Beef bourguignon lunch at LA RUELLE, a French bistro in Gongneung-dong
In short
LA RUELLE is an authentic French restaurant on the second floor at the end of the Gongni-dan-gil alley in Gongneung-dong, Nowon, Seoul. On a weekday afternoon with a friend, and with a reservation booked in advance, the order was onion soup at 14,000 won, beef bourguignon at 33,000 won and a glass of house red wine at 10,000 won, and the flat iron beef was tender enough to melt in the mouth. With floor-to-ceiling windows, a European mood and a long wine list, LA RUELLE suits dates, first meetings and wedding-invitation gatherings.
Good to know
- Location
- 2F, 18 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul (697 m from Taereung Ipgu Station Exit 4)
- Hours
- 11:30–23:00, last order 21:30
- Closed
- Mondays
- Parking
- Use the nearby public parking lot
- Onion soup
- 14,000 won
- Beef bourguignon
- 33,000 won
- House red wine
- 10,000 won
- Review event
- A zucchini flower dish (hobakkkot) for writing a Naver review
as written by the visitor on Aug 18, 2026
Where is LA RUELLE in Gongneung-dong, and what are its hours?
LA RUELLE is a French restaurant on the 2nd floor of 18 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 697m from Taereung Ipgu Station Exit 4. It's open 11:30–23:00 with last order at 21:30, and closed Mondays. Parking is available at a nearby public lot.
I visited LA RUELLE, an authentic French restaurant tucked into an alley off Gongni-dan-gil in Gongneung-dong! It felt so romantic, like being transported to Paris, that I'd highly recommend it for dates, blind dates, or gatherings after a wedding invitation.
LA RUELLE
La ruelle means "small alley" in French, and true to its name, it sits at the end of an alley along the Gongneung-dong train tracks. It's been getting a little cooler in the evenings lately, so a walk along the Gyeongchun Line tracks after dinner sounds like the perfect course.
There's a public parking lot right near the restaurant, so parking is easy. From the entrance, the white exterior walls, terrace, and floor-to-ceiling windows already feel exotic, like stepping into Europe.
I visited on a weekday afternoon, and made a reservation just in case. Since it's a cozy, quiet restaurant, I'd recommend booking ahead for weekends or peak hours.
What does the inside of LA RUELLE look and feel like?
The inside of LA RUELLE feels like dining on the terrace of a European restaurant — sunlight pours through the glass walls and soft classical music plays, creating such a lovely mood 😖. The tables are spaced just right too, perfect for dates or blind dates!
There's even a Le Cordon Bleu certificate on display.
The LA RUELLE menu and wine list
French cuisine can feel a bit unfamiliar, but here the menu has detailed descriptions, which made ordering much easier 🇫🇷
One thing that really stands out about LA RUELLE is just how huge the wine menu is — and just like the food menu, each wine comes with a detailed description.
If there are too many wines to choose from, LA RUELLE can recommend one for you. Scan the QR code and it'll suggest a wine based on your MBTI or the occasion. My friend and I tried it while waiting for our food and it was really fun — I'd totally recommend it as blind-date content 😌
It even spat out a whole wine backstory, which was pretty entertaining — you can really feel how serious the owner is about wine ••
What we ordered at LA RUELLE and what it cost
- Onion soup (₩14,000)
- Bourguignon (₩33,000)
- House red wine (₩10,000)
Since I ordered beef, I also got a glass of red wine 🍷
As a starter we each got a piece of pastry topped with pickled onion, shrimp, and scallop, with a bit of vegetable — the combination worked really well.
Even the cutlery had that European feel, which made me think this restaurant really has a clear concept all the way through 👀
Onion soup, 14,000 won
They said they don't use any sweeteners or sugar in the onion soup, and I was genuinely surprised by how rich and deeply savory it tasted. To think that's just the natural sweetness of onions...!
The cheese on top came out golden and toasty, and piling it onto the baguette that came alongside was so delicious.
Beef bourguignon, 33,000 won
The bourguignon, made with skirt steak, came on one plate with broccoli, mushrooms, carrot purée, and fries — the balance between all the elements was fantastic.
The plating was so elegant and pretty. But above all, the beef was so-o tender, almost melting right on my tongue. The sauce in particular was amazing — you could really taste the wine reduction, that deep savory tang.
The garnish was delicious too, especially the fries, which were fried in layers like pastry, making them incredibly crispy.
It was most satisfying eating all the components together in one bite. And of course, it paired perfectly with the wine!
Naver review event: a zucchini flower dish
This dish is called hobakkkot — inside the zucchini leaf is shrimp, scallop, and a delicious cream sauce. One bite and you get crispy fried batter plus a burst of sauce, and they give it to you just for writing a Naver review 🥹
Why LA RUELLE is worth booking for French food in Gongneung-dong
If you want to enjoy carefully made French cuisine alongside a huge wine selection, I highly recommend LA RUELLE, a favorite in Gongneung-dong 🇫🇷 The food was excellent, and both the exterior and interior really captured that European atmosphere — a distinctive, satisfying meal ❣️
Where it is
18 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2F서울특별시 노원구 공릉로35길 18 2층
