Weekday 11am brunch with no wait in Sangmu, Gwangju: Camel Orzo

This week I visited Camel Orzo, a Western-style (pizza, pasta, brunch) restaurant in Sangmu that's been on my list.

Address: 261 Uncheon-ro, Urban Peak Sangmu 1F #102, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, Camel Orzo Hours: 11–23, break 15:30–17:00, last order 21:00 Parking: 2 hours free at nearby lots

I parked at the mall parking lot.

I passed by this place earlier this year and thought it looked like it had a great atmosphere, so I finally got to visit with a friend.

I'm someone who loves Italy so much I even went there for my honeymoon haha.

Is there a wait at Camel Orzo at 11am on a weekday?

We walked into Camel Orzo around 11:10am on a weekday with no wait at all. My friend and I met a bit early, so we got to sit down without any rush.

There's an outdoor terrace too, which gave off major European vibes. It seems like a great spot to eat on a nice-weather day.

Inside Camel Orzo: southern Italian dining room

The inside of Camel Orzo also has that European, southern Italian feel. The high ceilings give it a sense of openness, and you can tell they put thought into every light fixture.

We visited at 11am, but by the time we were leaving, the place had filled up with people. It seems to be a popular spot.

Camel Orzo menu: lunch set, happy hour and dinner course

I took photos of the entire Camel Orzo menu for you~~~

Squid butter pasta, jamón-burrata pizza with early summer cabbage, ricotta salad, paella, Positano-style fresh lemon yogurt sorbet, Amalfi brûlée tiramisu, Valrhona chocolate tiramisu.

Lunch set (11–3:30, weekends until 4) — soup, salad, pasta, one drink. Happy hour set (1–3:30), weekdays only — pasta, pizza, two drinks. Dinner course, 3–9pm.

Wine and coffee menu. They also carry non-alcoholic wine.

European-style naturally fermented bread, truffle soup, jambon ricotta salad, grilled chicken Caesar salad.

Pasta, risotto.

The eight pizzas on the Camel Orzo menu

Camel Orzo has a diverse lineup of 8 different pizzas.

• Fig autunno fresco
• Limone formaggio
• Arugula manzo bulgogi
• Quattro funghi camembert
• Cheongyang chorizo diavola
• Camel margherita
• Arugula gamberi
• Carbo bismarck

Steak, and if you go for lunch, it's a great value option.

Desserts too. They even sell limoncello, Italy's classic after-dinner liqueur — the souvenir everyone buys in Positano, so it was a nice surprise to see it here. A restaurant this committed to the Italian concept is rare.

For ingredient origins, Camel Orzo's porcini mushrooms are from Italy, and all other produce is domestic Korean. Good good. Personally I really liked that there was nothing from a certain other country!!

What two friends ordered at Camel Orzo, and the bill

The two of us ordered the arugula gamberi pizza, pescatore cocio, and hidden special vongole at Camel Orzo, coming to ₩64,500 total — one pizza plus two pastas.

Blankets and to-go sauce: service at Camel Orzo

If I had to pick Camel Orzo's biggest strength, it would be the kindness of the staff!! We must have looked cold, because they came over and asked if we needed a blanket before we even said anything! I don't think I've ever been handed a blanket at a restaurant before! It made the meal so much more comfortable.

Like at a fine dining restaurant, the servers kept an eye on us the whole time, checking if we needed anything and refilling our water glasses whenever they emptied. It felt genuinely attentive, like being taken care of. There aren't many restaurants this kind these days~~~

They're also running various coupons and events, so it's worth checking out.

How does the arugula gamberi pizza taste?

The arugula gamberi pizza comes topped with shrimp. Even the crust was chewy and delicious, with a flavor that wasn't overpowering. Camel Orzo is apparently most famous for its pizza.

Pickles, parmesan cheese, and hot sauce are also served alongside.

Even the plate the pizza came on had that distinctive southern Italian feel — it had a lovely mood to it.

Hidden special vongole and pescatore cocio at Camel Orzo

Vongole! The plating was so careful that the visuals were great. You could really taste the olive oil.

Pescatore cocio! You can even choose your spice level. It's generously loaded with clams and shrimp. Spicy and perfect for seafood lovers — I enjoyed it a lot too.

It's also a dish that photographs really beautifully.

We had leftover pizza to take home, and they packed parmesan cheese and hot sauce with it too — such a thoughtful touch, good good.

There are three parking lots like this available.

– A restaurant with a real sense of place, faithfully recreating a southern Italian atmosphere – A restaurant known for genuinely kind service