Pizza restaurant near Myeongdong Station: mushroom pizza, Seventy Four

Sometimes life just piles up — household stuff going sideways, your mood sinking, and suddenly you have zero appetite. Everyone else seems to be doing just fine, and you're left wondering why things feel so hard for you alone, that kind of day. I'd gone to a nearby café to work, but figured that if my stomach stayed empty I'd only feel more hollow, so I just started walking to find food. That's how I ended up at Seventy Four, on the first floor of Familia Chapel at Myeongdong Cathedral. Honestly, this was my first time in the Myeongdong Cathedral area at all.

Why the meat-free mushroom pizza on a no-appetite day

What I chose at Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch was a mushroom pizza with no meat. I'd had amazing handmade pizza somewhere else before, and I've been hooked on hunting down good handmade pizza ever since — but that day, with a heavy heart, I wasn't craving anything greasy like meat or ham, I wanted something lighter. A memory of a deeply flavorful mushroom risotto I once had near Yangpyeong popped into my head, so I ordered the meat-free mushroom pizza.

Finding the hidden entrance to Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch

The entrance to Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch isn't easy to spot. When you get near, you can see people sitting on what looks like a second-floor terrace, looking so cool up there, but I couldn't find the door and was briefly confused. It's set up like a hidden, almost secret entrance??? I bet the owner designed it that way — walking in gives you such a mood boost!!!

It was crowded, but the place is quite spacious — I just deliberately photographed the angles without people in them.

But as I looked around while eating, aside from the food itself, I started noticing the core know-how that makes this place so clearly destined to do well. The single most overwhelming weapon Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch has is, without a doubt, the sheer atmosphere the space itself gives off.

How the mushroom pizza tastes, and asking for pickles

The mushroom pizza was delicious, with nice chewy mushrooms. You have to ask for pickles — they don't just bring them out. The cheese was great too, and haa... looking at the photos makes me want to eat it all over again!! Now I'm curious about the other menu items too!!

The terrace under Myeongdong Cathedral

Right from the entrance, an outdoor terrace with a strong European feel spreads out, and beneath the grand cathedral building lit up with lighting, foreign tourists and other guests sat naturally mixed together, enjoying their meals. For a moment, it filled me with an exotic feeling like I'd traveled abroad rather than staying in Korea.

This must be handmade pizza here too, right?? I think it took under 10 minutes after ordering, but I was busy working on content and didn't really check the time, so I'm not sure exactly. But in a space like this, it's hard to notice time passing at all. There was so much to look at!!! And you know how in some areas of Seoul there are so many foreign tourists from one specific country that it feels a bit uncomfortable — this wasn't that vibe at all, it genuinely felt like somewhere in Europe.

This kind of unrivaled location and outdoor terrace space becomes a powerful marketing tool that sells customers not just 'food' but a 'special spatial experience.' Nearby, a group of office workers kept their dinner gathering going, and the staff kept the mood lively with their own cheerful energy — I felt a vibrancy like being on a TV shoot set. Was this the normal vibe, or always like this? Did it just happen to click with the customers that day?? Actually, it probably is always like this haha. The servers were good-looking guys and girls too. Ah... it's all deliberate, isn't it lol.

Ending the meal with Seventy Four's carrot cake

It was a day with low appetite, but pairing the pizza's gentle mushroom aroma with the sweet, moist carrot cake naturally lifted my mood. This place reminded me all over again that the real secret to opening hearts and drawing crowds isn't just how the menu tastes, but the whole customer experience design surrounding that seat. During holidays and year-end... it must get insanely packed. Actually it was already packed that day. A place this big in Myeongdong must have expensive rent... so I guess they need even more customers to make it work...

For anyone wanting to experience an unrivaled atmosphere and emotional terrace life among the restaurants near Myeongdong Station, this is worth checking out at least once.

It would also be a great place to bring foreign visitors — kimchi, cham-namul (aster greens)...