Seongsu Italian restaurant for toddler risotto: Billadeubeulleu

With the cool autumn breeze here, it is the perfect season to sip white wine on a terrace and take in that fresh-air scent. We had lunch at the Seongsu favorite Billadeubeulleu Seongsu, then headed straight next door to Seoul Forest for a walk—one lovely course.

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu beside Seoul Forest, with a little one

September is the season to clock in at Seoul Forest every single day. When I visit Seoul Forest with my baby, we are there for at least three hours, so we have been making dates of it—eating a meal and having coffee nearby. Billadeubeulleu, a popular Seongsu restaurant, was already a hit in Haebangchon before opening its Seongsu branch in 2025.

On the second floor of the Billadeubeulleu Seongsu building, there is a Biteme shop selling pet accessories. The outdoor terrace zone reopened in September, making it especially nice to visit with children or pets.

A European-style space made for wine

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is based around Italian restaurant food, and beyond its lovely indoor aesthetic, its menu has an especially wine-friendly lineup, which I loved.

Billadeubeulleu Seongsu is already well known among moms, so there were lots of people dining with children. I even had a little small talk with the mothers of the seven-month-old babies at the next table. Haha.

When I come to a Mediterranean-style restaurant like this, I simply cannot skip wine. Wine takes on the mood of its setting too, so even an inexpensive bottle can feel luxurious depending on where you drink it. With Seoul Forest right beside us, sipping white wine like an aperitif while looking at the lush trees was just the right moment to feel content.

They even have children's spoons and forks, so it is easy to feed your little one!

Octopus carpaccio and abalone squid ink risotto

The cool weather had me craving clean, fresh food with white wine. Hajun had the abalone squid ink risotto, while I had the octopus avocado carpaccio.

Carpaccio with white wine is such an exciting pairing. It reminded me of the feeling of drinking wine with olive-oil-marinated octopus on my trip to Portugal. The weather had been cool and autumnal then, too. If you enjoy this European style of food, Billadeubeulleu is a great casual place to eat. It is somewhere you can drop into comfortably and casually, just like the local style. Even though it is an Italian restaurant, it is a place where anyone can enjoy a delicious meal without formality.

There was soft avocado, crisp bell pepper, tender octopus, and more. The rich, oily flavor was just right. Billadeubeulleu also plays familiar songs that lift your mood, and sitting on the outdoor terrace with wine while songs come on that make you hum along makes this a restaurant that is healing just by existing.

Risotto that a 17-month-old ate well

Though it is squid ink, this risotto has a creamy flavor at its base, so it is really great for feeding a child. The abalone was very tender too, so 17-month-old Hajun ate it well after I cut it into small pieces. They use rice specifically for risotto, with each grain intact, so the chew is wonderful. Rather than swollen, mushy grains, each one has a pleasantly springy bite.

Now that there are so many more dishes we can share when dining out with the baby, it really does feel like a proper date. I am going to enjoy it lots and lots before the weather turns cold.

A moment that shows my super-extrovert energy. Today too, my baby was waving his hands around like a little country puppy. The chef uncles were handsome, you know. When we come to a space that makes us feel good, the baby gets excited too. Adults and children are the same that way.

A walk through Seoul Forest after lunch

After a hearty meal at Billadeubeulleu, off we toddled to Seoul Forest. Hajun went into observation mode beside an older woman watering plants with a rubber hose. The hose was fascinating, after all. Seoul Forest is so well kept because it holds the hard work of so many people.

At the Seoul Forest playground, we played for quite a while with Haru-chan, a Japanese-Korean mixed-race child. Haru-chan's parents were so warm and lovely in the way they played with their child, and I was grateful for that playtime. On the way home, I told Hajun about playing with bubbles and sand together with Haru-chan, and he seemed to remember fondly too, nodding his head. Yes, that was our day. ♥