Angel-hair shrimp pasta brunch at Pastiar, a Yeonnam-dong restaurant

On a weekend Yeonnam-dong date I finally made it to Pastiar, a place I'd had my eye on for a while :) Walking through the alleys of Yeonnam-dong you pass so many pretty restaurants, cafés and little shops. I'd walked by Pastiar before and thought the exterior was just too cute — definitely coming back here! — and this time I finally made a proper visit haha.

Where is Pastiar and what are its hours?

Pastiar is a pasta restaurant on the 2nd floor at 3 Donggyo-ro 38an-gil, in an alley of Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's open 10:00–22:00, closed Mondays.

What do the exterior and interior of Pastiar look like?

The exterior is white-toned with a cute, dainty feel that catches your eye even from far away. It gave off a little-European-restaurant kind of energy that suited the Yeonnam-dong alley perfectly. I've been having so much fun lately hunting down Yeonnam-dong pasta restaurants, and this one started strong 🤍

The European-style room at Pastiar wins you over at the door

The moment I opened the door, I loved the warm, cozy interior. Every little detail — the lighting, the tables, the props — was so dainty it felt like stepping into a small European eatery!

Personally I prefer a cozy, dainty, warm restaurant over anything flashy or loud, so this was exactly my taste haha. It's great for a date, comfortable enough for a relaxed meal with friends, and casual enough for family too — so if you're looking for a Yeonnam-dong date restaurant, I'd recommend this.

Ragu sauce, carrot rapé and pickles are all made at Pastiar

While I was deciding on the menu, the staff explained that they make their own ragu sauce, carrot rapé, and pickles. In particular they explained that the ragu sauce is simmered for a long time by hand, and hearing that, there was no way I wasn't ordering it haha. So on top of the shrimp pasta I'd already mentally reserved, I immediately added the lasagna too. The ragu sauce and carrot rapé are also sold separately, so if you're hosting guests or throwing a housewarming, buying some might get you complimented on your cooking! ☺️☺️

What we ordered at Pastiar for brunch

🤍What we ordered: shrimp pasta + lasagna + carrot rapé + baguette + Americano!🤍 There was just one chef cooking, but the food came out surprisingly fast, which was impressive haha. Seriously quick hands...!

The Americano at Pastiar

A nutty-tasting Americano! Pastiar does coffee well too ☕️ My friend and I are both coffee lovers, and we sipped it going 'this is good!' ☺️

What does Pastiar's angel-hair shrimp pasta taste like?

Pastiar's shrimp pasta isn't a typical hot cream or tomato pasta — it's a salad pasta loaded with fresh vegetables. It was a dish I'd wanted to try even before reading the reviews, and it was really, really good 🥹 Even better eating it on a hot summer day.

The shrimp were nice and chunky, and above all I loved the noodles. They use thin angel-hair pasta, so it isn't heavy — light and easy to eat, and paired with the springy shrimp and crunchy vegetables the texture was excellent too. The sauce has an oriental-style flavor that goes really well with the shrimp, vegetables and noodles — tangy and refreshing enough that you keep reaching for more!

On hot days, a heavy pasta can sometimes feel like too much, but this one stays light and refreshing all the way through, which I really appreciated. I think I'll order this again next time. If you're hunting for Yeonnam-dong pasta restaurants and want something a bit different, the shrimp pasta comes fully recommended!

Pastiar's lasagna with house-simmered ragu sauce is a must-order 🤎

I ordered Pastiar's lasagna after hearing that the owner makes the ragu sauce by hand, and to cut to the conclusion — if a menu item has homemade ragu sauce, order it, no question!!!⭐️

With store-bought ragu sauce, I sometimes find the tomato's sourness a bit too sharp. But Pastiar's ragu sauce had none of that harsh sourness — it had the natural, deep flavor of tomatoes slowly simmered down. The meat was really tender too, and the sauce itself was so rich it was delicious. Scooping up the lasagna noodles, sauce and cheese together...🤎 the kind of flavor that makes you scrape the plate clean lol.

According to the shop's description, they simmer the ragu sauce by hand every day for a long time, and after tasting it I understood why it's their signature. Next time I'm definitely trying the ragu pasta too! If it's your first time at Pastiar, I'd recommend ordering at least one dish with the homemade ragu sauce, like the ragu pasta or lasagna.

Carrot rapé and baguette: a great pairing at Pastiar

The carrot rapé and baguette we ordered as sides were great together. Eating some carrot rapé between bites of the rich ragu dishes refreshed the palate, so the combination worked well. Since everything is made in-house, each dish felt like it had real care put into it.

Honest verdict on brunch at Pastiar

With so many new restaurants popping up in Yeonnam-dong lately, it's often hard to decide where to go, but Pastiar is a place I found myself thinking, I want to come back here again soon. The food was delicious, but the space itself was cozy and the owner was kind, so I felt good the whole meal.

Of everything I had, I especially recommend the light, tangy shrimp pasta and the rich, tender homemade-ragu lasagna 💛 The two have completely different flavor moods, so ordering them together worked out even better. It's the kind of new-find restaurant I almost want to keep to myself... but good food should be shared! If you like pasta, I really hope you get to visit at least once.

The cooking is thoughtful and delicious, and the interior and props are pretty and warm too, so it's great to come with a friend, and works fine for a family meal out or a date spot too. If you've been looking for a Yeonnam-dong pasta restaurant or a nice-vibe Yeonnam-dong date restaurant, I recommend Pastiar :) Next time I'm planning to come back and finally try the ragu pasta 🤎