Hongdae pizzeria with a Vesuvius stone oven: Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza

I went to Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza, famous as a Hapjeong Station and Hongdae pasta-pizza spot. Honestly, the name is really easy to remember.

A Vesuvius volcanic stone oven that bakes at 400 degrees

At Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza, you can taste authentic Neapolitan pizza baked in an instant at over 400 degrees in an oven made from Italian Vesuvius volcanic stone.

What is the atmosphere like at Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza?

The interior felt especially Italian — a bit like the old castle I stayed at once on a trip to Italy, but also cozy and warm like a neighborhood trattoria. From the brick walls to the floor and wooden tables, the atmosphere was great.

The lighting was lovely too, so it's probably even more atmospheric at night. The windows are covered in memories left behind by people who shared delicious meals in a beautiful setting.

If the pizza is delicious on top of an atmosphere like this, that's really it. On a trip to Naples once, I went searching for a 200-year-old pizza restaurant — I wondered if this place could live up to that memory, haha.

Why order the Quattro Stagioni instead of a half & half pizza

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza lets you order a half & half pizza, but if I could taste four flavors instead, that'd be even better, right? So my choice was Quattro Stagioni! It was marked BEST + recommended, and right next to it, Quattro Formaggi was marked BEST + recommended + HIT. Ah... I figured the cheese here must be seriously good, haha.

So I almost changed my order... but I still wanted to try four flavors, so I stuck with Quattro Stagioni.

Gamberi Crema, the pasta the restaurant recommends

I'd heard that besides the traditional Neapolitan pizzas, the pasta at this Hapjeong Station and Hongdae spot is also excellent. Among them, the recommended menu item is Gamberi Crema penne. Since it was my first visit, I decided to go with the recommended dish.

You can choose your pasta noodle, and I wanted penne, but following my wife's suggestion, we ordered spaghetti instead. Slightly disappointing — I think it would've been even tastier with penne... but I had to go along with it, haha.

Cornicione: why the wood-fired crust is worth eating

From what I understand, pizza baked in a wood-fired oven over 400 degrees is typically done in around 90 seconds. The cornicione — the crust rim — is said to be the defining feature: slightly charred and crisp outside, while chewy and clean-tasting inside.

The pasta isn't ordinary pasta either — it's a wood-fired cream pasta with flavor added by the oven's heat.

Gamberi Crema pasta is finished with shrimp in a spicy cheese cream sauce. Slightly spicy with an incredible cheese flavor — a genuinely delicious pasta. There's clearly a reason it's the signature dish. The cheese in particular tasted really good.

Comparing the four Quattro Stagioni flavors one by one

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza's signature Quattro Stagioni pizza comes as four different pizzas — Quattro Formaggi, Margherita, Diavola, and Croccante — each making up a quarter of the pie.

Margherita

Margherita is the foundation of Neapolitan pizza, I thought as I tried the first slice — and sure enough, the cheese was outstanding.

With dough naturally fermented for 72 hours using only yeast, topped with natural mozzarella and premium Italian natural cheese, Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza couldn't help but be delicious.

Quattro Formaggi

After being surprised by the Margherita, I was surprised again by the Quattro Formaggi. Dipping it in honey was great, but it was also delicious plain — the flavor was incredible.

Diavola

Diavola gave me a completely new experience, with the bold flavor of chorizo taking over the pizza. Such a strong topping laid over an already well-made pizza!

Croccante (shrimp and garlic chips)

The last one I tried was the Croccante pizza (shrimp garlic chip). Honestly, I had the lowest expectations for this one, which is why I saved it for last — sorry for underestimating it!! Thickly sliced shrimp and garlic chips paired with tomato, the flavor shifting dramatically depending on which ingredient you bite into. Really appealing.

Is Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza worth a visit?

A solidly executed Neapolitan pizza where all four flavors clearly showed their own distinct character — it was such an enjoyable culinary experience, slice after slice.

The Quattro Stagioni was genuinely delicious, and the pasta was great too, at Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza. If you're around Hongdae, Hapjeong, or Sangsu, I recommend stopping by.

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza address: 5 Dokmak-ro 7-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / Hours: 11:30–22:00 (closed every Tuesday) / Weekday break time: 15:30–16:30