# Dongdaemun wine restaurant: secret door and burrata salad at Athlonga - By Folder Foodie (https://superchart.com/en/@receipt-folder/) - Written Jul 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This review is based on a visit provided through a store-visit campaign. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@receipt-folder/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@receipt-folder/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@receipt-folder/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/index.md) ## In short Athlonga (아스론가) is a wine restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building on Dongho-ro 34-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul, near Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). After DDP shopping on a Monday off, the writer booked a 5:30 p.m. table and had a burrata cheese salad and grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck (32,000 won), with a secret door that opens when you press a wine bottle and window views over the city standing out. For a day when you want protein and salad together without giving up on atmosphere, Athlonga is a Dongdaemun restaurant worth going back to. ## Good to know - **Location**: 3rd floor, 18 Dongho-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (near Dongdaemun DDP) - **Dishes ordered**: Burrata cheese salad; grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck (32,000 won) - **Reservations**: Booked ahead for 5:30 p.m.; booking recommended, as there may be a wait at peak dinner time - **Entrance**: On the 3rd floor, press a wine bottle on the wall and the door opens - **Seating**: Window seats with a city view; open kitchen - **Restrooms**: Inside the restaurant, separate for men and women - **Price reference**: ₩32,000 ≈ $24 (2026-10-11) *as written by the visitor on Jul 20, 2026* ![First photo of the visit to Athlonga near Dongdaemun DDP](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-01-1pf74-900.webp) ## Why go to Athlonga after shopping at DDP? On a Monday off, I was shopping at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) and ended up at Athlonga near Dongdaemun for an early dinner. I'd taken a happy Monday off to browse clothes at DDP for the first time in a while, and I was having so much fun shopping that before I knew it my stomach was growling like crazy. ![Athlonga in Dongdaemun, visited after shopping at DDP](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-02-3s8f1-732.webp) I've been paying attention to my health and diet lately, so I went to Athlonga in Dongdaemun, where I could get both protein and salad. ![Athlonga in Dongdaemun, featured on Heart Signal](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-03-b097n-900.webp) Athlonga has a reputation for its moody atmosphere, so much so that it even appeared on Heart Signal (a Korean dating reality show), so I headed over with a fluttery heart. ## Do you need a reservation at Athlonga? Athlonga can have a wait at dinner peak time, so it's best to reserve in advance. I booked ahead for 5:30 p.m. And sure enough, when I finished eating and left around 6:20, the place was filling up with customers fast. ![Athlonga restaurant during an early-evening reservation](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-04-8rllv-m-900.webp) Restroom: Athlonga has clean, separate men's and women's restrooms inside the restaurant, which was convenient. ![Wine-bottle secret door entrance to Athlonga on the 3rd floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-05-1wqt0-m-1200.webp) ## Athlonga's secret door: press the wine bottle to enter Climb the building's stairs to the 3rd floor and you'll find Athlonga's unique entrance: you press a wine bottle on the wall to open the door. Push the bottle and the door swings open like a secret hideout, which is a fun touch. It felt special right from the start. ![Inside Athlonga after passing through the secret door](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-06-1xcj1-900.webp) ## Athlonga's atmosphere, city-view window seats and open kitchen Inside, Athlonga has window seats, soft lighting, a display of liquor and an open kitchen. Stepping through the door, the mood was totally my taste. ![Athlonga interior atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-07-1e5r0-900.webp) There are open window seats where you can eat while looking out over the city, ![Athlonga window seats with a city view](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-08-5ku3s-900.webp) and with the soft lighting and a variety of liquor displayed on one side of the room, it felt upscale too. ![Athlonga with soft lighting and a liquor display](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-09-kkhq5-900.webp) The kitchen is open, so I could see a staff member in a head covering cooking with passion, which made me trust the hygiene too. ![Athlonga open kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-10-dp8c7-830.webp) ## What to order at Athlonga in Dongdaemun At Athlonga I ordered the burrata cheese salad and the grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck (₩32,000). Sitting down with the menu, I put together a balanced order: a meat dish to load up on protein and a salad for freshness. ![Athlonga menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-11-1ugxf-850.webp) - Burrata cheese salad - Grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck (₩32,000) There are so many dishes that go well with wine or a light drink that I immediately understood why Athlonga is famous as a date spot or blind-date venue. ![The dishes ordered at Athlonga](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-12-1vtje-966.webp) Soon, beautiful-looking dishes began filling the table one after another. The plating caught my eye right away, and my mouth was watering. ![Athlonga dishes laid out on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-13-an3ax-900.webp) ### 🥗 Fresh, healthy burrata cheese salad Athlonga's burrata cheese salad comes with burrata on top of arugula, cherry tomatoes and black olives. It's loaded with fresh green arugula, colorful cherry tomatoes and black olives. Burrata means "buttery" in Italian, and true to that, when you cut it in half with a knife, the creamy center oozes out, which is fun to watch. One bite and the soft texture melting in my mouth was excellent. ![Athlonga burrata cheese salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-14-tsfl6-900.webp) ### 🥩 Juicy grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck Athlonga's main dish, the grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck, is ₩32,000 and comes with both cuts nicely browned. It arrives looking appetizing, and the staff thoughtfully gave me a separate knife so I could cut it to whatever size I liked. ![Athlonga grilled Iberico rib-finger meat and pork neck](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-15-y03oz-900.webp) With the first piece of meat, rich juices filled my mouth. ![A cut piece of Iberico meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-16-w478p-900.webp) It came with whole-grain mustard sauce, salt, and a subtly flavored chopped mushroom sauce, and mixing and matching them to taste meant I never got tired of it. ![Sauces and garnishes served with the Iberico grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-17-1r84e-900.webp) The cherry tomatoes in particular came out warm, not too hot, so they were perfect to eat in one bite. The well-cooked garlic and mushrooms brought out the meat's flavor, and the jalapeños weren't very spicy but clean, doing a great job of cutting through the richness. ![Iberico grill with roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-18-u76u5-900.webp) ## Is Athlonga in Dongdaemun worth a return visit? Athlonga was satisfying in atmosphere, food and service, a restaurant near Dongdaemun DDP that I want to revisit. It's not easy to find a place near Dongdaemun DDP with this much atmosphere and flavor, and Athlonga was a satisfying space. ![Meal at Athlonga near Dongdaemun DDP](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-19-1bloe-900.webp) From the kind service to the moody interior seen on Heart Signal, everything was perfect. ![Moody interior space at Athlonga](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-20-1i1xt-900.webp) The combination of Iberico meat, which is healthy yet filling protein, and the burrata cheese salad seems like a great eating-out option even when you're on a diet. ![Iberico grill and burrata cheese salad spread on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-21-b2re2-900.webp) Next time I want to come in the evening and have a nice glass of wine under the soft lighting. I recommend it as a Dongdaemun restaurant I'd happily revisit! ![Athlonga in Dongdaemun, worth revisiting](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-22-1uro6-900.webp) ![Last photo of the visit to Athlonga in Dongdaemun](https://img.superchart.com/images/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner-23-53vtm-900.webp) ## Where it is - Athlonga (아스론가) - 18 Dongho-ro 34-gil, 3rd floor, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 중구 동호로34길 18 3층 - 37.5651214, 127.0034338 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%95%84%EC%8A%A4%EB%A1%A0%EA%B0%80/@37.5651214,127.0034338,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@receipt-folder/asronga-dongdaemun-burrata-iberico-dinner/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt