Squid ink risotto set menu in Boram-dong, Sejong: Olivus Compagno

Why stop at Olivus Compagno in Boram-dong before Ieungdari bridge?

Olivus Compagno Boram Branch is an Italian restaurant on Sichung-daero in Boram-dong, Sejong, and it's in a great spot for combining with a visit to Sejong's Ieungdari bridge. I went to visit my niece at my sister's place in Sejong, and once again ended up eating something delicious and then heading over to Ieungdari🖤

Every time I come to Sejong I notice how clean and orderly the city feels overall. It doesn't have that busy, cluttered feeling Seoul does, so just wandering around slowly here puts me in a good mood!

I don't come to Sejong that often, but there's one place I always visit when I do — Sejong's Ieungdari bridge. This time too, I planned the course around eating, watching the sunset, and riding family bikes, and with the nice weather lately it made for the perfect Sejong outing! And the place I stopped at before Ieungdari was Olivus Compagno Boram Branch🖤

What is the atmosphere like inside Olivus Compagno?

I'd been curious about Olivus Compagno Boram Branch for a while since it's rare to find a Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant in Sejong, and going in person, not just the food but the restaurant's atmosphere was warm and cozy too.

Overall it was clean but not overly stiff for a restaurant — the space had that distinct Italian restaurant sensibility running through it!

I think this would work well not just for people looking for Boram-dong restaurants, but also as a nice-atmosphere date spot in Sejong.

What comes with the set menu, and is it good with kids?

The Olivus Compagno set menu includes the signature potato soup and a drink, and you can choose from pasta, risotto or pizza as your main. We ordered the set menu since we wanted to try a variety of dishes, and it made choosing pretty easy too!

There were a lot of customers with kids, so children's tableware and scissors were well prepared. It felt like a comfortable spot for a family meal out.

The signature potato soup at Olivus Compagno

First came the signature potato soup! They say it's made in-house, and it was soft and fluffy yet nutty in flavor. Dipping the baguette that came with it made it surprisingly filling. A warm, comforting flavor that's perfect as a starter!

What does the Tuumba pasta taste like?

Olivus Compagno's Tuumba pasta felt a bit different from the familiar Outback Tuumba pasta! Since it's a spicy Tuumba sauce, the flavor was sharper and a bit more intense than I expected. It also had plump shrimp and button mushrooms mixed in, so twirling it together with the noodles was delicious. And then the main dishes started coming out one by one — the visuals were great🖤 As you can see in the photos, the table filled up with pizza, pasta and risotto, and it just made me happy for no reason haha

If you were expecting a soft, creamy pasta it might be a little different, but if you like spicy cream sauces you'll probably enjoy this one. You can choose the spice level when ordering, so if you're going with kids I'd recommend adjusting it!

The best dish: octopus squid ink risotto

The dish I enjoyed most was the octopus squid ink risotto! Octopus sits on top of black squid ink risotto, along with shrimp and sun-dried tomatoes, so it looked pretty too.

The octopus wasn't chewy at all — it was cooked soft and moist while still having a nice bite, and it paired really well with the nutty, salty flavor of the squid ink risotto.

Truffle funghi pizza at Olivus Compagno

The visual star was the truffle funghi pizza🍄 It was piled high with roasted mushrooms, so as a mushroom lover I was already sold haha. Three kinds of mushrooms and plenty of cheese meant even one slice was more filling than I expected.

The truffle aroma came through subtly too, and overall it leaned nutty and mild rather than intense, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy. A warm slice with cheese stretching and mushrooms piled on top was surprisingly satisfying!

Sunset and family bikes at Ieungdari after lunch in Boram-dong

After eating a solid meal at Olivus Compagno Boram Branch, we headed straight to Sejong's Ieungdari bridge. We rode family bikes as the sun set, and the sky was really beautiful that day, making it a great course for eating and then strolling.

If you're visiting Sejong, you're probably searching for both things to do in Sejong and good restaurants at the same time. In that case, planning a course of eating in Boram-dong and then heading over to Ieungdari would be perfect! It's also good for anyone looking for restaurants near Sejong City Hall or lunch spots in Sejong, and it suits everything from family meals to dates.

It's also not a stressful drive from Daejeon, so if you're looking for things to do or restaurants near Daejeon, this could be worth a visit as part of a Sejong outing.

This Sejong outing to see my niece turned into a great meal and a beautiful sunset💛 Next time I'm in Sejong I'll probably come back to try other menu items too haha. If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere Italian restaurant in Sejong, I recommend Olivus Compagno Boram Branch!