Myeongdong Cathedral pasta spot: kimchi risotto & pesto, Seventy Four

What is Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch?

Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch is a pasta spot with great atmosphere on the first floor of Familia Chapel at Myeongdong Cathedral. I was out in Myeongdong for the first time in a while with my friend Mrs. Heo, and we stopped by Seventy Four for a late lunch that was also an early dinner.

Every time I passed Myeongdong Cathedral, there were people eating on the terrace like they were in Europe, and I kept thinking I had to go someday. Finally made it!! Anyone who knows their Myeongdong restaurants knows this atmospheric pasta place. Eat at Seventy Four, then stroll around Myeongdong Cathedral and the Myeongdong streets, and it's perfect.

Seventy Four's entrance and terrace atmosphere

You reach the entrance of Seventy Four by following a path that winds like a little trail. Such a lovely vibe already, right? The entrance itself isn't that eye-catching, but people in the know already know this Myeongdong spot.

If the weather were less hot we'd eat on the terrace, and once autumn comes I'm definitely eating outside! There are quite a lot of lovely terrace seats.

When we visited, Seventy Four was running a 1+1 deal on draft beer or wine. Drinking draft beer on the outdoor terrace would feel amazing at this place by Myeongdong Cathedral!

We opened the cute yellow door and went in!

Is Seventy Four busy at 5pm, between lunch and dinner?

We got to Seventy Four around five, a really awkward time, and there were still quite a few customers. The inside is clean and atmospheric, with the kind of interior you'd expect from a Myeongdong restaurant.

The round table in the middle of the hall even had a lovely rose on it. For some reason I feel like this is a blind-date hotspot. Which is to say, the atmosphere is that good!

If you join the review event, you get a free drink or a Stella draft beer. As dieters, we boldly passed.

How to order at Seventy Four, and menu prices

At Seventy Four, you pick from the menu and write your order on a piece of paper. The prices are quite reasonable for the atmosphere and taste, and even the ordering method has an analog charm.. and the servers were friendly, haha.

So what did we order? Pasta was a given, and we hesitated between pizza and risotto before picking risotto.

• Kimchi risotto ₩16,000
• Basil pesto pasta ₩18,000

I couldn't tell from the description what the kimchi risotto would taste like, but it's Seventy Four's signature, so I trusted it and ordered.. haha

What does Seventy Four's kimchi risotto taste like?

Seventy Four's kimchi risotto has a layered tomato + cream + kimchi flavor, with a slight kick of spice. The food came out quite fast, and the neatly plated kimchi risotto, unlike what I expected, didn't look like it had kimchi all over it.

Taste verdict... oh, really delicious! + a little spicy. It wasn't just plain kimchi flavor, and for some reason it reminded me of Bonjuk (a porridge chain). I don't mean it's weird, I mean it's delicious!!! The spicy savoriness wipes out any heaviness. Highly. Recommended.

How was Seventy Four's basil pesto pasta?

Seventy Four's basil pesto pasta was a tasty basil pasta, with pasta of just the right texture and fragrant basil pesto. It's not in the photo, but there were two shrimp too, so we each ate one. The basil pesto sauce was so good that I scraped the plate clean;

Here's the overhead shot before the first spoonful. And I liked that Seventy Four gives one pickle per person, hehehe. Both dishes we picked were a success, so we had a happy meal. A place that's always crowded really does have its reasons! It was healing to enjoy tasty risotto and pasta at a restaurant full of atmosphere for the first time in a while.

A Western restaurant by Myeongdong Cathedral popular with foreign visitors

Seventy Four seems to get a lot of foreign customers (of course, it's a Myeongdong restaurant), since the restroom signs were written in English.

It's a Myeongdong restaurant where I'm looking forward to other flavors too. Next time I'll try the pizzas! If you're looking for a no-fail Western meal by Myeongdong Cathedral, I highly recommend Seventy Four. That's the end of this Constitution Day outing diary, after Mrs. Heo's pick, an Egen-style restaurant.