Magok Italian restaurant, wide-noodle truffle cream pasta: Romaok

I was looking for a restaurant with a nice atmosphere around Magongnaru and ended up at Romaok Magok (로마옥 마곡) on the 3rd floor of LG Arts Center Seoul :) I go to Magok pretty often, but this was the first time I really noticed there's such a good Italian restaurant inside LG Arts Center.

With its high ceilings, arched interior and huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the mood was honestly better than I expected the moment I walked in. And all three dishes we ate that day, the abalone innards pasta, the fresh truffle Hanwoo white ragu pasta and the mushroom truffle cream pasta, looked really impressive. After the meal you can also walk over to the rooftop right next door, so it works as a Magok date course on a nice day.

Romaok Magok location and opening hours

Romaok Magok is at 136 Magokjungang-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd floor of LG Arts Center Seoul, and it's open 11:00–21:30. Break time is 15:00–17:00, and last order is 14:00 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner.

• Address: 136 Magokjungang-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, 3rd floor of LG Arts Center Seoul
• Hours: 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 14:00 / 20:30)
• Parking: 2 hours free for Romaok diners, then ₩3,000 per hour
• Transit: Magongnaru Station (Line 9 and Airport Railroad) connects underground to LG Arts Center; 2 minutes from Exits 3 and 4

How to get to Romaok from Magongnaru Station

LG Arts Center Seoul connects directly underground to Magongnaru Station on Line 9 and the Airport Railroad, so it's easy to visit by public transport.

The building is huge, so it can be a little confusing on a first visit, but for Romaok you just head up to the 3rd floor.

The sign says "3F Romaok / Romaok Italian Bistro," so once you're on the 3rd floor it isn't hard to find.

What are Romaok Magok's entrance and interior like?

Romaok Magok's entrance sits inside a big arch on the 3rd floor of LG Arts Center Seoul, and the feel is totally different from a restaurant in a shopping mall. When you come up to the 3rd floor, you see Romaok inside the large arch, and personally I thought this entrance was really pretty. Rather than a typical mall restaurant, the architecture of LG Arts Center and the store design flow together naturally, so the atmosphere felt special even before going in.

Wine glasses hang in a long row beneath the "ROMAOK ITALIAN WINE AND DINE TRATTORIA" sign, which looked lovely in photos too.

High ceilings, arches and the signature lounge table

The hall at Romaok Magok has a high ceiling with a huge arch-shaped structure in the middle. Inside, it was much bigger than it looked in photos, and you really feel the sense of space.

There's a long table in the middle, with regular tables and window seats arranged around it.

The long table is Romaok's signature lounge table, a special spot where you can eat while looking at the central object, they say! Sitting side by side looked great for a cozy, close conversation with someone precious to you! It seemed good for small gatherings and for dates too.

On one wall, wine bottles are stacked high, and you can see an open kitchen below, so the whole place has a European restaurant vibe.

Sunny window seats and quieter tables inside

The window side of Romaok Magok gets really good natural light thanks to the big floor-to-ceiling windows.

The weather was great the day we visited, and sunlight pouring through the big windows looked really pretty. You can see the rooftop straight outside and views of Magok from indoors, so a daytime visit gives you a bright, relaxed mood.

If you'd like a quieter meal, there are seats further inside too. The seating isn't crammed into one space but divided into zones to some degree, so I thought it would work well for gatherings or dates.

Romaok Magok in the Blue Ribbon Survey 2025

There was also a Blue Ribbon Survey 2025 listing sign near the entrance of Romaok Magok. You know how seeing that makes you expect more 😂 I wondered whether it was just a place with a good atmosphere or good food too, and to say the conclusion first, we were satisfied with the dishes we ordered that day overall.

What's on the Romaok Magok menu, and how much does it cost?

The Romaok Magok menu was made up of pasta, risotto, steak and so on, and pasta prices were mostly in the upper-₩20,000 range. You order from the tablet at your table, so it was easy to order while looking at the photos and descriptions.

Personally, though, I was a bit disappointed that there was no oil pasta or pizza. Besides the cream and ragu styles, one lighter option would have made it easier to put an order together.

Complimentary bread to start

After we ordered, bread came out first. It was slightly crisp outside and moist inside, so it was nice to pick at before the mains. We ate it with our drinks while waiting, and the mains arrived soon.

The three pastas we ordered at Romaok Magok

That day at Romaok Magok we ordered three: the abalone innards pasta, the fresh truffle Hanwoo white ragu pasta and the mushroom truffle cream pasta. All three together look pretty glamorous, right? Each one looks even more appetizing on its own.

Abalone innards pasta (₩26,000)

The abalone innards pasta (abalone gaeu, the rich innards of the abalone) is ₩26,000, and it was the dish that caught my eye from the start. A big whole abalone sits on top of the pasta. The surface is grilled golden with clear grill marks, so it photographs really well.

Under the abalone is pasta in an abalone innards sauce, with that distinctive savory, rich flavor. Garlic scapes are in there too, so it wasn't too heavy overall, and cutting the abalone and eating it with the pasta added a chewy texture that I liked. Personally, in terms of looks, this was the most memorable of the three that day.

Fresh truffle Hanwoo white ragu pasta (₩29,000)

The fresh truffle Hanwoo (Korean beef) white ragu pasta is ₩29,000, and just as the name says, several slices of fresh truffle sit on top. You can see the truffle right in the photo, which looks so appetizing. With a white ragu base, it felt a bit different from a regular tomato ragu, and the meat flavor and cheese plus the truffle aroma made it a very rich pasta.

If you like truffle, this is the one to keep an eye on among the three. The aroma is quite distinct, so I think it suits people who usually like creamy, strongly flavored pasta.

Wide-noodle mushroom truffle cream pasta (₩26,000)

The mushroom truffle cream pasta is ₩26,000, and its feature is that it uses wide, chunky noodles instead of regular spaghetti. The mushroom and truffle cream sauce coats the noodles well, so each bite has a pretty strong cream flavor. Thanks to the wide noodles the texture differs from ordinary pasta, and it was the most unique of the three.

LG Arts Center rooftop next to Romaok: opening hours

Step outside next to Romaok and there's an outdoor rooftop space, open 10:00–18:00. Be sure to visit the rooftop after your meal.

The weather was so nice the day we went that we headed outside after eating. The space was bigger than I expected, with outdoor tables and chairs.

You can see Magok's buildings ahead and the sky is wide open, so after eating indoors the mood felt completely different. In cool weather like we've had lately, eating on the rooftop would be nice too!

Romaok Magok parking and show-ticket validation order

If you drive to Romaok Magok, use the LG Arts Center Seoul underground parking. Romaok diners get 2 hours free, then it's ₩3,000 per hour, according to the notice. LG Arts Center's official guidance also tells visitors to use the building's underground parking.

The sign says you need to settle parking at Romaok first and then with your performance ticket for the two to be combined. If you settle with the show ticket first, adding more may not be possible, so definitely check this if you're combining a meal and a show.

Romaok Magok: final verdict

If you're looking for an Italian restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Magok, Romaok Magok is worth a visit. These were the parts I especially liked.

• High ceiling and arched interior
• Huge floor-to-ceiling windows
• Blue Ribbon Survey listing
• Pasta made with abalone and truffle
• Rooftop with a view of Seoul Botanic Park
• A location that pairs well with LG Arts Center performances

Above all, Romaok felt less like a place where you just eat and leave and more like a restaurant where you enjoy the atmosphere of the space too. If you're looking for a spot for a Magok date, an anniversary, a meal before or after an LG Arts Center show, or a meal after a trip to Seoul Botanic Park, it's worth remembering :)