Sunday brunch shrimp aglio olio in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon: Bologna

What kind of restaurant is Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch?

Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch is an Italian restaurant in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, known for its cream gnocchi and bolognese pasta. Today I'm reviewing this place. I hope this post helps anyone looking for a great Italian restaurant in Daejeon 😌

Inside Bologna: window seats and the Sunday morning mood

I'd been looking for an Italian restaurant with a good vibe in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, and finally made it to Bologna. It's well known in the area for pasta and gnocchi, so I'd been curious about it for a while and finally visited.

The place was decorated in a warm yet sleek style, so I felt good the moment I walked in. The interior was also really pretty, making it a great date spot, and just as good for a family meal.

Can you bring a baby to Bologna? Baby chairs

Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch has baby chairs ready. As someone visiting with a baby, I was really glad to see them. I could sit my baby comfortably and enjoy the meal at a relaxed pace. The staff were also kind, which made the whole meal feel even better.

Where to park at Bologna in Dunsan-dong

For parking, you can use the Hyeongseong parking lot right next to the restaurant, and it's free for 2 hours, so I didn't have to worry about that either. Parking is always a bit of a concern when picking a restaurant in Dunsan-dong, so I liked that this was covered.

A Dyson hair iron in Bologna's restroom

The restroom at Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch was also spotlessly clean, which stuck with me — especially the thoughtfulness of having a Dyson hair iron and feminine products in the women's restroom.

Sometimes restaurant restrooms don't have hot water, which is annoying, but this one had nice warm water. It felt like they paid attention to little details like this, not just the food, which made the whole experience even more satisfying.

What comes in the ₩43,000 gnocchi set

Here's what I ordered 😋 the gnocchi set, ₩43,000. The gnocchi set comes with salad + truffle cream gnocchi + choice of one pasta 😆

Truffle cream gnocchi: crisp outside, chewy inside

The dish I really loved was the truffle cream gnocchi. The gnocchi I usually eat is soft and moist, but Bologna's gnocchi had a crispy seared surface, so the texture felt different right away.

Crispy and nutty on the outside, chewy on the inside — every bite was really good. The cream sauce was thick and savory with a subtle truffle aroma, which was totally my taste. It was so good I kept scooping up the sauce with a spoon. My husband even dipped his bread in the cream sauce and said it was delicious hahaha.

Shrimp scallop aglio olio, the pasta pick

The shrimp scallop aglio olio was better than expected too. It came loaded with fresh shrimp and scallops, so seafood lovers should be satisfied. Eating the shrimp and scallops together with the noodles made each bite feel really full, and I could taste the light but savory umami flavor that's distinctive to aglio olio.

Ordering both dishes together was a great combo — I could go back and forth between the rich, nutty truffle cream gnocchi and the clean aglio olio.

Gelato from the review event

And the chocolate gelato and yogurt gelato I got from the review event were a treat too.

Finishing off the meal deliciously and then having sweet gelato on top made me feel like I'd properly covered dessert too. 😄

Final verdict on Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch

This visit to Bologna was satisfying overall — the food, the atmosphere, the service, all of it. 💛

The truffle cream gnocchi especially stuck with me. 😆 Unlike the soft, moist gnocchi I usually eat, the crispy, nutty texture here felt even more delicious. The truffle cream sauce was so good that I scraped the plate clean lol.

The shrimp scallop aglio olio was also great, with plenty of shrimp and scallops. Having baby chairs made it easy to visit with a baby, and the staff were kind, which made the meal even more pleasant.

Above all, the food was so good that I think I'll keep coming back to mind when I want Italian food in Dunsan-dong. Especially on days when I'm craving good gnocchi, I think I'll find myself back at Bologna. If you're looking for an Italian restaurant with a great atmosphere and good food in Dunsan-dong, I highly recommend giving it a try ✨️