Restaurant Reservations & Waitlists in Korea

Are you booking a time or taking a queue number?

Check the restaurant’s own website or social profile for its booking link. On CATCHTABLE GLOBAL, the restaurant page shows the options it offers. A listing does not mean every option is available.

Use the global service without a Korean number

CATCHTABLE GLOBAL supports Google, Apple or email sign-in and overseas-issued cards for reservation deposits, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. It has English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese interfaces. Use the global service linked here; a Korean domestic signup screen can have different requirements.

Do not buy a Korean SIM just to get past the first screen. First check whether the restaurant is on the global service and whether it has the booking or queue option you need. If another service requires SMS verification, a phone number and identity verification are separate requirements; the SIM and eSIM guide explains that distinction.

Before confirming a table

Use the branch address, not just the restaurant name, to check where you are going. Then read the conditions attached to your date and party size. A deposit is a payment commitment, so keep the confirmation and the cancellation terms together.

At the door, and while you wait

Some restaurants only accept on-site queue registration. If the entrance tablet asks for a Korean number, ask staff about the foreign-visitor option before entering someone else’s number. Where a CATCHTABLE tablet displays a QR option for international visitors, follow those instructions to register through the global service. The tourism organization describes this route, but it is not available on every tablet.

For CATCHTABLE GLOBAL, the queue number is sent by email and the app shows the queue in real time. Keep your mobile data or Wi-Fi working, check spam if the email is missing, and check that your registration appears before walking away. A screenshot preserves the number; it cannot show the queue moving.

Stay close enough to return when called. Ask the restaurant what happens if you miss your turn, rather than relying on a grace period from another restaurant. If you leave for another meal, cancel your queue entry. Once seated, the ordering guide covers menus, kiosks and calling the server.

Cancel through the booking you made

Change of plans? Open the original reservation and check its cancellation rule before the cutoff. Keep the cancellation confirmation, and check the refund status separately. Do not apply one restaurant’s refund policy to another.

Dietary restrictions need a separate conversation. A confirmed table does not confirm that the kitchen can change a course or avoid an ingredient. Check with the restaurant before making a paid booking; the food guide explains common dietary pitfalls.