Songdo Italian linked underground to Senteureolpakeu Station: Cenacolo

Every weekend or special occasion near Songdo Central Park, you end up wondering, "Is there an Italian restaurant with a lovely atmosphere that also serves really proper pasta and risotto?" while agonizing over a date or family get-together spot, right? LOL

I love the Central Park walking paths and the lake view, so I often head to the Artfore shopping complex ❤️ Honestly, though, we've all been let down by Western restaurants that have a nice interior but taste of store-bought sauce, or give small portions and mediocre quality for the price!

You start looking for a Songdo Central Park pasta place with a light, healthy salad of fresh avocado and beans, amatriciana pasta where spicy tomato sauce clings to the noodles, and a rich chamsongi (a prized mushroom) risotto with fragrant mushroom flavor melting into every grain of rice, the perfect trio! And oh my... this time I found a real once-in-a-lifetime Italian dining spot on the 2nd floor of Artfore.

It's Cenacolo (체나콜로), a stylish French-Italian cuisine restaurant on the 2nd floor of Artfore Building C on Incheontawo-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon! I'll walk you through the 3 dishes that delighted my eyes and mouth, the easy access right by Senteureolpakeu Station, the opening hours and a tip for Sunday visits! haha

How do you get to Cenacolo Artfore?

Cenacolo (Songdo branch) is at 257 Incheontawo-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Artfore Building C, 2F, Unit 211, inside the Artfore shopping complex that connects directly by underground passage to Exit 2 of Incheon Subway Line 1's Senteureolpakeu Station. So you won't get lost when meeting up, here's the key location info and visiting tips first!

It's on the 2nd floor of Building C, on an exotic European-style street right out of the subway station, so even on rainy or cold days you can come comfortably without worrying about the weather 👏 It also sits right next to the Central Park walking paths, so a stroll before or after your meal is a perfect route LOL

Cenacolo opening hours and Sunday last order

• Monday–Saturday: 11:00–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 21:00)
• Sunday: 11:00–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 20:30)

On Sundays the shop does a deep clean, so last order closes 30 minutes early at 8:30 pm. If you're visiting Cenacolo on a Sunday evening, keep the time in mind!

Is there parking at Artfore?

You can register for free parking in Artfore's large underground car park! The Songdo Artfore basement has plenty of roomy, pleasant parking, so you can drive here with zero parking stress ❤️

What we ordered today

• Avocado bean salad: a wellness starter salad of fresh avocado and nutty legumes
• Amatriciana (tomato pasta): deep savory flavor from bacon and spicy tomato sauce
• Chamsongi mushroom risotto: creamy risotto full of the aroma of chamsongi mushrooms, which rival wild pine mushrooms

Is Cenacolo's atmosphere good for dates and gatherings?

Cenacolo is a calm space of soft indirect lighting, wood interiors and art objects, which suits anniversary dates and family gatherings. I went up to the 2nd floor of Artfore and opened the door, and a calm space spread out before me, with soft indirect lighting, elegant wood interiors and stylish art objects!

It doesn't feel like a noisy, chaotic restaurant. The mood is classic and romantic, so it works for couples' anniversary dates, blind dates, precious family gatherings and wedding invitation meetups.

Through the window you look down on Songdo's exotic street scenery, so I felt specially treated the whole meal ❤️ The staff even take your coat or bag from the moment you open the door, their manners are wonderful, and they kindly explained each menu item, so I felt confident from the moment I sat down haha

What does Cenacolo's avocado bean salad taste like?

Cenacolo's avocado bean salad is a starter of ripe avocado topped with chickpeas, lentils, arugula and cherry tomatoes, clean and fragrant from the very first bite. After I sat down and ordered, the first dish on the table was this "avocado bean salad", fresh-looking at a glance!

On a wide plate, properly ripened green avocado was neatly sliced, topped with colorful legumes like chickpeas and lentils, fresh arugula and cherry tomatoes, plated with a stylish dressing 👏 I picked up a piece of avocado with some beans on my fork and popped it in...

Wow... everyone! From the first bite your mouth feels so clean and fragrant LOL

• Butter-soft avocado: not underripe but perfectly matured, it melts creamily the moment it touches your tongue 😭❤️
• Mild, pleasantly poppy beans: no grassy bean smell at all, boiled very nutty and soft, adding a rich texture the more you chew!

The fresh, light homemade vinaigrette wraps the ingredients gently without overpowering their natural flavor, making it a perfect wellness appetizer to whet your appetite before pasta and risotto haha

What does Cenacolo's chamsongi mushroom risotto taste like?

Cenacolo's chamsongi risotto is generously topped with golden-grilled chamsongi mushrooms over rice soaked in cream sauce; the grains keep their bite and the mushroom aroma is strong. The moment it landed on the table, the subtle, refined piney scent of chamsongi and nutty butter flavor hit my nose hard.

Big, golden-grilled chamsongi mushrooms were piled generously over rice soaked in cream sauce LOL I scooped a big spoonful of risotto with a piece of mushroom and put it in my mouth...

• An intense aroma that beats wild pine mushrooms: the moment you bite in, the mushrooms are chewy and concentrated juices burst out ❤️
• Rich, thick creamy rice: not a mushy porridge-like texture, but grains that each keep their bite while the cream sauce, deeply infused with mushroom stock, coats them softly. I couldn't help but exclaim!

I took a bite of the spicy amatriciana pasta, then a spoonful of this rich, fragrant chamsongi risotto, and the sweet-salty-spicy-nutty combination was a perfect match haha

Is Cenacolo's amatriciana pasta very spicy?

Cenacolo's amatriciana is a tomato pasta with bacon and peperoncino, with a spicy, refreshing finish and nothing heavy about it. The amatriciana arrived steaming hot, and I dug in!

Well-grilled bacon, grated cheese and parsley sat appetizingly on rich red tomato sauce 👏 I twirled the noodles around my fork and slurped up a big bite...

Wow... this is on another level from ordinary tomato pasta LOL Perfectly al dente noodles: the core had a pleasant chew, and the sauce was absorbed right into the noodles ❤️

An addictive, spicy sauce: behind the tomato's fresh acidity, the subtle bite of spicy peperoncino and the deep savory flavor of salty bacon burst out!

There's not a hint of greasiness and the finish is spicy and refreshing, so it's the best tomato pasta, one that even older folks who don't handle heavy Western food well would clean up with admiration haha

If you're near Songdo Central Park or Artfore and want refined Italian dishes and wine that really bring out the deep flavor of the ingredients, not just an ordinary pasta place, don't hesitate: head to Cenacolo on the 2nd floor of Artfore Building C! LOL