Mentaiko aglio e olio with twins at Bokkeriu, Hanam Italian restaurant

We wanted somewhere with a slightly nicer atmosphere to eat with the kids, and that's how we found Bokkeriu, a well-known Italian spot in Misari.

Honestly, my husband and I aren't big Italian food people. Even when we were dating, I don't really remember hunting down nice-atmosphere restaurants for pasta or risotto, haha.

But now that the twins are four, I sometimes want to sit down and eat slowly with them somewhere with a bit more atmosphere. So this time we picked Bokkeriu for our family dinner out. We booked a Sunday evening at 6:30pm and headed over.

A Han River walk before dinner at Bokkeriu

There's a well-maintained walking path along the Han River right in front of Bokkeriu. We arrived a bit early for our reservation, so we had time to walk slowly with the kids — turns out being able to walk before and after the meal was better than I expected.

While we were walking, though, we spotted kids up on the 3rd-floor terrace of the building. The moment the twins saw them, they said:

We want to eat up there too!

Haha, curious ourselves, we went inside and popped up to the 3rd floor to check it out.

There were already other guests using the space, so we just peeked from outside and came back down. When we asked a staff member, they said the 3rd floor can be reserved for parties of 8 or more. With its outdoor terrace, it felt like a separate private space — great for family or friend gatherings. Especially if you're visiting with several families and kids, I'd love to book the 3rd floor next time.

Is Bokkeriu as nice in person as in photos?

Before coming, both my husband and I had each looked up blog posts to check out the vibe and menu ahead of time. But the moment we walked in, my husband said:

I couldn't really tell from the blog photos, but it's so much nicer in person, right?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

I took plenty of photos that day too, but personally, the real atmosphere beat the pictures. It was still bright outside when we sat down for dinner, but as we ate and the sun gradually set, the mood just kept getting better.

Since it was Sunday evening, there were plenty of couples and friends there for dinner too, but it wasn't too quiet or heavy an atmosphere. It didn't feel like a stretch to bring the kids along — they even had separate kids' tableware ready, plus a high chair.

What we ordered at Bokkeriu

Here's what we ordered that day:

• Ricotta cheese salad
• Mentaiko (seasoned pollock roe) aglio e olio
• Truffle mushroom pasta
• Sirloin mushroom risotto
• Grapefruit ade
• Basque cheesecake

That was the lineup.

Even the bread and butter that came first was delicious — my husband and I were satisfied from the very start, haha.

We'd originally planned to order the Korean beef pizza too. From the moment we arrived, we could smell pizza baking in the wood-fired oven at Bokkeriu, so we were looking forward to it — but sadly, the pizza was sold out that day. :(

The problem was our son... who'd been super excited, going:

I'm gonna eat pizza!

and then burst into tears when he heard there was no pizza left. Total parent panic moment 🤣. Luckily, the sirloin in the risotto that came out shortly after cheered him right up, haha.

"Salad can taste this good?" — the ricotta cheese salad

The ricotta cheese salad came out first. The vegetables paired with soft ricotta and dressing — and honestly, the ricotta-and-sauce combo was really delicious.

This might have been the first time my husband properly ate a ricotta cheese salad, and after one bite he said:

I never knew salad could taste this good.

Haha, same here honestly. 🤣 We're not really the type of couple who seeks out salad, but that day we both kept saying how good it was.

It especially went well alongside the pasta and risotto. Normally when we eat Italian food, we always add pickles or radish because it can feel heavy, but oddly enough, we never once added pickles that day.

Mentaiko aglio e olio, truffle pasta and sirloin risotto

We're not a couple who's eaten a lot of Italian food, so it's hard for me to describe the taste like an expert, haha, but that day every single dish really suited our taste. From the salad to the pasta to the risotto, my husband and I kept saying to each other:

This is actually really good.

That's pretty much how the whole meal went.

The kids' reactions were great too. Our daughter ate a little bit of everything — bread, salad, pasta, risotto, all neatly. Our son, who'd cried over the pizza, happily ate the meat in the risotto and the pasta. No pizza, but he found peace again thanks to the meat, haha.

Basque cheesecake for the parents, ice cream for the twins

Toward the end of the meal, the Basque cheesecake we'd ordered arrived.

And the kids were given ice cream for dessert too.

They'd already eaten well, and then ice cream showed up at the end too — the twins were completely thrilled! Mom and dad wrapped up the night happily with cheesecake, and the kids with ice cream.

📌 What to know before visiting Bokkeriu with a four-year-old

• The atmosphere isn't too quiet or heavy, so it didn't feel like a stretch to bring a child along.
• They provided separate kids' tableware.
• There's a Han River walking path right in front, great for a walk before or after eating.
• When we asked, staff said the 3rd floor can be reserved for parties of 8 or more.
• Some menu items, like the pizza, can sell out on a given day.

Coming back to Bokkeriu for our anniversary

By the time we finished eating, it was completely dark outside. My husband said:

Let's book this place again for our anniversary or the end of the year.

For a couple who doesn't usually go out of our way for Italian food, having both of us agree to come back was really a successful family outing, haha.

We came looking for somewhere with a slightly nicer atmosphere to eat with the kids, and the food was delicious, the kids ate well, and from the Han River walk before the meal to the ice cream at the end — it really was the perfect family outing. ❤️

Next time, we're definitely trying the Korean beef wood-fired pizza we missed out on! Son, next time we're really getting pizza. 🤣