. The interactive grilling experience was fun. The atmosphere is cozy and authentic. Generous portions and great flavors make this a solid choice for Korean BBQ in Berlin.

Had a great time here! We ordered the beef and chicken mix - both were great quality and perfectly seasoned. The interactive grilling experience was fun. The atmosphere is cozy and authentic. Generous portions and great flavors make this a solid choice for Korean BBQ in Berlin.

Very tasty food. Friendly staff, although English is a must here. Prices are reasonable… all in all, you can't complain, although the grills could have been bigger.

they charge you 20€ for zucchini, cheap cuts of pork,doenjang and rice and STILL you have to flag someone down to get a second napkin. this place is for europeans who have no idea what korean food is or how it is supposed to taste. STEER CLEAR!!! (attn to management/owners: it is not the staffs fault that you have a bad restaurant and are so cheap, so do not blame them)

When I came here four years ago, I thought the prices were a bit high, but the quality of the meat was excellent. I also enjoyed the Warschauerstr. branch a year ago. After that location closed, I missed their roasted pork belly. Today, I was so disappointed. The pork belly was chopped so haphazardly, with some thick and some thin. I ended up thinking it was the thinness of Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue and almost asked the waiter for toast and Wan Jia Xiang... The value for money is incredibly low... 🥲 It's really sad...

My all time fav Korean BBQ restaurant in Berlin !

Very good food. One of the best authentic korean bbq in Berlin.

Authentic Korean BBQ with great marinated meats and fresh sides. Fun tabletop grilling experience in a cozy atmosphere. Friendly staff and perfect for groups. Highly recommend for anyone craving real Korean flavors in Berlin! P.S: you choose the bbq options, it would get more expensive.

The food is fine. In general, I would say the total price (including tips for the service) is relatively high for what you got.

Nice and fun place to go with friends/ a group .. the “action eating” is not only a celebration style way of eating but also very tasty!

Very nice waitress we got Natni.:) Really good food.:)

If you want mediocre marinated meat and aesthetic photos for Instagram, go here. If you want authentic Korean BBQ, do not. Also it’s pricey.

This is not how Korean BBQ should look like, sides are ok but the meat is not prepared for Korean BBQ, you got big chunks or full steaks, wth

The meat was tender and delicious. The greens could have been cleaner, the waiter changed them twice and the last one came clean.

Absolutely amazing Korean BBQ, the fish platter and the beef platter were amazing! Absolutely worth the price! I'd go back anytime!

I am not normally a person who eats a lot of meat, but the meat was so delicious… no need to say anything else.🙂 p/p 👍🏻

We ordered a beef grill plate for 2 and one bibimbab with drinks. The bibimbab was served in a hot stone bowl with different kind of veggies. The taste was ok, but a bit too oily for us. The beef for the grill was above average. Banchan was a bit boring. Service was ok, it wasn't crowded at the time.

We came here on Monday around 6pm and were served a burned bibimbap. The waiter was not helpful and made us feel unwanted.

I visited Ssam Korean bbq in their Friedrichshain location. I was quite disappointed, but then I have high standards for Korean bbq after I had it in Seoul. It’s a nice place to meet friends and they also make outside seating possible with portable bbqs. Not recommended for vegetarians ;)

Never experienced worse service. They turned the fire up so high, knowing we weren’t allowed to change it, just to kick us out as fast as they could. The chicken breast was burnedand not properly cooked all the way through

The food is delicious, but expensive. The staff is either rude when they speak German, or nice when they speak English. The atmosphere is loud when it's full, but it also gets cold quickly.

I was very disappointed. The meat was too salty. I went there expecting Korean food after a long time, but I forced myself to eat it. This is not a place for Korean tourists.

We went took the mutton bbq and the chicken one and we lovedddd the chicken so much. It was just great

beef bulgogi, i can eat 5 kg here…. stuff is friendly prices are ok beef bulgogi is… heaven

Very very delicious food just loved it 🥰

Delicious food, but a bit expensive. The atmosphere is okay. I think it's a bit pricey. Watch out when you have to pay a tip, it is predetermined at 15%.

We were really craving Korean barbecue and ended up trying this place—and it was honestly really good! I really enjoyed the food, and the quality of the meat was definitely on point. We went for both pork and beef, and both were super tasty and well-prepared. The menu also had a lot of drink options, which was a nice bonus. That said, I do wish they offered more variety when it comes to Korean dishes. As for the price, it was acceptable not super cheap, but that’s expected for Korean barbecue since it’s mostly meat. If you’re looking to enjoy a good Korean barbecue experience, this is definitely the place. But if you’re hoping to try a wider range of Korean dishes like stews or noodles, you might want to check out another spot. Still, when it comes to Korean barbecue in Berlin, this is definitely one of the top recommended places! :)

Crap food. And horrible service. A bulgogi is not supposed to be boiling in a sea of oil!!!! And cost 16 EUR for such low quality. Great that you can get away with your horrible service and products in Berlin. Horrible place and do not recommend.

Korean barbecue is always fun and the meat was good too. But I would have preferred it completely without marinade. And unfortunately the restaurant was very smoky. Deductions should be checked.

A completely different experience. It was our first time in a barbecue restaurant like this and we were immediately impressed. You grill your own meat and vegetables in a grill built into the table. Cool All in all, we enjoyed it very much and Korean cuisine is also very healthy. The portions are generous and it's not heavy on the stomach at all. The staff is also very nice and helpful. Definitely worth a next visit.

I ate the barbecue buffet there with my wife. Vegetables weren't washed well, service was just chatting and disinterested with the colleague, even though there were only 3 tables occupied with us. I know this from Bangkok and New York. Unfortunately, the experience in Berlin was not good. Restaurant full of smoke which was not ventilated. The bench was uncomfortable, the toilet was clean, the meat was okay

I can definitely recommend it. I like it very much! The ambience was fantastic and the food was delicious. The service was also very attentive and quick. It has already become one of my favorite restaurants!

Incredibly delicious food at an unbeatable price! We were totally thrilled with the concept and the facilities. During the week it was rather quiet, which was really pleasant. The Spicy Pork Belly is an absolute must! When we are back in Berlin, we will definitely come by again!

A “hip” shop that seems good at first glance, but appearances are deceptive. We ordered Korean Fried Chicken and grilled it on the grill plate that is integrated into the table. The portions are very manageable and very expensive. A tiny portion of rice is served. The grilled meat delivered is measured at the static price, I think it was €30-40? , very poor. The worst thing about the store is: a) that it is extremely cold, there is no heating...not even in the toilet. The four of us sat there with jackets on because it was so cold. It's extremely drafty in the toilet and feels like you're sitting on the street. b) The service is extremely unfriendly and 99% of the employees in the store only speak English. No joke...nobody there speaks German...nobody. The four of us sat expectantly at the table and wanted to place the order and the lady who was just standing around looked around and also at us, but just didn't want to come. She was standing 2 meters away. We were the first in the store...it was empty. We actually had to speak to the ladies in English that we wanted to order. No friendliness when serving either. The food was slapped onto the very small table and everything was very crowded. 99% of the customers who came gradually spoke English. All in all...a complete failure.

Waiter with extremely bad attitude, always one second

It was plenty but somehow not really cool and too expensive in my opinion.

Was super tasty! There's always a second helping from the sides. Very nice atmosphere and really tasty! We had three for two and it filled us up.

The barbecue with the free side dishes is simply brilliant. The pasta dishes are also delicious. The only drawback is that the waiters can mostly only speak English.

Agreeing that all of the reviews are questionable: they clean up all the bad reviews. We were here with a group of friends 2 years ago and my friend complained that the restaurant does not accept cards putting 2 stars. This week his review was deleted as "fake review" while he received the warning by Google and cannot put back his review. It is a shame for a restaurant to be cleaning up the reviews like that instead of focusing on improving the customer service and food quality.

All of the reviews are questionable: we complained that the restaurant was closed at a certain point in time (despite the opening times on the internet). Today we were warned by Google and Ssam KR that the information was not true. So if all negative reviews are removed, the positive ones won't be meaningful. Too bad!!! Lt. Using the Google Maps timeline, I can prove that we were standing in front of the restaurant on the date mentioned.

Good evening I arrive at 8:42 p.m. at the restaurant this same restaurant closes at 11 p.m. and they told me that the Barbeque is already closed do not go there after 8:30 p.m. this is not mentioned this will save you from making the journey!!!

I ate it on November 22, 2021 while traveling in Berlin. The soybean paste stew meat tasted sour so I left most of it ㅠㅠ The bibimbap was delicious! While eating it then, an acquaintance of mine left a review, and today, the acquaintance who left the review received a certified letter for defamation, so I'm leaving one again. My acquaintance didn't say anything bad, he just said that the meat tasted sour. Is this defamation? Or are you suing me because the review was only 1 star? And it doesn't make sense to sue someone in 2025 for a review from 2021.

Grilling on the gas grill. Each guest can use the grill themselves. The guest must choose 2 sets so that the adventure can begin. We chose 3 sets. There is also a basket of vegetables with a bowl of rice. The vegetables are for grilling and, depending on the set, additional vegetables. The waitress spoke to us in English. Traditional cutlery is chopsticks, but others are also available upon request. The music in the background is harmonious with the audience.

Good Korean food. Price wise. So far, after about 4 visits, the atmosphere has always been described as inviting. The only thing that left an aftertaste was that you couldn't pay by card. But it's bearable, maybe it's a thing now.

If I could I would give it -5 stars

I am writing this message as a former employee of SSAM so that the reality of what is happening in this restaurant is known. The boss is a scammer and does not understand human rights. He owes tips to his former employees for many months and ignores every attempt to contact him. Another important point to comment on is the hygiene conditions inside this place, which are terrible. I have seen meat in bad condition and even maggots come to the surface when it was cooked on the barbecues. I have seen more than one client vomit in the bathrooms due to food poisoning, including myself. If this place were to have an inspection, it would close in less than 24 hours.

Tasty food, and a lot of it. We were two, ate early on a Thursday so there weren't a lot of people in the beginning. Would go again, and it was a great experience with real BBQs in the tables. Very good service as well, a shout out to the staff.

The portion is small, the price is high, and the taste is pretty good

DO NOT EAT HERE - FOOD POISONING DANGEROUS FOOD SERVED BY CHEFS AND RUDE STAFF Hi just to let you know that was the worst food I think I have had in a while the meat we got served to cook ourselves was nice however the fried chicken was raw inside me and my girlfriend have been violently ill and sick the past few days as we had this on Saturday night , I will be making sure I go to the local press about this and be posting multiple reviews online when I made the staff member aware of this issue they said u have ate some now it should be fine tho - disgrace and disgusting

Hola solo para que sepas que fue la peor comida que creo que he tenido en un tiempo la carne que nos sirvieron para cocinar nosotros mismos era agradable, sin embargo el pollo frito estaba crudo dentro de mí y mi novia han estado violentamente enfermos y enfermos los últimos días, ya que tuvimos esto el sábado por la noche, me aseguraré de ir a la prensa local sobre esto y estar publicando múltiples críticas en línea cuando le hice saber al miembro del personal de este tema dijeron que han comido algunos ahora debería estar bien, así que - desgracia y asqueroso

Compare to other K-BBQs in Berlin, Ssam is one of the good ones!👍🏼I loved the food and service was fairly quick and efficient! The only issue was that the tables were so sticky, they were not cleaned properly for the next customers so I had to be careful not to put my phone or anything or the table.

It was my first time eating Korean BBQ and I can highly recommend it! All products were very fresh and tasted very good! There is also a lot for vegetarians :)

The food was absolutely great! Meat was amazing, sides were great me and my husband enjoyed it! Staff was good nothing bad to say but nothing special they did their job but that was it. But overall would recommend and would come back!

This is a scam. We arrived around 9:15 p.m. and according to Google they were open until 11 p.m. But they were closed a long time ago. Stupid. Would like to try this

The restaurant is, as the name suggests, a Korean grill restaurant. There are grills built into the tables so you can prepare your own food. For me it was unusual and it wasn't immediately obvious where it was less hot to keep the meat warm. Therefore, do not prepare too much at once so that it does not burn. The selection of seafood and meat is good. The furnishings are bright and friendly with a pleasant light. The service staff were courteous and international that evening. Knowledge of English helped when questions were asked.

Service terrible. Food very expensive. hygiene was not so good. I saw some insects.

We recommended the Bimbimbap ( Chicken or Porc neck ) both were tasty, and original ! A good value for pricing…

The food here was delicious! Staff were welcoming! A bit expensive but the meat was amazing quality so we didn’t mind!

Store was completely empty. We still weren't served, everything was reserved. Big fail.

We were there for the bibimbap and the vegetarian soy meat bibimbap was really delicious! Comes with a hot stone bowl so the rice at the bottom gets nice and crispy. I can recommend :)

Way too expensive and the food lacks any hint of authentic taste. The banchan side dishes are not Korean at all except for the worst kimchi ever.

The food was really yummy, but too expensive for what you get. I got the bulgogi beef, and it was tender and perfectly marinated. The annoying thing about this place is they only give the table (we had 4 people) one small dish of sides and we had the ask the waiter upwards of 10 times to refill the sides. They should give each person their own side dishes so you don’t need to bug the waiter as often and constantly reach across the table.

We were there for the first time today, recommended by friends... It started really well with the fact that the service person on the phone only spoke English (It can't possibly be that only English can be spoken in a restaurant in Berlin?). At first we were told that there was no more space available at that time, but after a few seconds it was available. Our friends arrived a little earlier, but sat there for quite a while until they at least asked about the drinks; other tables were served beforehand. Unfortunately, our friends didn't speak English and were therefore ignored by the waitress. By the way, it was the same person who made our reservation. Yes, what can I say, service was virtually non-existent, we were served unfriendly and after the food arrived we were left behind. Drinks only arrived after we asked again, but I didn't want to bother the waitress any further and went straight to the bar. The food was delicious, the BBQ stuff was great, the usual dishes we always order in Korean restaurants weren't that great (bimbibap, pancakes, etc.) we weren't impressed with the taste and were very salty. But to be honest, I run two restaurants myself and work in service myself, but what was on offer today tops my worst restaurant visit ever, at least in terms of service. Another funny anecdote: when we paid, the waitress even gave us the tip back and didn't seem to be satisfied with her performance today.

We were excited to try this but were disappointed ! It was small portions and they were pretty stingy about the sides. We ordered a vegetable bowl and it came with some strange vegetables and vegan meat - which is not what expected when ordering veggies at kbbq- especially since we ordered the beef and pork platter. Soju was 13 euros for just the classic bottle which is quite expensive . Coming from the US we can get a bottle of soju for like $5 usd at the grocery store and maybe $8 usd at the restraunt - so the price is kinda crazy to us. I asked for some garlic and sesame oil - condiments usually complimentary at kbbq but we almost got directed to their paid side dish for like 12 euros or more. Overall felt pricey for no reason with small portions :(

Very delicious and pretty served plates!!

Unfortunately it has become incredibly expensive. 30 euros for THREE shrimps that had almost no meat on them. Meat was marinated very well. Service was nice, but no explanations etc. The atmosphere was very smoky due to poor exhaust systems. Unfortunately we won't be coming again.

The food was very good, the meat was tender and juicy. The side dishes that came with it were also super tasty. Service was a bit slow and careless even though there wasn't much going on, but otherwise ok. Ambiance is nice, I think the idea of ​​the grill on the square is cool.😍

I was there with my family and we had couple plates of mixed pork and mixed beef (Some marinated and not marinated meats) for the bbq. The non marinated meats were fine. However the pickled sides and marinated meats were just too salty for some reason. The pickled vegetables (banchans) were just salty not really sour or spicy. But they should do better quality checks for the stuff they are serving. The eggplant we had also for grilling was also very tough and seemed very old. Idk why it was so bad bad

The meat is good. They have the air-filtering pipes on each table so the air quality is acceptable. Really fun place to be as a group. One thing missing is: they write in the menu that 2 bowls of rice are included in each menu set. We only got one. They also write all menus come with side dishes. We only got served one set of side dish, for four people. That doesn’t make sense. You have to ask for each side dish again yourself. Imagine having one tiny bowl of kimchi with 5-6 pieces for four people. Also when side dishes are placed on one side, half of the table has to reach them by putting their arms over the grill which is really dangerous and extremely hot. Somehow the tables and the side dishes got smaller.

I really like eating here, although the price is not cheap, the food is very reasonable, the atmosphere is cozy and the location is also very beautiful, easy to get around.

Food was very tasty, service was very nice and helpful. Fair portions. Gladly again!

Very tasty food, came straight away, no long waiting times. This was my first time at Korean BBQ so I didn't know how it worked exactly. However, I had helpful employees who explained everything to me. Very great experience.

I find it unbelievable that you can make reservations for all kinds of times and then find yourself in front of closed doors. Then you have to adapt your appointment booking tool, maybe? As a group we were looking forward to this day and agreed to meet at the reserved time; our reservation was not canceled either. Impossible.

Great Korean BBQ place with authentic food and atmosphere. Would love to come again!

Food is delicious but price is high

Very tasty meat, very juicy and good

a little pricy but so far the best kimchi jjiggae i had outside of korea!

So tasty and authentic. Can only be recommended. 👌

Very tasty food! Typical Korean BBQ

A Korean restaurant without Korean friendliness. The service is not interested in the customer. If the restaurant is half full, you literally have to call the waitress. The rice is forgotten for the BBQ and delivered without apology when asked (again with a lot of effort). Unfortunately, reordering drinks was just as slow. One waitress (of two) spoke neither German nor English and the other (main waitress) seemed constantly annoyed, no smile, no greeting, no farewell. When paying by card, a 15% tip is automatically set (look carefully and decline). The waitress didn't say thank you after paying with a tip, she didn't seem to care, as did our entire presence. The concept is definitely great, but the poor service means we will never eat there again.

Very good food. Weren't many people there but that made it easier to talk and enjoy the time with my friends. Waiters took there time to explain everything since it was our first time eating K-BBQ

Not great. It's around 35 euros for each BBQ set, the meat is decent but they're hilariously stingy with the sides and extras. We got given a mouthful of kimchi between two and 3 slices of pickle. The restaurant is also not in very good shape so you don't feel like you've payed to be in a nice place with a classy atmosphere. I don't know, I just wasn't impressed.

Even if they have no customers, minimum for a bbq is 2 people

We had a great and delicious evening at Ssam Korean Barbeque today! Unfortunately, you can't understand the bad reviews you read on the internet. It may be that the chairs do not meet German standards, but they offer an original Korean BBQ like we know from my home country. Also the prices... The prices are higher compared to other BBQs, but you get a good quality of meat and the side dish is very tasty! We were full too! Definitely recommended!!! 🙋🏻‍♂️

The food is ok, the taste isn't the best, I've had better bibimbaps, I don't think the red cabbage and the cucumbers go well, but that's just my opinion. A fried egg would have been nice.

Was such a lovely experience. Bbq top Level. Service on top! Defo will visit again.

I went to have lunch and there was a bug in the side dish. I told them about it and they just said sorry and left. I was very disappointed.

Everything was great! The food is extremely tasty, the service is great and the ambience is simply awesome! If you haven't tried Korean barbecue yet, you should definitely eat there. However, it is relatively difficult to get a seat without a reservation. From the outside, I wouldn't have thought I would find such a beautiful ambience with such a culinary variety of dishes. Secret Spot, for those who want really good food at a fair price and don't settle for a kebab shop!

It was pouring rain outside, yet they didn't let anyone in even a minute early (they reopen 17.00). Then we had to wait over an hour to get our food. We all ordered BBQ so it was literally raw meat, how does it take them this long to serve raw meat with sides? Anyway, the food was a mix of good and bad. One of the dishes had high quality beautifully marbled meat, I got low quality meat with loads of fat strings. It was also supposed to be cut thinly. We all had huge lumps and had to cut them ourselves. Oh and they forgot to bring the rice. The drinks were delicious but immensely overpriced. I had one cup of tea for 4.50€. One, small cup. (Refer to picture) Oh, and the toilets are disgusting and have no normal light but some pinkish neon light

For all Spaniards: the food is very delicious but you better bring a fan to cool it down, because it burned in our mouths. The bowl was a mini oven. Between spoonfuls it takes us an hour to eat.

For all Spaniards: the food is very delicious but you better bring a fan to cool it down, because it burned in our mouths. The bowl was a mini oven. Between spoonfuls it takes us an hour to eat.

I tried the vegan Korean bbq version and can't recommend it. 30€ for a few raw vegetables without spices is a disgrace. My friend had meat which was supposed to be delicious, but the side dishes were very meager and disappointing for another €30. Very bad price-performance ratio.