Western date restaurant in Pangyo: cod gratin on toast, Andover

Andover is a brunch and Western restaurant on Baekhyeon-dong Café Street in Pangyo. On weekdays it is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (break time 3:30–5 p.m.), and on weekends it runs the same hours with no break time.

My boyfriend really loves Western food, so we go to a brunch place or Western restaurant like this about once a week, and this time we tried Andover on Baekhyeon-dong Café Street haha

How is parking at Andover in Pangyo?

The Baekhyeon-dong Café Street public parking lot is free for the first hour, and parking in the nearby alleys was possible too, yep. We parked in the alley in front of the shop and walked right in. Access isn't bad, so it works well for a date. Parking in Pangyo can be sneakily stressful, but here it was less of an issue, so we started off in a good mood lol

Andover's terrace seats and indoor atmosphere

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the terrace outside. Terrace seats are laid out all along the front of the shop, and the mood is just so pretty! On a nice day, or in the evening when it cools down a little, I bet a glass of wine out there would be amazing.

Inside, the feel changes again. It isn't over-the-top fancy; it has a clean, restrained kind of elegance. The interior felt much bigger than it looked from outside, and the tables aren't packed together, so it didn't feel stuffy. It's neatly put together and stylish without being cold or stiff, so it was comfortable for a meal. There were lots of spots that made me want to take photos, and the shop is decorated in Andover's own style throughout, so looking around while waiting for the food was fun too haha

House-made sauces and meal kits are on sale

We heard that Andover makes all its food and sauces in-house. Handmade sauces and meal kits are also sold inside the shop, and they told us they sell their own products both offline and online. They looked like the kind of items I'd miss at home if I liked the food, so I thought I'd like to buy some another time.

Every table also had fresh flowers, and I really love details like that lol. It's not an elaborate decoration, but even a single small flower brings the mood to life. It felt less like just coming for a meal and more like we'd come to treat ourselves a bit.

Lemon ice water and jalapeño-cucumber pickles

Once you sit down, Andover brings out ice water with lemon in it. It seems like nothing, but it quietly puts you in a good mood lol! Every sip had a faint lemon scent, so it was really fresh. The pickles that came with it weren't ordinary pickles either; they were made with jalapeño and cucumber, and they cleaned up my palate nicely. They'd be perfect alongside rich dishes.

What we ordered at Andover and the prices

You order by scanning the QR code on the table. You can see menu photos and descriptions all at once, so choosing was easy and convenient. What we ordered came to ₩72,000 in total.

• Cod gratin & roasted vegetables ₩32,000
• Mushroom cream risotto ₩22,000
• Pecan peach & ricotta cheese ₩18,000

What does the pecan peach & ricotta cheese salad taste like?

The pecan peach & ricotta cheese (₩18,000) is an Andover salad topped with pecans, yellow peaches and ricotta cheese, and it came out first. It looked so pretty, haha! Yellow peaches and white ricotta on fresh salad greens made the colors bright and put me in a good mood the moment I saw it. The first impression was kind of zesty and refreshing.

In one bite, the peach is very soft and the ricotta is fluffy and nutty, and the pairing works way better than I expected. The pecans add a nutty accent here and there, and the salad greens keep everything light and fresh, so it was a great brunch dish. It isn't heavy but is still quietly satisfying, and good for whetting your appetite.

Mushroom cream risotto: is it too heavy?

Andover's mushroom cream risotto (₩22,000) is a soft, creamy risotto topped with two kinds of mushrooms and wild arugula. The moment I saw it I thought, this is my kind of dish. The look was pretty without being excessive, and it looked appetizing.

I mixed it up and took a bite. The cream base isn't heavy or greasy at all; it's nutty and soft but tastes clean. It isn't strongly seasoned, so I kept eating without any burden, and the plump, chewy mushrooms went well with the soft texture of the risotto. It's a little mild, but the mushroom aroma rises subtly, so you never get tired of it. It doesn't hit you with intense flavor, but it's the kind of dish that gets better the more you eat!

Cod gratin & roasted vegetables: eat it on the bread

The cod gratin & roasted vegetables (₩32,000) is an Andover dish of cheese gratin made with flaked cod, served with a variety of roasted vegetables. It came last, and it was the plate I'd been looking forward to most. It looked quite impressive right away. The colors were so varied and pretty that I ate with my eyes first lol. Vegetables like broccoli and bell pepper were piled on in bright colors, so the plating looked really carefully done.

There was almost no fishy smell; it was mild yet moist. And the toasted bread served alongside was the real highlight. Put the cod gratin on a piece of bread, top it with roasted vegetables, and eat it in one bite, and the textures and flavors come together at once. The combination worked way better than I expected, and I was happy the whole way through. It's the kind of dish you eat one elegant bite at a time lol. Seriously, I think it would be so good with wine.

Is Andover in Pangyo a good date spot?

None of Andover's dishes were too heavy or harsh; they felt clean and healthy, and the plating was pretty, so many of them are great for photos and put you in a good mood while eating haha. Above all, the shop's atmosphere was so good that it felt less like just a brunch meal and more like a relaxed date.

The terrace vibe is nice and the interior is stylish and comfortable, so I think it would be really good for people looking for an anniversary dinner or a date spot, yep. The mood suits wine too, so my boyfriend and I promised each other to come back in the evening and have wine as well lol

If you're looking for a brunch place or Western restaurant with a nice mood in Pangyo, Andover is worth a visit haha. It isn't too noisy, the space is pretty, and the food comes out neat and well made, so it was really comfortable to eat there. I really do want to come back, yep. Next time I'll try other dishes too!