Suwon restaurant before Hwaseong Haenggung night opening: The European

The weather has gotten much cooler lately, so I went with my daughter to Haenggung-dong to check out the night opening of Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon.

●Address: 21-1 Haenggung-ro, 1st floor, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea (The European Haenggung Main Branch) ●Hours: Daily 11:30–21:30 (last order 21:00)

What is the Hwaseong Haenggung night opening? Dalbit Hwadam and the flea market

It was during the Dalbit Hwadam night opening period, so the nighttime scenery was really gorgeous.

A long flea market selling pretty little items and handmade goods was set up all along the street, so my daughter and I had a lot of fun browsing. Maybe thanks to the soft lighting and the lively street atmosphere, I felt great the whole walk, and the breeze was just right too.

Before heading into Hwaseong Haenggung, we planned to have dinner first. We went to The European Haenggung Main Branch, well known as a pizza spot in Haenggung-dong and a popular Western-style date course in the area.

Where is The European Haenggung Main Branch, and what is the space like?

The European Haenggung Main Branch sits right near Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, so it was a great spot along the way to walk to the palace. As we got close to the entrance, we saw firewood piled up in front of the store, giving off a warm, cozy feeling right from the doorway.

Inside, the space had a soft orange glow and a European feel. An antique chandelier hung from the ceiling, and framed pictures and mask decorations covered the walls, giving the whole place a cozy yet exotic mood. Maybe because of the night opening at Hwaseong Haenggung, there were even more customers than usual.

The table was neatly set with cute floral-patterned plates and cutlery, so I felt well taken care of. My daughter said she loved how pretty the place looked too.

What we ordered at The European Haenggung, and what it cost

We ordered the Steak Burrata Pizza (₩31,000) and the Seafood Tomato Pasta (₩32,000).

After chatting with my daughter for a while, the food came out without too long a wait. Wow~ Great visuals!!

Steak Burrata Pizza (31,000 won)

On a pizza dough baked crisp in the wood-fired oven, fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, and generous chunks of steak came piled on top. Right in the center of the pizza sat a plump, milky-white ball of burrata cheese.

When I cut into the burrata, soft, moist cheese came oozing out — piled onto the chewy pizza dough together with the meat, arugula, and cheese, the combination worked really well. The steak wasn't tough and had a clean flavor, and the dough kept its signature wood-fired nuttiness all the way through, so I enjoyed it right down to the last crust. My daughter said it tasted even better with the meat added in, on top of being light and clean.

Seafood Tomato Fresh Pasta (32,000 won)

Scallops, chewy cuttlefish, plump grilled shrimp, and mussels — the seafood was genuinely abundant.

A lemon wedge sat on top, and when I squeezed a little juice over it, the seafood's fishy smell disappeared and a fresh citrus aroma spread first.

Above all, since they used fresh noodles instead of regular dried pasta, the strands were much softer yet had a chewier bite. The more I chewed, the better the tomato sauce blended with the nutty flavor of the fresh noodles themselves, and piling the plump scallops and chewy cuttlefish onto the noodles filled my mouth with ocean flavor and a subtle savoriness. The tomato sauce wasn't artificially sweet or too sour either, so I cleaned up even the last bit of sauce.

Why The European Haenggung suits dinner before a night walk at Hwaseong Haenggung

With the cool, pleasant weather, browsing the night opening and flea market at Hwaseong Haenggung with my daughter, then finishing off with delicious wood-fired pizza and pasta, made for a happy evening.

The prices run a little high, but with fresh ingredients, generous portions, and the light, clean taste of pizza baked straight in the wood-fired oven, it felt like money well spent. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Suwon Hwaseong Fortress or a Western-style date spot with a nice atmosphere in Haenggung-dong, this is a comfortable place to stop by.

It was a cozy Haenggung-dong pizza restaurant filled with the scent of oak firewood, just right for stopping by after a night walk around Hwaseong Haenggung.