Seongsu Italian restaurant with squid ink black risotto: Sedici

Recommended Seongsu date spot, recommended Seongsu blind-date spot. A great-looking Western food restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere: [Sedici]

I hadn't been out in Seoul in a while and wanted to enjoy a slightly special meal. Seongsu has so many great restaurants and cafés that I was torn on where to go, so I looked for an Italian restaurant that felt quiet but still had real atmosphere. That's how I found Sedici, near Seongsu Station. It looked like a place where I could enjoy pasta and gnocchi at ease in a space that matched Seongsu's stylish vibe, so I went — and I loved both the food and the atmosphere. Let me walk you through Sedici, the Seongsu Italian restaurant where I dressed up a bit and enjoyed a delicious meal.

Where is Sedici, and what are its hours and parking?

Sedici is an Italian restaurant at 1F Seongsudong Arc Valley, 37 Seongsu-iro 22-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Hours are Tue–Fri 11:00–22:00 (break 15:00–17:30) and Sat–Sun 12:00–22:00 (break 15:30–17:30), closed Mondays. Parking is available at the Seongsudong Arc Valley underground lot.

Walking near Seongsu Station, a yellow building caught my eye — that was the building where Sedici, the Seongsu Italian restaurant I visited that day, is located. Sedici sits on the first floor of Seongsudong Arc Valley, and rather than a flashy look, its clean, stylish exterior fit right in with Seongsu's particular vibe. Once inside the building, Sedici is right there on the first floor, so it was easy to find.

Sedici's atmosphere and seating: why blind dates fill the tables

Sedici's dining space is cozy with soft lighting, with a central bar counter and two-top and group tables arranged on either side. Walking in, the atmosphere was warmer and cozier than I expected. The whole space felt neatly arranged with gentle lighting added on top, striking a balance — not too heavy, not too casual — that was just right for setting a nice mood.

At the center of the restaurant is bar-style seating, with tables arranged on both sides — everything from two-tops to tables for larger groups — so it looked good for both dates and casual group meals.

I made a reservation for opening time, and a wave of reservation guests came in right after me. There were families, and at the table right next to mine, no fewer than two parties were on blind dates.

Guess this really is a go-to spot for Seongsu blind dates...! (I got some secondhand butterflies watching, haha)

There's also an open kitchen on one side, where you can catch soft glimpses of the cooking in progress — a charm all its own. Rather than the flashy vibe you often see in Seongsu, this is a space that lets you focus on the food while still feeling relaxed, which suited the dressed-up mood of the day well.

On one side of the restaurant there's a dedicated coat hook area for hanging up outerwear comfortably.

And next to the seats there's a small table for setting down clothes, bags, and other belongings. It was nice not having to pile things around the table, so the space stayed tidy throughout the meal. With all these little touches added to the cozy, atmospheric space, it felt more like a place for a relaxed, unhurried meal than a casual bite.

Sedici menu and prices

Appetizers

• Bread with butter aioli ₩9,000
• Caesar salad ₩12,000
• Citrus tomato ₩15,000
• Burrata salad ₩18,000
• Beef tartare ₩19,000 (add brioche +₩3,000)

Pasta

• Amatriciana ₩22,000
• 'Nduja ragu ₩26,000
• Butter pasta ₩24,000
• Mascarpone potato gnocchi ₩23,000
• Fried sweet corn potato gnocchi ₩24,000
• Crispy ragu gnocchi ₩25,000
• Vongole with cuttlefish ink ₩22,000
• Shrimp crumble ₩23,000
• Chorizo carbonara ₩25,000
• Almond cold pasta ₩23,000
• Crab bisque risotto ₩23,000
• Black risotto ₩22,000

Steak

• French rack (pork) ₩39,000
• Striploin (beef) ₩59,000

Dessert

• Mango ice cream & granita ₩5,000
• Pistachio tiramisu ₩10,000
• Classic tiramisu ₩10,000

Beer

• Stella Artois ₩8,000
• Guinness Micro Draft ₩12,000
• Peroni ₩9,000

Drinks & coffee

• Green tangerine ade ₩9,000 / Plum ade ₩9,000 / Wine ade ₩9,000
• San Benedetto sparkling water ₩8,000
• Galvanina sparkling orange/lemon/grapefruit each ₩8,000
• Coca-Cola / Coca-Cola Zero ₩3,500
• Sprite / Dr Pepper Zero ₩3,500
• Americano (hot/iced) ₩3,500

Sedici serves a wide range of Italian dishes, from pasta to gnocchi, risotto, and steak. The signature dish is the mascarpone potato gnocchi — soft gnocchi with a rich potato flavor paired with a creamy mascarpone sauce, and the dish that comes up most when you search for Sedici. Beyond that, there's a variety of distinctive pastas like shrimp crumble, butter pasta, 'nduja ragu, vongole with cuttlefish ink, and chorizo carbonara. The gnocchi options go beyond the usual too, with fried sweet corn gnocchi and crispy ragu gnocchi offering something different, which made choosing genuinely fun. If you love risotto, the crab bisque risotto is another popular pick, and for something heartier, there's Korean 1++ beef striploin steak or French rack.

What we ordered at Sedici

I ordered beef tartare ₩19,000 + brioche ₩3,000, fried sweet corn gnocchi ₩24,000, black risotto ₩22,000, one glass of wine, and one draft Guinness.

Beef tartare with the brioche add-on

I started with the beef tartare. What caught my eye the moment it hit the table was its unusually green look, quite different from typical tartare.

It was interesting to see the minced beef piled high with chopped scallions, giving it that green tint. Tartare, which can look heavy, came across as noticeably fresh and light instead.

What I liked most was that the bowl itself was served chilled, which made the beef feel even fresher — it stayed cold and fresh all the way through. The finely minced beef was tender with a nutty, clean beef flavor, and the seasoning wasn't overdone, letting the ingredient itself shine. Eaten with the chopped scallions, it had zero heaviness and felt bright and refreshing. I paired it with the brioche I'd ordered alongside.

I'd really recommend eating the brioche warm alongside the cold tartare. Piled onto the fluffy, gently sweet brioche, the tartare's nutty beef and the soft bread came together better than I expected. My partner, who's usually picky about Western food, kept raving about how good it was. Adding the brioche is a must!

Fried sweet corn gnocchi

Next up was the fried sweet corn gnocchi. Golden-fried potato gnocchi sits over a sweet corn cream sauce, and it looked pretty tempting on the plate.

The first bite had a texture clearly different from regular gnocchi — crisp on the outside and chewy, fluffy on the inside, a really fun texture. I think it might be the chewiest, tastiest gnocchi I've had.

The sweet corn cream sauce blended in smoothly, with corn's subtle sweetness and nuttiness coming through nicely — a combination that worked better than expected. Rather than feeling heavy, the cream sauce carried that sweet corn note, which kept it from feeling like too much alongside the gnocchi. Even people who aren't usually into gnocchi could probably enjoy this different take on it.

There was also something like cheese on top, which added a salty note, and I ended up scraping the plate clean.

Black risotto: Sedici's squid ink risotto

The squid ink risotto had a lovely, gently spreading seafood umami with the first bite. With squid ink in the mix, I expected something heavy, but it was less rich than I thought, with a nutty, savory-salty balance.

The rice kept some bite instead of turning mushy, giving that classic risotto texture — thick yet moist — and the umami deepened the more I ate, so I kept going back for more. The color, a deep squid ink black, looks intense at first, but the flavor was actually clean, and I finished it without feeling greasy or weighed down.

If you're someone who usually can't finish Western dishes because they get too heavy, ordering the squid ink risotto might be the way to eat every last bite happily.

Every dish was above average and genuinely delicious.

Is Sedici a good Seongsu date or blind-date restaurant?

I went looking for a Seongsu spot to enjoy a dressed-up meal in Seoul after a while away, and found Sedici. From the beef tartare to the fried sweet corn gnocchi and the squid ink risotto, every dish had its own character, so it was a good spread of flavors to enjoy, and the cozy, stylish atmosphere of the space was a big plus too. In particular, the mood — comfortable without being too casual — felt well suited for a blind date, a date night, or anyone looking for a great-atmosphere Western restaurant. The vibe is so good that it's become quite the go-to for blind dates.

Even on my visit, the table right next to mine had no fewer than two blind dates going on...!!! A quiet, great-atmosphere Seongsu blind-date spot, Western food favorite, and date spot — if you're looking for a good Italian restaurant in Seongsu, I'd recommend Sedici for good food and a relaxed time :)