Seoulsup date restaurant: jambon risotto & bacon cream pasta, Brivite

I was looking for a Western restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Seongsu and ended up at Brivite Seongsu. You can enjoy pasta and risotto in a warm, cute, European-style space, so it works well as a Seongsu date spot too.

We ordered the spicy jambon (cured ham) risotto, the bacon cream pasta and truffle fries. The spicy risotto, the thick cream pasta and crispy fries together made a really satisfying combination. From the mood to the menu, I liked it all, so let me tell you about Brivite Seongsu.

Brivite Seongsu location, hours, reservations and parking

Brivite Seongsu is near Ttukseom Station, at 1F, 5-1 Sangwon 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It is open daily from 11:30 to 21:20. Reservations are possible, but there's no parking, so you'll need a nearby paid lot.

• Location: near Ttukseom Station / 1F, 5-1 Sangwon 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 11:30 - 21:20
• Reservations: available
• Parking: not available / use a nearby paid lot

What does the exterior of Brivite Seongsu look like?

Brivite Seongsu sits in a relatively quiet alley in Seongsu-dong. The entrance is fresh and cutely decorated, so it caught my eye from far away. It's bright and adorable rather than the calm, dark Western restaurant you often see, so I wanted to take photos even before eating.

Inside Brivite Seongsu: interior and decor

Stepping inside Brivite Seongsu, the first thing I noticed was the interior, a blend of warm wood tones and fresh colors.

There are cute props and stylish touches everywhere, which made it fun to look around, and I naturally kept taking photos while waiting for the food. Brivite officially describes itself as a warm, fresh European Western restaurant, and the atmosphere really matched the menu concept.

What did we order for two at Brivite Seongsu?

We ordered these three dishes at Brivite Seongsu.

• Spicy jambon risotto
• Bacon cream pasta
• Truffle fries

One spicy dish, one creamy dish, plus fries to pick at in between, which made the order quite full for two.

All the food came out at once, so the table looked really abundant. We could alternate between spicy and rich flavors and nibble fries in between, so I felt we'd picked a good combination.

Bacon cream pasta: thick sauce and chewy bacon

The bacon cream pasta at Brivite Seongsu delivered exactly the smooth, savory flavor its name promises. The noodles were generously coated in cream sauce, so every bite had a thick, rich taste, and the bacon wasn't tiny crumbles but pieces big enough to chew.

The cream sauce was rich and savory rather than a light, milky style. The salty bacon added seasoning, so it balanced better eaten with the noodles than the sauce alone. If you like thick cream pasta, you'll be happy with this one, and the generous sauce kept it moist to the end.

Spicy jambon risotto: gentle heat and salty ham

The first dish was the spicy jambon risotto. Jambon sat on top of risotto soaked in red sauce, so it looked different from the start. One bite and the gentle heat and the salty flavor of the jambon blended nicely.

The sauce wasn't just spicy; it had the savory depth of tomato and a mellow flavor, and it soaked evenly between the grains of rice. The moist, thick texture typical of risotto came through well, so it was nice to eat spoonful by spoonful.

On its own the jambon tasted clearly salty, but eaten with the risotto the seasoning balanced out naturally. The firm texture of the ham among the soft rice kept it from feeling monotonous.

Truffle fries: a side you keep reaching for

The truffle fries I ordered with the mains at Brivite Seongsu were also a side I kept reaching for. A subtle truffle aroma over the golden fries made them more flavorful than regular fries. Crispy outside and fluffy inside, they were best while hot, and also good for nibbling before the pasta and risotto arrived.

Is Brivite Seongsu a good date spot?

Not only the food but also the colors of the space and the plating were pretty, so Brivite Seongsu suits a Seongsu date. It isn't too quiet or formal, so it was easy to chat, and the menu runs from pasta and risotto to gnocchi and steak, so it's easy to choose even with different tastes. I think ordering two dishes and alternating, as we did, would be the most satisfying.

Overall verdict

• It's between Ttukseom Station and Seoulsup Station, a good location to combine with a Seongsu date or a trip to Seoulsup.
• The warm, cute European-style interior is great for taking photos while you eat.
• The spicy jambon risotto combined gentle heat with salty jambon and woke up my appetite.
• The bacon cream pasta, with its thick cream sauce and chewy bacon, was savory and filling.
• It's a decent pick when you're looking for a Seongsu-dong pasta place, a nice Seongsu date, or a Seongsu-dong brunch spot for a late lunch.