Solo-friendly wine bar near DDP: chuck flap steak & tiramisu, Athlonga

What is Athlonga, and is the entrance easy to find?

Athlonga is known as a pasta restaurant and casual wine bar on the 3rd floor at 18 Dongho-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, a favorite spot near DDP in Dongdaemun. I'd read that the entrance is hard to find, but I found it more easily than I expected, haha.

Athlonga is open from 11 am to midnight, which is quite long for a wine bar.

The button for opening the door is unusual, which I found fun, haha.

What is the evening atmosphere and crowd like at Athlonga?

The atmosphere at Athlonga was really nice. I saw what looked like couples celebrating anniversaries, and also some rowdy, tipsy middle-aged guys. It seemed like a place anyone could drop into comfortably.

The restroom is inside and has everything you need, a thoughtful touch for guests. It was quiet when I arrived around 7, but people kept coming in as time went on. There were foreign guests too, so it seems popular around Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station.

What does the name Athlonga mean, and what about exhibits, jazz and the rooftop?

Athlonga means "Art is long, life is short." I'm told it's a brunch & wine bar created by young people who dream of and love art. You can enjoy art exhibitions that change every quarter and jazz performances on the rooftop, both free. It's also said to be a dating filming location from Heart Signal 4 :)

The weather had warmed up, so I booked a rooftop table, but the rooftop isn't operating right now, so I sat indoors. In winter you can enjoy a rooftop camping area for an extra ₩20,000 ><

Note: dinner on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays requires ordering one bottle!

What are Athlonga's best-selling dishes, and what's on the menu?

The best sellers at Athlonga are Iberico pork neck & rib grill, prosciutto pasta, basil cream pasta, truffle cream gnocchi and burrata tomato pasta. True to a Dongdaemun History & Culture Park spot where people from many countries gather, the menu is available in 4 languages.

They apparently serve a huge birthday drink to anyone celebrating a birthday, and I'm so curious I wish it were my birthday, haha.

• Salchisal (chuck flap) steak
• Athlonga homemade tiramisu

How was the salchisal steak I ate alone at Athlonga?

I ordered the salchisal (chuck flap) steak and a tiramisu for dessert. Even though I came alone, the staff were kind and I hardly felt uncomfortable.

It came with assorted vegetables and a thick salchisal steak. The default doneness is medium rare, but you can adjust it. It was served with whole-grain mustard sauce and pepper salt, and it took a while to come out, maybe because they put a lot of care into the grilling.

I liked that the steak at Athlonga came with a wide variety of vegetables as garnish.

First, a bite of the cute mushroom~

The tenderly cooked salchisal steak wasn't the melt-in-your-mouth type; it was thick and pleasantly chewy.

Between the whole-grain mustard and the pepper salt, I liked the pepper salt better. Wherever I eat meat, salt is just the best...

With so many vegetables, I could eat meat and veggies at a 1:1 ratio at Athlonga near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, haha.

How does Athlonga's homemade tiramisu taste?

The dessert tiramisu at Athlonga came out quite big, and they say it's homemade and aged for 24 hours. The cream was soft and flavorful. It had the feel of a homemade Italian tiramisu, which I liked.

Would I recommend Athlonga near DDP in Dongdaemun?

As it got dark, they turned on the lights, which lifted the mood even more at Athlonga. It's a space where you can enjoy a special atmosphere, tasty food and a range of cultural activities, and I'd definitely recommend it when you're around Euljiro or Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. My mom said she wants to walk the fortress wall trail near the station, so maybe I'll bring her here then :)