Hongdae pizza pub parking tips and a no-wait weekend at Raymond's

I went to Hongdae on a weekend craving pizza and found Raymond's Hongdae, which sells slices, so it's easy to eat light without any pressure. They also have craft beer and chicken, so there were plenty of choices. If you want pizza in Hongdae, I recommend Raymond's, where you can get it by the slice or by the whole pie.

Where is Raymond's Hongdae?

Raymond's Hongdae (레이몬드 홍대점) is within a 5-minute walk of Exit 4 of Hongik Univ. Station (홍대입구역). It's on the ground floor inside an alley, and when you see two red wine barrels and yellow lights spelling out Raymond's, you've arrived. In front there was also what looked like a takeout window where you can grab a slice right away. Maybe because it's famous as a Hongdae pizza spot, people kept coming in even after we sat down.

Weekend wait and parking at Raymond's Hongdae

When I visited around 5 p.m. on a weekend, the Catch Table (reservation and waitlist app) screen at the entrance said 0 teams waiting, estimated wait 5 minutes. A notice in the shop said its 14 tables turn over every 5–10 minutes, and if 3 or fewer teams are waiting, you can just wait inside for a moment.

You can't park right in front of the shop, but there's a public parking lot nearby where you can park. The shop is close to the station and easy to reach, so I'd recommend taking public transport instead.

Slices or a set at Raymond's Hongdae?

The sets at Raymond's Hongdae are meant for 2–4 people, and for two people it was quite a lot more than I expected.

You can also order whole pizzas, and there was a wide range of beers. No wonder I'm introducing Raymond's as a Hongdae pizza spot, right? The sign said they sell 5 draft beers, and the draft price list said ₩7,000–8,000. Canned beer has to be kept refrigerated, they said.

Is Raymond's Hongdae good for a group of 4–6?

With its red chairs, checkered floor and neon signs, Raymond's Hongdae felt like an American diner. The tables were mostly for 2–4 people, but you can push them together, so it seems good for groups too. Around 6 o'clock it really did get more crowded.

There were also wall seats with partitions, and one outdoor plastic table at the side of the shop that gave off a street-pub (yajang) vibe. Water, hot sauce, disposable gloves and so on are at the self-service corner, so just help yourself.

What comes in the Monde Set (serves 2–4, 51.9)?

What we ordered at Raymond's Hongdae was the Monde Set, for two people. The pizza, about half a pie's worth, came on a plate and the slices were quite big. Four slices of pizza, boneless fried chicken, truffle fries, pickles and 5 sauces all came out at once. Maybe because it's famous as a Hongdae pizza spot, it looked really appetizing.

How the 4 pizza slices, fried chicken and truffle fries tasted

The four pizzas in the Monde Set were pepperoni, mac & cheese, cheese, and bacon Hawaiian. They give you a round pizza cutter too. The slices are big, so you can cut them up and share with a friend. The dough was thin, crispy and chewy. The mac & cheese, pepperoni and bacon Hawaiian were all loaded with toppings! The boneless fried chicken seemed to be tender chicken thigh meat, and the truffle fries were thin and crispy with a strong truffle aroma, so they were really good.

I could see why Raymond's is famous as a Hongdae pizza spot. Compared with ordinary delivery pizza places or sit-down spots, what I liked about Raymond's Hongdae is that you can taste several kinds by the slice at once. If you order a whole pie you only get one kind, but the Monde Set let me try four kinds of pizza, and for this amount of food the price felt pretty decent!

Verdict: the Monde Set at Raymond's Hongdae for two

The Monde Set at Raymond's Hongdae is a good amount of slice pizza for 2–4 people in Hongdae, though it seems like a little too much for two. What I liked most was being able to taste several kinds of pizza, plus getting chicken and fries along with it. If you want pizza in Hongdae, it's worth a visit to Raymond's! It's busy, and I think I can see why.