Gwangalli lunch with salad and taco pizza: Extra Mile

A converted-house Italian restaurant on the way to Gwangalli Beach

I had plans in the Gwangalli area and was looking for somewhere for lunch when I found Extra Mile, where you can have pizza and pasta together. I already love both pizza and pasta, and it is also connected to Pickles, which I like, so I was curious about the atmosphere. They had newly opened a space in Gwangalli too, so I went to check it out.

I visited Extra Mile while looking for a good pizza-and-pasta spot in Gwangalli 🍕🍝 Since it is in a converted house, the entrance was lovely from the start. The courtyard was spacious and the interior was tidy, so it seemed like a nice place for a Gwangalli date too!

Store exterior

Extra Mile is in a location that is easy to reach on foot along the way to Gwangalli Beach. It took about 5–8 minutes walking from Gwangalli Station, and the space is housed in a converted home.

I was a little surprised at how large it was when I first saw it. The building itself is neatly maintained, and the front courtyard is fairly spacious, so it feels different from a typical small Italian restaurant ✨

An interior with counter seats for solo diners and table seating

As soon as I opened the door, I could see the counter and table area. There were about two four-person tables by the window, and farther inside there were several two- and four-person tables.

There were also counter seats, so it looked comfortable for solo dining too. I visited a little after lunchtime, but there were still quite a few customers.

There is no separate self-service bar, but there is a spot where you can help yourself to pickles and water. If you need hot sauce, you can pick that up there too.

It was fun that crayons and drawing paper were set out at each table so you could draw the Gwangalli scenery. The tableware was cute too, and it felt like they had paid attention to even these little details.

Ordering the Classic Combo for Two

Extra Mile has a range of set menus for two people or groups of three to four. There were around four signature pizzas and around four signature pastas, so it was easy to choose based on what you like. You can also order sides and drinks.

There were two of us, so we ordered the Classic Combo for Two: half salad pizza, half taco pizza, and white ragu pasta.

Pickles and the table setting

The pickles came out first while we waited for the food. I tend to have pickles throughout a pizza or pasta meal, so it was nice that they were prepared separately.

The tableware was clean and cute, so it went well with food photos too.

Half salad pizza, half taco pizza

The half-and-half pizza we had been waiting for came out first 🍕 We ordered half salad pizza and half taco pizza, and it was nice to enjoy two flavors on one pie.

Each flavor came in three slices, and the pizza was neatly plated, so it looked pretty too. The outside was crisp while the inside had a chewy texture.

What does the salad pizza taste like?

The salad pizza was topped with fresh European greens, a savory Caesar dressing, cranberries, olives, nuts, and more.

The freshness of the greens went well with the savory Caesar dressing, while the cranberries added little bright, sweet notes throughout. The chewy pizza dough and toppings worked together well, so the combination was better than I expected.

The bold Mexican flavor of the taco pizza

As its name suggests, the taco pizza had a Mexican-style flavor.

It was topped with richly flavored Mexican birria meat, pico de gallo salsa, and smooth sour cream, so it had a completely different feel from the salad pizza. The salsa added freshness to the deep meat flavor, while the sour cream softened it all, making it a pizza with several flavors coming through together. This was the dish that made me think ordering half-and-half was a very good idea.

One side was the relatively light, savory salad pizza, while the other was the richly flavored taco pizza, so they were great to alternate between.

Smooth, deeply flavored white ragu pasta

For pasta, we chose the white ragu 🍝 It featured a deeply flavored white ragu sauce made by slowly cooking beef and pork, finished with Reggiano cheese and parsley.

It had the smoothness of a cream pasta, but the meat brought its own flavor, so it tasted a little different from typical cream pasta. The sauce coated the noodles well and paired nicely with the pizza. Alternating between the half-and-half pizza and pasta meant the flavors of the two dishes did not overlap, making the meal feel more varied.

Extra Mile was a nice choice for Gwangalli lunch

This time, I tried pizza and pasta together at Extra Mile.

The space was more spacious and tidy than I expected, and it is fairly close to Gwangalli Beach, so it could make a good route to pair with nearby cafés or dessert shops after your meal. If you like pizza and pasta, I think it is worth a visit as a Gwangalli Italian restaurant.