Songpa jazz restaurant, 40-minute vocal set and seafood salad: Allegro

A few days ago I wanted a nice-atmosphere spot for a date, and that's how I found Allegro in Jamsil. Eating delicious Italian food while enjoying live jazz made me so happy, haha. For those of you stuck on where to go for a date, or wanting to have a special day, here's my review of Allegro!

Allegro in Songpa: location, hours, parking and show times

Allegro is an Italian jazz restaurant on the 3rd floor of 57-1 Olympic-ro 32-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, near Songpanaru Station. It's open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, closed every Tuesday, with lunch from 12:00-15:00 and dinner from 18:00-23:00.

• Parking: free valet at lunch / evening — paid parking at Truparking Songpa Yonsei branch (not separately supported)
• Jazz show times: Set 1 19:30-20:10 | Set 2 20:25-21:05
• Live charge: ₩10,000/person weekdays | ₩15,000/person weekends
• Show lineup: check the 'Naver Map news tab' or Instagram at the end of each month

You can reserve via walk-in, Naver Reservation, or Catch Table.

What the jazz set looks like from the second row at Allegro

Allegro's hall is set up quite close to the stage. Even my seat, which was second row, was as close as it looks in the photo. If you love jazz, you'll really enjoy this — you can see the performers' and vocalist's expressions clearly, and it felt great to connect closely with the audience between songs.

The stage is simple but has a hip, modern feel. I also liked the overall white-and-black interior.

The day I visited, the performer was 'Yoo Hara,' and her voice was so sweet and mellow. She sang about 6-7 songs over 40 minutes, and watching her enjoy the music made my heart feel good too.

Allegro's food menu and drinks list

Here's Allegro's food menu and drinks list. They seem to have a really wide variety of alcohol on hand.

What we ordered at Allegro: orange juice, seafood salad, amatriciana and sous-vide pork

Now let me introduce the dishes I actually ate, one by one.

You order via tablet! If you don't see one, just ask a staff member for one, haha.

The orange juice (₩5,000) wasn't just liquid — it had that fresh, freshly-squeezed feel, with actual orange pulp in it! I don't drink much, so I loved that alcohol wasn't required here. Along with orange juice, they have sodas ready too, so people who can't drink don't need to feel any pressure.

The pre-meal bread looked like it might be dry and bland, but it turned out crispy outside, soft inside! It was warm, freshly baked bread, and even without a dipping sauce, it was clean and delicious.

The seafood salad (₩20,000) has a tangy, sour flavor — highly recommended if you want something to whet your appetite. (On the flip side, if you don't like that flavor profile, maybe skip it, haha.) It's loaded with olives and octopus slices. Every spoonful had a piece of octopus or shrimp, so it felt like they didn't skimp on ingredients — very satisfying. It tasted great but also felt healthy! I want to eat this every day as a diet meal, ugh.

With such a variety of ingredients, it looked colorful and appealing too. The sea grapes were fun — they popped in my mouth for the first time, great texture.

The amatriciana (₩19,000) is described as 'pasta seasoned with guanciale, pepper, pecorino, and tomato sauce.' The noodles were cooked well and the portion was generous. If you like ragu or tomato spaghetti, you'll be satisfied. There's bacon inside, and it's not the crispy-flake kind — it's got thickness and a fat layer, so it had a nice chew. The kind of flavor that keeps you reaching for more.

The sous-vide pork steak (₩33,000) is 300g of domestic pork neck, and for a sous-vide dish, I thought the price was reasonable! The meat was tender, and the fries on the side were the real kicker — genuinely delicious. One thing to note: the peppercorn sauce is tasty but the pepper flavor is surprisingly strong. If you don't like pepper, ask if you can swap the sauce, or I'd recommend ordering the polpo (octopus) instead.

5 tips for visiting Allegro

1. Order food 30 minutes before the jazz set begins

Because Allegro's stage is so close, eating while the performers are right in front felt a bit awkward. So I paced myself and ended up eating my food a bit cold, which was a little disappointing — though it was still tasty, haha. So I think it's best to arrive at 19:00, before the show starts, finish your main meal, then enjoy dessert and drinks alongside the performance!!

2. Ask for the free lettering plate for birthdays and anniversaries

If you leave a note in the request field when booking via Catch Table or Naver, you can get a lettering service like in the photo above! I imagine a lot of people visit for special occasions, so don't miss out — be sure to request it, haha.

3. Take in the Lotte Tower view while the jazz set plays

One of Allegro's strengths is its location — you can see Lotte World Tower from here. It seems like it would be amazing to visit on a day like Dec 31st when there are fireworks at the tower.

4. Blankets, mouthwash and clean separate restrooms at Allegro

Lastly, what I thought was really thoughtful: they have blankets ready, and mouthwash in the restroom. Having the restroom inside the venue is also a big plus. I really care about clean restrooms, and here the men's and women's rooms are separate, spacious, and super clean — I loved it.

5. Come at lunch for 15% off

I imagine a lot of people work nearby, and Allegro's lunch menu is 15% off! It also seems like a good spot for a lunch get-together. With sunlight coming through the windows during the day, it would have a different but equally nice atmosphere.

Is Allegro worth it? Final verdict

• Great location with a Lotte Tower view, decent accessibility
• Overall delicious food that comes out quickly
• Clean, gender-separated restrooms inside the venue
• Free lettering service available
• Friendly staff
• Jazz shows you can enjoy up close
• Wide range of alcohol available, corkage allowed (₩50,000/bottle, max 2 bottles)

For all these reasons, I'm happy to recommend Allegro, a great Italian spot in Jamsil. That wraps up my review!