Lemon carbonara dinner at Damgeum, a brunch café by Olympic Park

Where is Damgeum, and is there parking?

Damgeum is a brunch and handmade gelato café at 37 Seongnae-ro 18-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, 101ho, in an alley right across from Olympic Park. There are 2 parking spots right next to the store. It's a great spot for a walk in the park followed by brunch, so it works well as a date course too haha.

Damgeum's exterior and dog-friendly terrace

Damgeum's exterior really caught my eye. It felt like a small café tucked in a European alleyway, so even at night the atmosphere was wonderful! There's also a terrace seat, and since it's pet-friendly, it seems perfect for relaxing outdoors on nice-weather days like these!

It's the kind of atmosphere where you can enjoy brunch, coffee, or wine while looking out at a quiet alley view.

What the inside of Damgeum feels like

Inside, wood-tone furniture and warm lighting blend together for a cozy yet stylish vibe. Rather than feeling loud, the space felt calm and comfortable for chatting over a meal! It seems like a great place for a date with a partner or a brunch catch-up with friends.

What we ordered at Damgeum

• Lemon carbonara
• Soup of the day
• Wine of the day
• Rooibos orange gelato ade

Lemon carbonara: does lemon really work in carbonara?

At first, the lemon + carbonara combo felt unfamiliar, so I was half excited, half worried, but the moment it arrived, I was surprised by the fresh lemon scent and how it was a genuine carbonara made with egg yolk, cheese, and pepper!

It's a pasta where the rich, savory flavor of egg yolk and cheese is layered with the brightness of pepper and lemon! It had all the heavy, rich taste that's characteristic of carbonara, but the lemon left a clean finish. The lemon's acidity wasn't overpowering at all and blended in beautifully — I was so, so satisfied!

Soup of the day at Damgeum: potato soup

When I visited Damgeum, the soup of the day was potato soup.

It was a smooth, thick soup with the nutty, mild flavor characteristic of potato along with a rich cheesy taste! It was warm and creamy, comforting to the stomach, and the baguette that came with it was soft too, so dipping it in the soup worked really well!

It paired nicely with the lemon carbonara too. It's a great menu to add when eating just pasta feels like not quite enough!

Wine of the day: how it paired with dinner

My friend ordered the wine of the day! She said it paired well with the carbonara and the soup.

She said the body wasn't too heavy and it had just the right acidity, so it was easy to enjoy alongside the meal without feeling like too much! A glass of wine with dinner suited the atmosphere well too.

Rooibos orange gelato ade with house-made orange sorbet

The last menu item to introduce is the rooibos orange gelato ade! It's an ade topped with orange sorbet made in-house. A drink where the clean base of rooibos tea meets the brightness of orange and soft gelato! I don't like overly sweet ades, but this one was just sweet enough and refreshingly clean to drink.

I first tried the orange sorbet on top with a spoon, and I could really taste that distinct orange brightness! Then, mixing it with the rooibos tea ade underneath, the tea's cleanness and the fruit's freshness came together for a whole different feel. It was refreshing and paired well with the food.

Honest review: who will enjoy Damgeum most?

If you're looking for a good-vibe brunch café near Olympic Park, I recommend Damgeum! I thought it was mainly known for gelato, but the pasta was just as good as at a dedicated pasta restaurant. It's a place where you can enjoy both tasty brunch and dessert gelato in one visit.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good café in Seongnae-dong or a relaxed place to eat after a walk in Olympic Park! On a nice-weather day, enjoying brunch on the terrace and then heading into the park for a walk sounds perfect :) I visited in the evening this time, but next time I'd love to come during the day and enjoy brunch and gelato under warm sunlight 🤍