Mapo Station izakaya for wedding anniversary drinks: Orot Robata

For our wedding anniversary, my husband and I wanted a meal somewhere with a nice atmosphere, so we headed to Orot Robata (오롯로바타) in Gongdeok. It has won a Blue Ribbon six years in a row, so my expectations were high 💛

Short version: the food was great and the mood was great too, and I definitely want to come back for lunch next time 💥 If you're looking for an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) around Gongdeok or Mapo Station, I recommend it.

Location, hours and parking at Orot Robata

Orot Robata is at 152 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the first floor of Gongdeok Park Xi Building 202, about an 8-minute walk from Gongdeok Station Exit 1. You just follow the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, and the scenery is so pretty that I was there before I knew it. A walk along the trail before or after your meal is the best .. 🍀

• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. (break time 14:00–17:30)
• Closed on Sundays
• Parking: Gongdeok Park Xi Building 202 underground car park (1 hour free at lunch, 2 hours free at dinner)

Even if you come by car, there's no parking worry, so it was easy to visit 👍🏻

Exterior and interior atmosphere

Orot Robata looks neat and stylish from the outside. The facade is completely black, which makes you even more curious about what's inside...? And right by the entrance, six blue ribbons~~~~ 💙

Inside, the whole place felt upscale and calm. It has an open kitchen, so we could watch the chefs cook over binchotan (white charcoal) fires. It's fun to watch, and it makes you trust the food even more!!

Seating that suits an anniversary date

The inside was bigger than I expected, with lots of tables: tables for 2, tables for 4, a bar counter and more. But the tables aren't close together, so you can't really hear other people's conversations, which I loved!!! They apparently open the folding doors on nice days, and I bet a window seat would be so pretty~~~

What I felt on our date was... this would be great for get-togethers, dates, or blind dates. We spent the whole meal relaxed and happy on our anniversary too 🌸💗✨🎁

What's on the menu at Orot Robata?

Orot Robata specializes in robatayaki (Japanese charcoal grilling) using top-grade binchotan and straw fire. There were lots of dishes with fish, seafood and meat grilled over charcoal for a deep smoky flavor, and the menu was well rounded, with sashimi, nabe (hot pot) and fried dishes too. We'd already had raw fish for our first round, so we skipped the sashimi~~~ and picked the baby potatoes and the abalone and shrimp dish!

The drinks list is wide too: highballs, sake, Japanese shochu and wine, so I'd recommend it to anyone hunting for a good highball spot!! We went for the Hwayo set (Hwayo is a Korean premium soju) to feel festive for once haha

➕ Also, at lunch Orot Robata sells its signature chirashi kaisendon (scattered sashimi rice bowl) for ₩22,000. The photo made me really want to try it, so I'm planning to come at lunchtime next time T_T (can't get it at dinner, what a shame...)

What we ordered for our anniversary second round, and the prices

• Hwayo set ₩38,000
• Jamón chipotle baby potatoes ₩18,000
• Abalone and shrimp agemono (Japanese-style fried dish) ₩28,000

It was our anniversary, so we ordered a bit of everything and enjoyed it 💛

Hwayo set: mix the tonic water however you like

The Orot Robata Hwayo set (₩38,000) comes with Hwayo, ice and 2 bottles of tonic water, so you can adjust the ratio to your taste. It went especially well with the charcoal-grilled dishes and fried food rather than greasy ones, and it was fun making our own mixes with my husband.

(I added just a little tonic water for a clean sip, and my husband added lots for a refreshing, fizzy one haha) If you like highballs, ordering one Hwayo set to enjoy with the food seems like a good idea!

Grilled jamón chipotle baby potatoes, the unexpected number one

The Orot Robata jamón chipotle baby potatoes (₩18,000) were personally the most unexpectedly delicious dish. Fluffy baby potatoes, salty jamón on top, and then the chipotle sauce brings it all together~~~~ for a deep flavor.

This is absolutely not just a potato dish.... the savory umami was so good that we kept reaching for more!! It went really well with drinks too 🤤 yum~~~

What is the abalone and shrimp agemono?

The abalone and shrimp agemono (₩28,000) is shiitake mushroom tempura stuffed with minced abalone and shrimp, which you dip in sauce. I'd never heard the name before and was curious, so I ordered it, and it passed the looks test right away~~~

Both the abalone and the shrimp were so fresh, and the batter was crispy but soaked in the sauce, so it felt kind of gooey ... ✨ It was clean, not greasy at all, and I think this one would go great with wine too!!!

Every dish at Orot Robata had the taste of the ingredients themselves coming through. Even as we ate I kept thinking, this place is really good ... 💛🤤

Overall verdict: how was it for an anniversary date?

• ✅ Why is Orot Robata so popular? After visiting in person, I understood right away
• ✅ Good ingredients, clean cooking and the atmosphere: I was happy with all of it
• ✅ We came for an anniversary date, and the food was tasty and the space comfortable, so it became a lovely memory 💗

If you're looking for an izakaya in Gongdeok or near Mapo Station, a highball spot or a good date restaurant, I recommend giving Orot Robata a visit. Next time I'll go at lunch and definitely try the chirashi kaisendon haha