Stroller-friendly Myeongdong pasta spot after Namdaemun: Seventy Four

A Myeongdong pasta spot for after Namdaemun shopping with a baby: Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch

Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch (세븐티포 명동성당본점) is a pasta and pizza restaurant on the ground floor of Familia, right next to Myeongdong Cathedral. After shopping for kids' clothes at Namdaemun Market, I went looking for a pasta place with a nice atmosphere that would also work with a baby, and ended up here.

I was so happy with it: a place where you can have a relaxed, satisfying meal in the middle of crowded Myeongdong. It was literally healing in the middle of the city! The kind of place where you think, "There's somewhere like this in Myeongdong?"

What is the atmosphere like at Seventy Four?

From the entrance, Seventy Four has an exotic, overseas-outdoor-café feel, and the interior is closer to a hip, moody pub than an Italian restaurant. After Namdaemun I was finally out of the house for the first time in a while, so I wandered over to Myeongdong to see more, and from the entrance it felt just like an outdoor café abroad. My mood lifted the second I walked in.

Maybe thanks to the cool autumn weather, the terrace was full of people enjoying a break from the city. I couldn't help thinking, "Ah, if I didn't have the baby, I'd love a cold beer on this terrace!" My inner carefree self came out, sniff. The atmosphere was that good.

Order at the kiosk

You order at Seventy Four through the kiosk inside the restaurant, which is easy enough.

Is it okay to bring a stroller?

The indoor hall at Seventy Four has widely spaced tables, so there was plenty of room to park the stroller beside the table. I really wanted a terrace seat, but we came with a sleeping baby in the stroller, so we took a table in the inner hall.

The hall is laid out very spaciously and comfortably. There was ample space to leave the stroller next to the table, so getting around was easy for a mom, and I didn't have to worry about people walking past.

Seventy Four's menu and what we chose

Here is the menu at Seventy Four, a Myeongdong Cathedral-area restaurant.

Seventy Four serves everything from pizza to risotto and pasta, plus wine, beer and other drinks. I really wanted to try the signature wood-fired pizza, but right after we ordered the baby woke up, so I picked dishes that are easy to eat while caring for the baby with one hand.

I was parched from all the shopping, so I cooled off with a Coke Zero first, and the bulgogi risotto and Amatriciana pasta I ordered came out quickly.

How does the new bulgogi risotto taste?

Seventy Four's new bulgogi risotto (rice with marinated beef) has mushrooms and bulgogi in it. The seasoning isn't strong at all. It's mild, so I kept going back for more without it feeling heavy.

It's good as a meal, but it's really the kind of taste that makes you think of wine or beer.

How does the Amatriciana pasta taste?

Seventy Four's Amatriciana pasta was very clean-tasting overall.

The sauce was clean and not harsh, yet the natural flavor of the ingredients really came through. The noodles were cooked al dente, just how I like them, so I was very happy.

Eating in Myeongdong with a stroller: my verdict on Seventy Four

Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch was a place in the middle of hectic, crowded Myeongdong where it was easy to park a stroller and eat in peace. I was proud of myself for finding it, haha. Next time I'm out near Namdaemun or Myeongdong, I'll come without the baby as my carefree self and enjoy a terrace beer for sure.

Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch: visitor info

• Location: ground floor of Myeongdong Cathedral Familia (near Euljiro 1-ga Station Exit 5 / Myeongdong Station Exit 8)
• Parking: Myeongdong Cathedral Familia underground car park available (paid, ₩6,000 per hour)
• Open every day, no closing days
• Opening hours: 11:00–22:30, last order 22:00