Myeongdong family lunch spot: vongole pasta and Margherita, Mano di
In short
Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch is an Italian restaurant on the 11th floor of the UNESCO Building in Myeongdong, Seoul. On a weekend afternoon the writer and her mother ordered the Margherita pizza at 27,900 won, the gamtae (seaweed) pesto and seafood barley risotto at 32,900 won, and the vongole aglio e olio pasta at 27,900 won; the risotto was slightly salty, but the pizza and oil pasta were easy to share. With a wide menu, Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch suits a family or group where everyone orders to their own taste.
Good to know
- Address
- 11F UNESCO Building, 26 Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30 / Sun 11:00–21:00
- Getting there
- 5-minute walk from Myeongdong Station, 8-minute walk from Euljiro 1-ga Station
- Margherita pizza
- 27,900 won
- Vongole aglio e olio pasta
- 27,900 won
- Gamtae pesto & seafood barley risotto
- 32,900 won
- Red shrimp bisque linguine
- 33,900 won
- Course menus
- Mano di Chef Signature Course 89,900 won / Lobster & Hanwoo Sirloin Steak 109,900 won
- Perks
- One free pizza for guests celebrating a birthday that month (Kakao Channel coupon); free corkage for up to 2 bottles on bills over 100,000 won
- Price reference
- ₩100,000 ≈ $72 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
Looking for a nice-atmosphere Italian restaurant in Myeongdong, I ended up at Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch. Dropped by on a weekend with my mom. With everything from pasta, pizza, gnocchi, and risotto to steak on the menu, it's perfect for a date, a wedding-invitation gathering, or family dinner!
Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch: hours, address and prices
- Address: 26 Myeongdong-gil, 11F UNESCO Building, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30
- Sunday 11:00–21:00
How to get to Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch from Myeongdong Station
Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch is on the 11th floor of the UNESCO Building, right in the heart of Myeongdong. About an 8-minute walk from Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station and just 5 minutes from Myeongdong Station! Pretty easy to get to by public transport.
Once you arrive at the UNESCO Building, take the elevator up to the 11th floor and you'll find Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch. Being right in the middle of Myeongdong, it's also great for shopping around Myeongdong or Lotte Department Store before or after your meal.
What the 11th-floor dining room looks like
For a restaurant smack in the middle of Myeongdong, the interior felt surprisingly spacious and calm. Overall clean and polished, not too casual but not stiffly formal either, so it was comfortable to eat in.
The tables had decent spacing too, so it was easy to chat while eating — good for dates, wedding-invitation gatherings, family meals, or work get-togethers. The window seats especially had a great view of Myeongdong's downtown scenery from up high, which made the atmosphere even better ✨
Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch menu and prices
- Carrot purée & octopus gnocchi ₩31,900
- Steak & carrot hummus plate ₩29,900
- Red shrimp bisque linguine ₩33,900
- Red shrimp aglio e olio pasta ₩31,900
- Gamtae pesto & octopus gnocchi ₩31,900
- Steak pizza ₩36,900
- Fresh pine mushroom cream gnocchi pasta ₩28,900
- Gamtae pesto & seafood barley risotto ₩32,900
- Vongole aglio e olio pasta ₩27,900
- Premium tomato seafood pasta ₩28,900
- Blueberry & arugula pizza ₩33,900
- Margherita pizza ₩27,900
- Black sesame & mushroom risotto ₩27,900
- Steak & spicy rice ₩31,900
- Mano di Chef Signature Course ₩89,900
- Lobster & Hanwoo Sirloin Steak ₩109,900
On weekdays it's usually packed, but since we came on a weekend it wasn't too crowded.
Margherita pizza, 27,900 won
For pizza I went with the classic Margherita. A basic combo of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil — but being a basic dish, it paired well with everything else we ordered. My mom loved it 🤍
The bright tang of the tomato plus the savory cheese made for a flavor that's hard to dislike. Since we'd already ordered a risotto and a pasta that day, going with a simple Margherita rather than a heavily topped pizza turned out to be the right call.
Gamtae pesto and seafood barley risotto, 32,900 won
The dish I was most curious about that day was the gamtae (seaweed) pesto & seafood barley risotto. Instead of the usual cream or tomato risotto, this one uses gamtae pesto over barley, so it stood out from the menu alone.
Topped with a scallop and packed with shrimp, octopus, and other seafood inside, it was more substantial than I expected. But it was a bit salty.
Vongole aglio e olio pasta, 27,900 won
The first dish we ordered was the vongole aglio e olio pasta. Loaded with clams and seasoned with garlic and anchovy, it's an oil-based pasta. Overall it had that clean quality typical of oil pastas, but the umami from the clams kept it from being bland.
Vongole can easily end up with an overpowering clam smell or too much salt, but this one was easy to eat alongside other dishes. A good palate cleanser between richer dishes like the pizza and risotto! Recommended if you like a clean oil pasta.
Birthday-month perk: a free pizza to check before you go
Mano di Chef offers a free pizza for guests during their birthday month. You download the coupon through their Kakao Channel, so if you're visiting on your birthday, be sure to grab it beforehand!
There's also free corkage for up to two bottles on orders over ₩100,000, so it seemed like a good spot to bring your own wine too.
Is Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch worth it for a family meal?
If you're looking for a solid place to eat pasta or pizza in Myeongdong, Mano di Chef Myeongdong Branch is a safe bet. Best of all, the huge menu selection makes it easy for a group to each order according to their own taste.
Where it is
26 Myeongdong-gil, 11F UNESCO Building, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 중구 명동길 26 유네스코회관 11층
