The check, in order
- Search the restaurant in Naver Map. Look for a Reserve button or the restaurant’s published booking link. Open the button to check available dates and account requirements — “Booking on Naver with a passport, not a Korean ID”. If no button appears, check the restaurant’s website or contact it; a missing button alone does not explain why.
- Search the name in CatchTable Global. The available restaurants and tables can differ from those on Naver — “How do I book a restaurant as a foreigner?”.
- Look at its Instagram. A restaurant on no platform often says 'DM으로 예약' in its bio or a pinned post — book by direct message, and allow up to two days for a reply. “Booking a restaurant by Instagram DM”.
- Contact the restaurant if you cannot find clear booking instructions. “Phoning a restaurant when the apps fail” and “Which restaurants need no booking at all”.
The restaurant’s own current instructions are the best starting point. These checks help you find an available booking channel.
The three systems
- Naver Reservation (네이버예약) is the booking service inside Naver Map. Naver is a Korean search and online-services company. Since June 2026, passport verification supports visitor bookings on participating services.
- CatchTable manages reservations and queues. Its Global app supports visitors without a Korean phone number.
- Tabling (a restaurant waitlist app that holds your place in the queue) offers remote queuing and reservations in its Korean app. Ask staff about visitor access or on-site registration — “The restaurant only takes the Tabling app”.
A restaurant can be on more than one: CatchTable's own merchant software pulls in bookings that arrive by phone and through Naver. If you find a Reserve button on Naver Map and a listing in CatchTable Global, compare the available times and payment conditions before choosing one.
Confirm the payment options and reservation status
Every signal above says whether a booking channel exists. None says whether it will take your money. A Naver merchant can switch off reservations and payments from overseas-issued cards in its own settings, so a visible listing alone does not guarantee overseas-card acceptance — “My restaurant booking silently failed”. Open the booking page and check the payment options. If they are unclear or your card is rejected, ask the restaurant about another method.
