Suwon restaurant for truffle cream gnocchi: The European Haenggung

This is The European Haenggung Main Branch, a pizza spot in Haenggung-dong.

• ⏰ Hours 11:30–21:30
• 🅿️ Parking nearby Hwaseong Haenggung outdoor public parking lot

Every time I walked through the craft street in Haenggung-dong, the smell of savory wood-fired pizza kept catching my eye — that place was The European. I'd been to their Gwanggyo branch before, and when I found out there was a Haenggung-dong branch too, I had to check it out!

The European Haenggung: exterior and interior of this Haenggung-dong pizza restaurant

The European Haenggung Main Branch is right next to Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, so accessibility is really great! It's right by the Hwaseong Haenggung outdoor public parking lot, making it convenient to park and walk in. The exterior feels like a converted house.

True to its reputation for wood-fired pizza, there's a big pizza oven inside that catches your eye. The owner of The European Haenggung branch is apparently a chef who trained at The Shilla Hotel, so I felt confident the taste and flavor would be top-notch! They fire it up right when you order.

While the exterior felt like a cute, converted old house, it was funny how the interior gave off such a full-on aesthetic restaurant vibe. The hall is on the larger side, so the tables are spacious and there's separate group seating further inside. You can reserve in advance through Catch Table depending on your party size.

Ordering with Catch Order and paying with an Onnuri gift card

The European Haenggung Main Branch has Catch Order, so you can easily order and pay all at once from the tablet attached to each table — very convenient! In particular, you can also pay with Onnuri gift cards. My sister and I wanted to use ours, so we went to the counter and scanned the QR code — payment was done in a snap!

What is on the menu at The European Haenggung Main Branch?

You can check the menu through Catch Order. True to their reputation for fresh pasta and wood-fired pizza, there was a wide variety of both pastas and pizzas. Among Haenggung-dong's pizza spots, places specializing in wood-fired ovens aren't common, but The European was the real deal! There were so many pizza options I agonized over it, but in the end...

• 🍕 Signature Steak Burrata Pizza ₩31,000
• 🍝🥔 Truffle Cream Gnocchi ₩23,000

...I ended up ordering these two dishes.

The pizza came out piping hot, freshly fired! The thick wood-fired crust piled generously with toppings was the standout feature. The dish passed on looks alone. I debated between pasta and gnocchi but went with gnocchi, and I loved how it was packed with truffle aroma.

Signature Steak Burrata Pizza, 31,000 won

First up, the steak pizza. The thick, chewy wood-fired crust is piled high with steak, cheese, and arugula. I usually don't eat much of the crust, but the wood-fired dough had this chewy, faintly fermented-tasting quality that kept me going back for more. I didn't expect the steak to be piled on so generously — the portion size was surprising.

Truffle Cream Gnocchi, 23,000 won

Next, the truffle cream gnocchi. The truffle aroma was strong, and it was loaded with mushrooms and potatoes. There was plenty of the loose cream sauce, so I even dipped the edge of the crust into it — the combination was so good it was a total win.

There was a poached egg on top of the rich sauce and gnocchi, and breaking the yolk and mixing it in made for a really great flavor combination. The gnocchi was also nice and thick with good bite. On top of that, there were plenty of mushroom, bacon, and potato toppings, so tossing them together with the gnocchi in the cream sauce was fantastic. Instead of just melting in your mouth, the gnocchi had a springy, chewy texture.

The combination of the two dishes was really great. Since they're famous for fresh pasta, next time I visit this Haenggung-dong pizza spot I want to try the tomato fresh pasta too. I recently went to a well-known place in Sinsa, and it was interesting how the quality here was just as good — probably thanks to the chef from The Shilla Hotel.

Is it enough food for two people?

You serve yourself onto a small plate, and each pizza slice is huge. Since it's cut into 4 pieces, two people getting 2 slices each works out well — the portion really is generous!

The arugula is piled on really generously too! With all the cheese as well, eating it together felt like a well-balanced combo of protein, carbs, and fat. You can dip the leftover wood-fired crust into the plentiful gnocchi cream sauce, and since the sauce itself isn't too salty and tastes great, I ended up just scooping it up with a spoon. I really felt how effortlessly it all went down.

They also served a side dish of carrot slaw and julienned radish pickle! It was thin and easy to chew.

Final verdict on The European, a pizza restaurant in Haenggung-dong, Suwon

With a nice atmosphere and great taste, this restaurant was good for a date spot or a small gathering. In fact, the table right next to us was having a job interview meeting. It's a famous, tasty restaurant for pasta too, but personally the pizza was so delicious that... if you go, I highly recommend ordering it without fail!! I'd love to come back myself!