Terrace restaurant in Starfield Suwon: squid ink risotto at Dalmatian

Dalmatian, the dog-friendly restaurant at Starfield Suwon – reservations available on Catch Table

A weekday evening at Starfield Suwon

We live near Starfield, so weekends are honestly out of the question, but being able to drop by late on a weekday is a real perk~ It was a hot day and we thought, let's eat out! So we headed to Starfield, to a place our kid loves.

I think a lot of you will relate: eating inside a huge shopping mall can feel oddly stuffy, right? That typical food-court feeling, tangled up under artificial lighting. Of course, we come often because it's nice and cool haha.

What is the atmosphere like at Dalmatian Starfield Suwon?

Dalmatian Starfield Suwon is connected to the terrace on Starfield's 1st floor, so it didn't have that stuffy mall-restaurant feeling. It's known as a dog-friendly restaurant that feels like a small, pretty European garden moved into the middle of the city, and thanks to the terrace connection I loved it.

The moment you step in, you think, "Wait, am I really inside Starfield?" It doesn't feel shut indoors; it has the openness and romance of a sunny resort or a lovely outdoor terrace restaurant abroad. The days are long these days, so even at about 7 p.m., when we went, it was still bright~

Can you visit Dalmatian without a dog?

Our family visited Dalmatian without a dog, and it's an atmosphere where non-pet owners can enjoy a meal perfectly well, with no awkwardness at all. Some of you may quietly wonder, "If it's a dog-friendly restaurant, can I still eat comfortably without a pup?" The seating is roomy and the tables are spaced apart, and plenty of people come with kids too.

First, the bread they bring before you order anything! It tastes just like the bread at Outback.

Dog bowls, a dog menu and small dog tables

Looking around the restaurant, we couldn't help but smile and gasp. Dog bowls are standard, there's a special menu just for dogs, and there are even cute little tables made for dogs! Just watching adorable pups sit upright on chairs, waiting calmly for their food or hanging out, from across the room warmed my heart and felt like a small dose of healing, like being in a dog café.

What we ordered at Dalmatian: two pastas and a risotto

We ordered three dishes in total: squid ink risotto, scallop oil pasta, and seafood tomato pasta.

Squid ink risotto

The first to arrive was the squid ink risotto, with a rich, nutty ink-based cream soaked deep between the grains of rice. Order ink risotto in the wrong place and it can taste a bit fishy or the rice feels disconnected, but Dalmatian's had a deep seafood savoriness the more you chewed, with a creamy, crema-like richness that coated the whole mouth. Just watch out for the minor disaster (?) of black lips; if you like rich cream dishes, I'd recommend it without hesitation.

Scallop oil pasta

The scallop oil pasta was easily the MVP of the day. The big, golden-seared scallops were crisp outside and juicy inside, and the flesh wasn't tough at all; it melted softly as I chewed, and the garlic-and-oil base let the seafood flavor soak into the noodles just right.

Seafood tomato pasta: spicier than expected

The seafood tomato pasta came with a little twist and needs a clear ★spicy warning★! It was generously topped with fresh, plump seafood, so I took a big bite expecting the sweet, smooth tomato pasta you'd normally imagine. But the sharp, kicking heat hit the tip of my tongue quite hard! If you usually can't handle spicy food, it might be a surprise.

But we actually ordered it because we thought a fiery kick would wash away the richness of the ink risotto and scallop oil pasta, and maybe that's why the three together worked so well!

Final thoughts on Dalmatian Starfield Suwon

Instead of the usual restaurant feel you find inside Starfield, this place has a unique European garden mood, and it's the first spot I'd think of for a special-occasion meal out.