Seongsan, Jeju course restaurant, basil pesto pasta swap: Nansan-ri

There are days in Jeju when you don't want black pork or hairtail, but somewhere with a bit more atmosphere. My boyfriend and I went to Nansan-ri Restaurant (난산리 식당) for the first Wednesday lunch seating at 11:30 a.m.

The lunch course is ₩38,000 per person, and we added ₩3,000 to switch just one pasta to basil pesto. Bottom line up front: because of the black pork tenderloin, this is somewhere I'd want to go back to for an anniversary.

A restaurant at the end of a stone-wall alley? Nansan-ri Restaurant's location and parking

Nansan-ri Restaurant sits deep inside a quiet village in Seongsan. From the entrance, Jeju stone walls line the way, and old wine bottles are stacked among the trees — the vibe is completely different from a typical tourist-spot restaurant. There's even a mirror placed among the wine bottles, which made for a great photo spot before going in, haha.

Parking wasn't difficult when we visited, since there was parking space close to the restaurant. And since you can book a time slot ahead through Naver Reservations, it was easy to fit into our Jeju itinerary.

Why Nansan-ri Restaurant works for a Seongsan date: the room and the mood

Walking through the door, I liked it even more. The high ceiling shows off its wooden structure, and the deep red walls paired with wood furniture gave it real atmosphere even in daytime. It's an open-kitchen layout too, so you can naturally watch the food being prepared, and the window-side seats look out on Jeju stone walls and green scenery — the kind of vibe anyone looking for a Seongsan date restaurant would love.

There was quite a large wine selection too, and it works on a system where you tell staff the style you're after and they recommend one, so it didn't seem intimidating even without wine knowledge. Sadly since it was broad daylight we skipped wine this time, haha, but next time I'd love to come for dinner and pair it with the food.

What comes with the 38,000-won lunch course, dish by dish

When I visited, the Nansan-ri Restaurant lunch course came out in order: bread, egg dish, salad, main, roasted potatoes, pasta, and dessert.

The bread course comes with bracken fern butter, and it was fun seeing local ingredients worked into a small detail like that — very fitting for a course eaten in Jeju.

The egg dish that came next was visually unique too. You cut into the soft egg and the yolk spills out, mixing with the sauce as you eat.

The salad had romaine topped generously with cheese, light enough to enjoy before the main.

Top pick: Jeju black pork tenderloin in meljeot (salted anchovy) cream sauce

And the thing I enjoyed most at Nansan-ri Restaurant was the Jeju black pork tenderloin.

Even in photos it looked moist inside, and eating it, it really was tender. It was much better eaten together with the anchovy sauce (멜젓) cream sauce underneath than just eating the meat plain. The pairing of Jeju black pork with anchovy sauce is a familiar one, but meeting it as a sauce in a course meal felt different again.

The rosemary roasted potatoes that came with it were browned nicely on the outside, good for picking at one by one after the meat.

Swapping only one pasta to basil pesto for 3,000 won was the smart move

Alongside the standard pasta, you can switch to basil pesto spaghetti for +₩3,000. Instead of both of us switching, we had just one person change to basil, and this method worked out great.

That way, one table gets to taste two different pastas, so if you're visiting as a pair, I'd recommend switching just one and sharing, like we did. The course finished with house pickles and sweet panna cotta to wrap up the meal.

Who Nansan-ri Restaurant is right for

• Anyone who wants a course meal instead of the usual Jeju menu items
• Anyone looking for course dining in Seongsan, Jeju for under ₩40,000
• Anyone wanting a nice-atmosphere date with a boyfriend or girlfriend
• Anyone looking for an anniversary restaurant in Seongsan
• Anyone wanting a relaxed meal paired with wine

How I booked and ordered at Nansan-ri Restaurant

We booked the Wednesday 11:30 a.m. first lunch seating, and shared the basic lunch course with just one pasta switched. If I go again, I'd order two different pastas between us, and this time go for dinner instead of daytime so I can get a wine recommendation from staff 🍷

Most of all, the black pork tenderloin suited my taste so well that I want to remember this place not just for a casual lunch, but somewhere to return to on my next Jeju trip for an anniversary.

One-line summary: If you want both atmosphere and course dining for ₩38,000 in Seongsan, it's Nansan-ri Restaurant.

If you're having a course meal in Seongsan, Jeju, which would you pick — black pork tenderloin vs. stone octopus steak? 👀