Seomyeon Western restaurant date, tender chicken steak: Pickles

Today I'm sharing a place I'd recommend for a Seomyeon date: Pickles in Jeonpo, a local favorite I finally visited.

Pickles Jeonpo hours and parking

Pickles is open from 11:00 to 21:00, with last order at 20:00. There's no private parking lot, so you'll need a nearby paid lot: ₩1,800 for the first 60 minutes and ₩1,800 for every 60 minutes after that.

• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Parking: nearby paid lots (₩1,800 for the first 60 minutes, ₩1,800 per 60 minutes after)

How to get to Pickles Jeonpo

Pickles is on the ground floor of a building that looks like an older structure renovated, right behind Ijaemo Pizza. If you're taking public transit, Jeonpo Station is the quicker way in rather than Seomyeon Station. I started from Seomyeon Station and still got there quickly.

The second floor is Upper East Bakery, a different business, so please go in through the first floor!!!

Is there a wait at Pickles Jeonpo on a weekday evening?

I got to Pickles around 6:30 on a weekday evening and, whoa... the place was packed. Luckily exactly one table was left, so no wait, but if I'd arrived a bit later I think I would have been waiting.

Tables fill up even on weekday afternoons at this Jeonpo favorite. That must be why there's a bench out front. On weekends I bet there's a line. Still, people left faster than I expected, and after 7:00 tables slowly started to open up. But between 6:00 and 7:00, even on a weekday, it's insanely busy, even though there are tables from the entrance all the way to the back.

Why I picked Pickles Jeonpo for a Seomyeon date

I chose Pickles because the menu had lasagna, which my partner (we live together) loves. If you pick lasagna in a set menu, it's ₩5,000 extra.

When we date we mostly head to Gijang, and we don't come to Seomyeon often, so I searched for a good place ahead of time. With lasagna on the menu, we had to try it.

Tables and atmosphere at Pickles Jeonpo

Every table was already set for two, with a spoon, fork and knife. The cozy lighting was nice, but the gap between tables is really narrow, isn't it?

And even with that layout, the place is full 😢 Seriously, how famous does a spot have to be in the neighborhood to get this many people!?

How are the chicken steak, lasagna and pizza at Pickles Jeonpo?

We ate chicken steak, lasagna and pizza, in the order of the photos, and surprisingly the best of the three was the chicken steak. The food came out in a reasonable time. And the looks... wow.

The chicken steak I had no expectations for was the best

Personally I had zero expectations for the chicken steak, but it was the best dish, haha. My partner's ordering instincts strike again... never a miss!! The chicken steak looks like it might be dry and bland, but when you actually eat it, it's tender, well seasoned and really good.

Lasagna and half-and-half pizza

Lasagna is, well, just always good, haha. Next time I want to try another pasta too.

My partner picked both pizza flavors again, and both were delicious. I have a small appetite, so I only managed 2 slices. Such a shame.. The pizza isn't big, but there's more than you'd think. Even two slices left me so full... 😭

Pickles in Jeonpo: I really, truly want to certify it as a date-night spot. It's so good here...

The odd sink in the Pickles Jeonpo restroom

Random restroom photo, I know... but the sink in the Pickles restroom looks so unusual that it felt like a waste to keep it to myself..? It looks hard to maintain, but it's so odd and fun that I kept touching everything, haha. The restroom is really small, but it has everything you need.

With a menu made up of just the things you actually want to eat, Pickles is a Jeonpo favorite that works for couples, family and friends.