Seoulsup Italian brunch date, first guest at opening: Billadeubeulleu

On a cool, pleasant weekend, my feet naturally head toward Seoulsup, with its leafy green trees. The charming side streets are full of cozy cafés and little prop shops, so it's great for a slow stroll, and there's no better place to shake off everyday stress and enjoy a relaxed weekend. Not long ago I wanted to make a special memory with someone dear to me and refresh my mood, so I took a trip to Seongsu.

The thing I researched hardest for this Seoulsup date was where to have lunch. There are so many trendy places that I agonized over it, but one restaurant from a video that recently racked up huge view counts on social media and caught the eye of countless foodies kept lingering in my mind. It's a brunch spot themed on a beautiful beach in southern Italy, so it feels like you're at a holiday resort, and it showed better-than-expected flavor and exotic atmosphere: Billadeubeulleu Seongsu (빌라드블루 성수). I was very satisfied, so let me leave a detailed review.

How to get to Billadeubeulleu Seongsu from Seoulsup and Ttukseom stations

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is at 46-10 Seoulsup 2-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, about 309m from Exit 5 of Seoulsup Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, so it's just a few minutes' walk at an adult pace. Public transport access is excellent.

If you're coming by Line 2, I recommend getting out at Exit 8 of Ttukseom Station and strolling leisurely along the side streets. There are lots of stylish shops along the way, so browsing is half the fun.

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu opening hours, break time and closing day

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is open from 11:00 to 21:00, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00 for ingredient prep, so be sure to plan around it. It's also closed every Monday, so check the day of the week before you go to avoid a wasted trip.

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu atmosphere: Amalfi-beach days and terrace nights

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is an Italian brunch and casual dining space themed on the Amalfi coast in southern Italy. The moment you step inside, the bright, stylish interior stands out, and it gives you the wonderful feeling of having left central Seoul for a faraway holiday resort. In the daytime, with plenty of natural light, it's perfect as a fresh, airy Seoulsup brunch spot, but once darkness falls in the evening, the mood flips.

With the mood lighting on, it turns into a Seongsu–Seoulsup terrace wine bar full of romantic vibes. Sipping a glass of wine on the outdoor terrace in the cool breeze sounds like a perfect evening.

It's already hugely popular among trendy foodies as a Seoulsup favorite, and it's said to be famous as the cheese-waterfall lasagna place, with a cumulative 23 million views. It reportedly appeared in the cheese-waterfall lasagna episode of SBS's Live Today (Saengbangsong Tudei), and it also became a talked-about hot spot as a filming location in the episode of actor Lee Jang-woo's YouTube channel featuring Hong Seok-cheon.

Is there a wait at Billadeubeulleu Seongsu? Should you book?

The interior at Billadeubeulleu Seongsu isn't very big, so on weekends and at peak times a wait forms quickly. It keeps the charm of a small, cozy casual dining spot, so I strongly recommend making a reservation in advance if you can.

I went in right at the 11:00 opening as the first guest, but by the time I'd sat down, ordered and started eating, the indoor seats were quickly full and I could see people waiting outside. I was really glad I hurried.

Ordering by table QR code instead of a paper menu

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu uses a contactless system where you scan the QR code on the table with your own smartphone to order. When you sit at your assigned table, there's a small QR code instead of a paper menu. At first I didn't know about this and was about to call a staff member, which was a bit awkward, but when I opened the link on my phone, the menu photos and descriptions were detailed, so I finished choosing easily.

Aligot cheese lasagna: a cheese waterfall poured before your eyes

The first dish I chose at Billadeubeulleu Seongsu was the signature aligot cheese lasagna, where right after serving, aligot (stretchy potato-cheese) is poured over it like a waterfall in front of you. We picked it after much deliberation that day, and since I'd long heard it was a Seoulsup pasta and lasagna specialist, my expectations were high. A staff member brings the finished lasagna to the table, but the real spectacle comes next. After setting down the plate, they generously pour piping hot, puffed-up aligot cheese over the lasagna right before your eyes.

It was such an artistic sight that I understood why it racked up tens of millions of views online as the "cheese waterfall." The flowing cheese was so overwhelming that I couldn't help but pick up my phone and film it.

After the visual wow, I tasted it right away, and the depth of flavor was substantial too. The slow-simmered ragù sauce, rich and deep, harmonized wonderfully with the firmly layered lasagna sheets. On top of that, the supremely nutty aligot cheese softly wrapped the saltiness of the sauce, giving a perfect balance, so it more than deserves its place as a must-order recommendation.

Polpo mambo: Mediterranean-style octopus so tender the knife slides through

The second dish, chosen to pair with the aligot cheese lasagna, was the octopus dish polpo mambo. It's served over a thick layer of red romesco sauce, with softly cooked potatoes and bright green peas prettily alongside, and its look is charming, reminiscent of Spanish and southern Italian style.

Octopus is a tricky ingredient to cook, and if you miss the timing even slightly, it easily turns rubbery and tough. But the polpo mambo at Billadeubeulleu Seongsu was astonishingly tender, so soft that the knife slid right in, which surprised me. With every bite, the outside was slightly crisp while the inside was chewy and melted softly.

The plain, savory umami of the octopus blended wonderfully with the nutty, deep flavor of the romesco sauce, and the nutty potatoes and popping peas mixed in added fun variety to the texture. The balance was perfect to enjoy with a soda or ade at brunch, and the dish is so well made that I thought it couldn't be better as a wine snack in the evening.

The butter-sizzling T-bone steak at the next table: dinner next time

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is also famous for its T-bone steak, where boiling butter is poured over it on a heated pan right at the table. This time I came early in the day and mostly ate brunch dishes, but I saw the next table order the butter-sizzling steak, and the intense sound of sizzling and the rich, nutty aroma of butter filling the whole space were amazing and stimulated all my senses.

After witnessing that incredible scene up close, I simply couldn't help planning another visit. Soon I plan to come back in the cool evening after sunset and grab a seat on the atmospheric terrace. That time I'll definitely order a glass of rich red wine, cut into the imposing Seoulsup steak as the main, and fully enjoy the special romance of Seongsu's alleys.

If you want a lovely date spot for an anniversary with someone special, or a place to meet friends, and want exotic mood and great food at the same time, I recommend dropping by Billadeubeulleu Seongsu at least once.