Yeonnam-dong pasta restaurant for kids: shrimp gnocchi at Brivit

A pasta spot found while strolling Gyeongui Line Forest Park: Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam

Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam is an Italian restaurant right beside Gyeongui Line Forest Park near Hongik Univ. Station. The park feels so beautifully autumnal right now.

Keep walking and you reach Brivit's Hongdae Yeonnam branch. It's so stylish that you simply can't walk past, a Hongdae pasta place you have to go into.

Is Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam good for kids?

It's especially great with a child, because rabbits, which kids love, are hidden all around the restaurant.

Whether you're with your kid, on a date, or just hunting for Hongdae pasta or a good Yeonnam-dong restaurant, you also get the joy of spotting the rabbits.

Parking and how to get to Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam

Brivit's Hongdae Yeonnam branch is an easy-to-find Italian-style restaurant around Hongik Univ. Station. It has no dedicated parking, so I used a nearby public lot.

Sometimes you can get lucky with the Modu Parking app at ₩1,200 an hour, but that's extremely hard. I managed to park at Yeonnam Public Parking Lot and arrived comfortably, but spaces are really limited. A private lot nearby costs ₩1,100 per 10 minutes, which is a lot. So public transport is more convenient if you can; it's right by Hongik Univ. Station. Booking ahead is a good idea too.

• Address: 93 Worldcup buk-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor, Unit 2
• Hours: 11:30–21:15
• Break time: 15:15–16:30
• Last order: 20:30
• Group seating, takeout, delivery, reservations, Wi-Fi and high chairs available

The forest park had autumn breezes, a cool sky and a deep blue overhead that filled my eyes. It's lovely for walking and for photos, and I'd suggest eating good pasta at Brivit in its charming space, then strolling the park again. It's an excellent choice for a Hongdae date or a family outing.

Atmosphere and seating at Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam

Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam is a charming space for Italian food such as pasta and gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings). It's roomy and pleasant, with seats for two, four and bigger groups.

Every little prop, even the wet wipes, is cute and pretty, which I loved. The stylish interior catches your eye.

Inside it's clean, with carefully considered details. This kind of cute charm gives you something to talk about on a date and makes the mood a bit more romantic, so I always think of it as a good space.

Self-serve bar pickles: three refills

At Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam you fetch water and pickles from the self-serve bar. I went back for pickles about three times. They're clean and tangy, and so appealing. I only brought a small bowl each time, but going back and forth was fun, so I kept doing it. And I didn't leave any.

Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam menu and prices

The menu is printed on paper, prettily and neatly laid out.

• Greek yogurt & tomato salad ₩11,900
• Porcini shrimp gnocchi ₩17,900
• Spicy vongole oil pasta ₩18,900
• Yorkshire pudding ₩1,500

Ordering by ringing a bell

Brivit has a charming ordering system. After choosing your dishes, you ring a bell, a staff member comes over, and you place your order. But I moved seats and forgot the bell, just left it behind! I'd stared at it for ages because its job was so cute, and then I abandoned it... Still, a thoughtful staff member took care of it for me.

The spoons and forks sit neatly in place, and the wet wipes are really cute.

How does the Greek yogurt & tomato salad taste?

The Greek yogurt & tomato salad (₩11,900) is tangy and sweet, with a rich milky flavor. It's a bit like cream cheese, but really a concentrated yogurt taste. With the yogurt, the vegetables and the olive oil together, it's healthy salad through and through, and so pretty that I enjoyed it a lot.

What is the Yorkshire pudding?

Brivit's Yorkshire pudding (₩1,500) looks like a flour bread, but it's apparently a British bread pudding. The word "pudding" is funny here. Dipping the buttery pudding into leftover pasta sauce was pretty great. It also felt like a piece of bread sitting on top of a cup.

Yorkshire pudding is another name for a popover.

Detailed touches like these make Brivit even more special, I think.

Porcini shrimp gnocchi: how are the shrimp and the gnocchi texture?

In the porcini shrimp gnocchi (₩17,900) the shrimp are big, really plump and delicious, and the gnocchi is chewy yet soft. I enjoyed it so, so much.

It looks gorgeous, like eating a work of art. Eating like this always makes me feel like a princess, and today I felt I just had to play princess. Maybe because both the look and the taste arrived so beautifully, I lost track of time.

Every bite is charming: soft, mild, and full, with nothing lacking.

Is the spicy vongole oil pasta too greasy?

Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam's spicy vongole oil pasta (₩18,900) uses fresh clams, peperoncino and garlic. I hardly ever ate vongole before, but lately I'm hooked.

It's so clean-tasting and also spicy, which is really appealing.

The heat firmly cuts any greasiness, so you keep wanting more of this vongole oil pasta.

If you asked which pasta I'd pick, it's vongole oil pasta, no question. Only Brivit's version, of course.

An autumn day at Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam with Gyeongui Line Forest Park

Spending time in Hongdae with delicious gnocchi and pasta was so much fun. The forest park is beautiful, and Brivit Hongdae Yeonnam is even more so. It was a really good day, soaking up such a lovely autumn.