Daegu Italian restaurant baked risotto and pizza: Dana

The weather has eased up a little now that it’s September, but Daegu is still pretty hot, so I can’t be bothered to walk around.. Here’s a lovely Italian restaurant I’ve been going to for ages, just five minutes on foot from Banwoldang!

Dana Dongseong-ro Main Branch, a cozy Italian restaurant near Banwoldang

A truly, genuinely good restaurant that I’ve visited with my own money since 2023, a whole three years ago..❤️ It was so atmospheric and delicious when I came back then, and even in 2026, three years later, I still had such good memories of it! If you ask me to name a Daegu Italian restaurant with a great vibe—perfect for a date or a fun girls’ day out—I’d recommend Dana!

• A 5-minute walk from Banwoldang Station
• It’s on the lively Dongseong-ro street, surrounded by things to do and cafés

Dana is so pretty from the outside too..❤️

Go up to the second floor using the stairs beside the restaurant.

Opening hours and split-level seating

It’s open daily from 11:30 to 22:00, with a break from 15:30 to 17:00, and last orders at 21:00. If you order before 15:30, you can continue your meal during the break time.

Dana has a split-level layout across two floors. The first floor feels more open, and every table is by a window with a good outside view. The counter, high chairs, water dispenser, and restroom are all on the first floor, so I recommend it for a family meal with children✨ There are toothpicks and hair ties at the counter, and the wine fridge beside it was full of wine.

When you register for the waitlist on the tablet right by the entrance, enter your contact details and party size and you’ll receive a KakaoTalk message. There can be a wait on weekends, but it takes about 7–9 minutes per party on average!

The second floor for groups and birthday gatherings

Let me show you the second floor next!

Please be extra careful not to fall when using the stairs⭐️

The tables are already nicely set, with window seats, more separated tables, and seats that are great for a quiet conversation.

The seats are pretty, so lots of people come on dates or take photos. You can bring in a cake, and they say you can even light the candles inside!! Dana is so good for birthdays❤ The second floor has more seating than the first, with a variety of tables for two and four. I recommend the second floor for groups✨

In front of the stairs on the second floor, there are extra plates, cups, cutlery, and a full-length mirror.

There are phone chargers too, so you can charge up while you eat. Blankets are available as well, which is nice if you get cold or feel a little self-conscious in a skirt.

We were given refreshing iced water and the menu.

My friend asked what this was—it’s a compressed wet wipe..... I usually carry around solid mouthwash that looks similar, so they thought it was something you eat ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I was so embarrassed..... It reminded me of that old online blind-date story where the guy didn’t know what a compressed wet wipe was, put one in his mouth, and pretended nothing had happened ㅠㅠ Pour water on it and it expands into the kind of wet wipe we all know!

Dana’s menu and how to order

Dana is prepaid, so please order and pay first at the counter on the first floor. Every pasta dish is just ₩12,500! You can have elegant pasta at such good value.

Baked risotto was one of those menu items where I immediately thought, I have to order this. The other dishes are delicious too, but if it’s your first time at Dana, please please order it. Every pizza is ₩19,000, and its 30 cm wood-fired par-baked dough is about the size of a regular large pizza, so it’s generous.

For set meals especially, you can add ₩1,000 to change the included soft drink to an ade. Soft drinks can be refilled without limit on the first floor, but if you switch to an ade, refills can only be soft drinks!

There are white, red, and sparkling wines, with sweetness, acidity, body, tannins, and descriptions laid out clearly for easy viewing. If you need corkage, please ask the restaurant :)

If you write a receipt review, you can get honey truffle fries, honey cheese tortilla, cream cheese green salad, an ade, or a soft drink for free, so give it a try😊

Signature pizza set and baked risotto

The signature pizza set is ₩35,000, plus ₩1,000 to upgrade the drink to an ade. We ordered the signature pizza set. It comes with a half-and-half pizza, baked risotto, and blueberry ade!

Hot sauce, dipping sauce, and pickles came with it too. Even the aroma of the food was amazing.. ❤

The ade flavors are blueberry, green grape, mango, and soda. I ordered the blueberry ade because I was curious, and I recommend it—it was slightly sweet with a fizzy little character, almost like a sweet wine!

The baked risotto arrives beautifully rolled into a neat round shape, like a little blanket wrapped around it.

Dana’s signature baked risotto is a real eye-catcher from the moment you see it! It’s an unusual dish of risotto with bacon, shrimp, and Dana’s special sauce, baked in the oven.

Risotto packed full inside❤ The outside has a wonderfully chewy texture, while the risotto inside has a subtle spicy kick. The sauce drizzled on the plate makes a pretty decoration too, and it’s sweet and so delicious—definitely eat it together!

With its unusual presentation that’s hard to find elsewhere and its refined flavor, it’s Dana’s bestseller👍😉 It cuts neatly, so it’s great for sharing, and it’s the dish that immediately comes to mind when I think of Dana—highly, highly recommended as a must-order!!

For the half-and-half pizza, you can choose two from cream cheese tomato, Hawaiian, pepperoni, bacon mushroom, bulgogi, and Margherita. Gorgonzola pizza isn’t available because it has a different base! We debated which flavors to get and chose bacon mushroom and Margherita.

The pizza dough was chewy and delicious all the way to the crust, and it had plenty of tasty cheese and toppings, so the portion was generous too. They say they use only 100% natural cheese and natural butter. The cheese tasted great and clean, and we really enjoyed it.