Seongdong Italian restaurant date night with butter pasta: Sedici

Sedici, a Western-style restaurant in Seongsu-dong with delicious crisp-chewy potato gnocchi and bright beef tartare.

With meals and wine to enjoy together, this atmospheric Italian restaurant is one I especially recommend for a Seongsu-dong date.

Sedici, close to Seongsu Station

It is just a five-minute walk from Exit 2 of Seongsu Station, so the access is really good. It is also on the first floor of the building, making it easy to find.

There is a menu displayed out front, so walk-ins are possible without a reservation, too.

Soft lighting and an open kitchen

The lighting is soft, and the kitchen is open, so you can watch the whole cooking process.

There is a bar table in the center, tables for couples on the left, and group seating as well, so you can settle in comfortably depending on your party size. There are not that many tables, though, so I recommend booking if you are visiting at peak time.

Sedici's menu and our order

These are Italian classics interpreted through Sedici's own perspective. From appetizers and pasta to steak and dessert, it is also such a nice Western restaurant for a Seongsu anniversary date.

Today's order was beef tartare with extra brioche, fried Chodang corn gnocchi, and butter pasta.

Beef tartare piled onto brioche

The first dish was beef tartare. Honestly, I think it was my first time having tartare.. haha. I wondered how I was supposed to eat it, but you simply pile it onto the brioche we ordered alongside it.

Finely chopped topside and ribeye are layered with a thin spread of gim pesto (seaweed pesto), then topped with chives, an allium herb. That little touch is so refreshing.

Would “fresh” describe this herb best? Even alongside beef, it did not feel rich or heavy; it filled out the flavor with the ingredients' natural taste. It was a great appetizer when I wanted something beyond the usual salad.

The beef was fresh and incredibly tender, so it was easy to place a bite at a time on the brioche.

Crisp outside, chewy inside: fried Chodang corn gnocchi

A rich Chodang corn cream sauce holds neatly sliced Chodang corn and handmade potato gnocchi.

It was even more special because it did not look or taste like the gnocchi that immediately comes to mind. Gnocchi can be fairly thick and sometimes taste floury, but Sedici's potato gnocchi was crisp on the outside and chewy within, while still giving you that fluffy potato texture.

With the rich yet smooth cream sauce, you will probably scrape the plate clean.

Butter pasta with deep, rich flavor

Just as its name suggests, this dish really highlights a seriously rich butter flavor.

The shrimp and noodles are thoroughly coated in Isigny butter, giving it butter's distinctive nutty flavor and a rich yet silky texture.

It has a touch of saltiness, too, so this is a Seongsu pasta recommendation that would pair wonderfully with wine.

Tips before you visit

• Rather than a salad you can get anywhere, I strongly recommend the beef tartare as Sedici's appetizer. It was my first time trying it, but it was also the dish I remembered most. Extra brioche is ₩3,000, so I recommend adding the bread, too.
• The soft lighting and generally quiet mood make this a great Seongsu date-night spot for a relaxed dinner. The open kitchen also gives you something fun to watch.

Check Naver coupons before visiting. There are reservation-only coupons for a glass of wine and butter aioli, so if you are planning to go, booking before your visit could be a good idea.

Final thoughts

• Butter pasta with butter's creamy texture and deep flavor
• Handmade fried potato gnocchi that earns Sedici its Seongsu gnocchi-spot status
• A strong recommendation for beef tartare that is hard to find elsewhere
• A Seongsu pasta restaurant with an especially lovely calm atmosphere