Namyangju Italian restaurant for piri piri chicken: Romaok Riverside

Romaok Riverside hours and parking

Romaok Riverside is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Last order is 14:00 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: Lunch 14:00 / Dinner 20:30
• Parking: Available at Namyangju Hangang Sports Park parking lot, first hour free, then ₩200 per 10 minutes

My friend and I took a trip out to Namyangju after a long while 🙌 There are so many pretty restaurants there that we spent ages deciding, and in the end we settled on Romaok Riverside, which had a lot of praise for its view and atmosphere, and went after making a reservation haha.

Hanok exterior and Han River views at Mieumnaru in Suseok-dong

Unlike the typical Western-style building you'd picture for an Italian restaurant, this place has a traditional hanok exterior, so at first I thought it was a stylish Korean restaurant or a traditional tea house..! It has a quiet yet refined hanok sensibility, so there was a fun twist to the charm right from the entrance. And just out front, an open, sweeping view of the Han River unfolds, making the whole surrounding scenery look like a painting 💖 It would have been nice to take a light stroll along the riverside before or after the meal, but the sunlight was so strong that day that we skipped the walk..🥺

Do you need a reservation at Romaok Riverside on weekends?

If you're planning to visit on a weekend or during peak hours, I strongly recommend booking ahead! On our way there, traffic was worse than expected and we ended up arriving later than our reservation time, but luckily we called the restaurant beforehand and the staff were kind about it, which was such a relief ㅠㅠ If you end up running late for reasons beyond your control, make sure to call the restaurant in advance! Otherwise you might be marked as a no-show and your reservation could be automatically canceled, so please keep that in mind 💫

Luckily we were assigned a window seat, and being able to enjoy the meal while taking in the full Han River view through the floor-to-ceiling window made me so happy 💞 And apparently the chef here trained at a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Italy and personally oversees the cooking!! Once I found that out, my expectations shot up 💥

Four dishes ordered from the table tablet

Ordering was easy through the tablet conveniently placed at each table.

• Piri piri chicken
• Hanwoo ragu fresh lasagna roll
• Chicken cordon Caesar salad
• Hibiscus lime punch

We'd been saying we were hungry pretty much the entire way there, so once we saw the menu, we ordered generously, picking everything we wanted!

The pre-meal bread worth taking home

After ordering, we waited and out came a neatly and appetizingly plated pre-meal bread. It was served nicely warmed, passing the visual test right away, and the inside was surprisingly moist and soft — a textbook example of crispy outside, tender inside! The subtle nutty flavor that spread more with every bite was so good that, if they sold it separately, I would have wanted to take some home. It completely won me over 😳💜

Chicken cordon Caesar salad

I don't usually order salad and pay for it, but this one looked delicious from the visuals, so I got curious and ordered it haha. Unlike a typical light, leaf-heavy salad, this one came with chicken cordon that was crispy outside and moist inside.

The combination of crunchy romaine lettuce, rich and nutty Caesar dressing, and warm, crispy chicken was undeniably delicious...😵 It worked as an appetite-boosting appetizer and a hearty salad at the same time!!

Piri piri chicken and hanwoo ragu fresh lasagna roll

Next up, the main dishes made their grand entrance, incredible visuals and all.

First, the piri piri chicken used grilled chicken thigh, which I think is why the texture was so tender! Underneath the chicken was a sweet, nutty corn purée, and on top were cilantro and an unusual orange foam.

This was my first time trying orange foam, and being a foam, it strangely vanished the moment it hit my mouth, so I barely had time to taste it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The combination of corn purée and chicken worked so perfectly that this was my personal pick out of everything we ordered that day!

Next was the hanwoo ragu fresh lasagna roll! Unlike typical dried-pasta lasagna, this used fresh dough, giving it a soft, chewy texture like dumpling wrapper.

It came neatly rolled up, so it was gorgeous to photograph and also easy and tidy to eat. The way it was elegantly plated already gave off that upscale Western dining feel, don't you think? haha

The second-floor river-view café, saved for next time

After clearing our plates, I noticed there was a second floor and went up to take a look, and found a café space with a river view. We had to head to a café right afterward so we didn't get to enjoy coffee there, but next time I want to enjoy the full course, including a leisurely visit to the second-floor café! An open Han River view, the quiet charm of a hanok, and dishes from a Michelin-trained chef!! If you're looking for a great restaurant in Namyangju, give Romaok Riverside a try ✨