Early-bird pizza and pasta restaurant in Bangi-dong, Seoul: Hope So

When you're hunting for a good restaurant in Bangi-dong and stumble on a place like this, you honestly can't not save it. Pizza, pasta and even risotto, all done properly. It has a spacious first and second floor, and with food this good it's a total winner for a date in Bangi-dong too. Whenever I want pizza in Bangi-dong, I'm definitely going to Hope So! Next time I'm coming for pizza and beer.

What are the exterior and parking at Hope So in Bangi-dong like?

Hope So is a pizza, pasta and beer place with a full-glass facade in a Bangi-dong alley, and there's free parking in front, so you can come by car. At night they throw the big windows wide open for an outdoor-pub feel.

That glass facade catches your eye right from the alley. The sun was strong this time so the windows were closed, but at night they open them all up and the mood gets so good. On nice days you can enjoy it like an outdoor pub! There's also parking in front, so you can bring a car.

How do the first and second floors of Hope So differ?

The first floor of Hope So is a spacious black-toned dining room that suits gatherings and company dinners, while the second floor is cozy and warm, better for dates. You order on a tablet at each table.

The first floor is a stylish black-toned dining space. Rows of wine bottles line the area beneath huge windows, so it feels like a European bistro. It's also really big, perfect for get-togethers or company dinners.

The second floor opens into a cozy, warm space. Every table has a tablet, so ordering is easy!

What are the menu, prices and early-bird hours at Hope So?

The pasta of the day at Hope So is ₩14,900 at the Mon–Thu 5–7pm early-bird price. That day we also ordered a mini margherita (₩14,000), a beef short plate soy-cream risotto (₩19,000) and a Coca-Cola Zero (₩3,000). A draft beer 3+1 event was running too.

• Pasta of the day (Mon–Thu 5–7pm early bird) ₩14,900
• Mini margherita ₩14,000
• Beef short plate soy-cream risotto ₩19,000
• Coca-Cola Zero ₩3,000

Come during the weekday 5–7pm early-bird window and you get the pasta of the day at a friendlier price, so I highly recommend an early dinner in Bangi-dong! And there's a draft beer 3+1 event, so beer lovers will be even happier, hehe.

Pretzels as the complimentary snack! That salty, nutty pretzel flavor makes you think of beer right away. If I hadn't had a freediving class the next day, I would have ordered a beer on the spot (so sad, next time I'm definitely doing pizza and beer).

A quick sip of ice-cold Coke Zero and I'm ready to eat!

How does the mini margherita at Hope So taste?

The mini margherita at Hope So (₩14,000) is a classic pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil on a thin, crispy Neapolitan-style dough, served on a wooden board. The writer called it classic but addictive.

For pizza in Bangi-dong, it's Hope So from now on, seriously. It comes out on a wooden board and I couldn't resist how good it looked. The dough is thin and crispy, Neapolitan style, with proper charred spots here and there.

Chunks of mozzarella are melting over a generous layer of tomato sauce, topped with fragrant basil leaves. Great look! Take a bite and the crunch of the thin dough comes first, then the sweet-tart tomato sauce and the rich, savory cheese fill your mouth. A classic pizza, but an addictive one.

How was the early-bird pasta of the day (pescatore)?

The pasta of the day at Hope So that day was a pescatore-style tomato pasta (빼쉐) full of big shrimp, piled on overflowing. The sauce coated the noodles well without being thick, so the writer never got tired of it.

It's a tomato pasta packed with plump shrimp, served in an overflowing portion, and the look alone is satisfying and filling.

These aren't small shrimp, they're big ones! No frozen-shrimp vibes, the texture is springy and fresh. Twirl the noodles on your fork and the sauce coats them perfectly, and as you slurp them down the sweet savory flavor of the shrimp bursts out. The sauce isn't too thick but still rich and well developed, so you never get sick of it!

Why the beef soy-cream risotto was my number one pick

The beef short plate soy-cream risotto at Hope So (₩19,000) is a thick, creamy risotto with a soy-based savory depth and sliced beef short plate, and it was the surprise number one of the three dishes. The writer ordered it with the lowest expectations and was amazed after one spoonful.

Honestly this was the dish I expected least that day, and after one spoonful I was really surprised. The risotto base is thick yet creamy, and the moment it hits your mouth it wraps around you moistly. This is the one my husband and I kept saying we were glad we ordered.

The soy-based savory flavor is subtle, so it's not salty, just deep and nutty. The beef short plate on top gets saltier and richer the more you chew.

It rose to be the surprise number one of the three dishes. If you come to Hope So, you absolutely have to try this!

Finishing with a mini patbingsu from the review event

The mini patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans) from the Hope So review event is a milk snow-ice dessert topped with simmered red beans, roasted soybean powder and cornflakes. The writer said it was a perfect finish after pizza and pasta.

A milk snow-ice base, generously topped with sweetly simmered red beans, nutty soybean powder and crunchy cornflakes!

The milk ice melts in your mouth while the deep sweetness of the red beans blends with the nuttiness of the soybean powder. You can't ask for a better way to end a meal. Even when you're full, you can't stop, hehe. A day where I finished everything perfectly, from a Bangi-dong pizza place all the way to shaved ice!

Is Hope So in Bangi-dong worth going back to?

If you're looking for pizza in Bangi-dong, don't even think, just go to Hope So. I'm truly grateful to have a place in the neighborhood that does pizza, pasta and risotto all well. Next time I'll try the other dishes with an ice-cold draft beer!

• Hours: Mon–Fri 16:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)
• Closed every Sunday
• Corkage available (fee), groups welcome, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, takeout
• Parking available (free, in front of the restaurant)