Cheonan Italian restaurant with calzone and gambas: Napoli Shinbu

While looking for somewhere to have lunch in Sinbu-dong, Cheonan, I visited Napoli Shinbu (나폴리신부). The wood-fired pizza caught my eye, but since I was dining alone that day, I chose gambas and calzone salad.

I ordered two dishes because I wanted a filling meal, but the portions were larger than expected. After eating the calzone served with both dishes, I started wanting to try the wood-fired pizza next time.

Where is it, and what about parking?

Napoli Shinbu is in a side street near the Sinbu-dong bus terminal. The address is 46 Bangjungan 3-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, South Korea (충남 천안시 동남구 방죽안3길 46 1층).

There is no private parking lot, so if you drive, you need to use street parking in the nearby alleys.

According to the posted information, the hours are 10:00–21:30 on weekdays and 11:00–21:30 on weekends. Break time is 15:00–17:00, and the restaurant is closed on Mondays.

What were the weekday lunch wait and atmosphere like?

When I visited at around 1 p.m. on a weekday, I went straight in without waiting. The restaurant was not especially spacious, but the atmosphere seemed fine for a date or a weekday lunch of Italian food.

There was group seating and a high chair, so it also seemed suitable for gatherings with children. The restaurant indicated that corkage is free.

What did I choose besides wood-fired pizza?

The wood-fired pizza was the first thing that caught my eye on the menu. The restaurant was introduced as being certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, and it said the pizzas are made with Italian Caputo flour and mozzarella. The pasta is made with house-made sauces.

There were also several other Italian dishes besides pizza. Since I was dining alone, I decided to save the pizza for another time and ordered gambas and calzone salad.

The calzone here was made with wood-fired pizza dough without any separate filling inside. I thought this would let me taste the dough itself.

How generous was the ₩15,000 calzone salad?

Since the calzone and salad came together, I expected an average portion. When it arrived, though, the plate itself was large, and both the calzone and salad were served generously.

The salad included red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, and several other ingredients. Considering the contents and portion, I did not feel that ₩15,000 was a waste.

The vegetables had a crisp texture when I chewed them. I also liked putting the ricotta cheese served with the salad on top of the calzone.

How were the garlic and shrimp in the gambas?

The gambas arrived bubbling hot. A large calzone also came with it, so the portion was far from small.

There was plenty of garlic, which suited me because I like garlic. The shrimp did not taste fishy, and the oil and garlic flavors went well with the calzone.

Besides the large shrimp, there were also smaller shrimp. Eating them with the garlic gave them a slight popping texture.

What would I like to eat on a return visit?

The calzone dough was moist and chewy, which made me want to try the wood-fired pizza next time. I did not actually eat the pizza during this visit.

Both dishes I ordered that day were generous and filling. I liked that the calzone salad combined vegetables with ricotta cheese, while the garlic flavor of the gambas stayed with me. I felt it was also a reasonable place for a date and an Italian meal in Sinbu-dong.