Café-alley lunch pizzeria in Hapjeong, Seoul: Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza

Lunch at Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza, between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations

I was craving wood-fired pizza near Hapjeong and Sangsu stations, so this time I went to Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza. (Just so you know, that's the actual business name, not a hashtag.)

It's on the street of the Hapjeong café alley between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations, which made it a convenient spot to set as a meeting place.

They had the Quattro Stagioni pizza, which lets you try four flavors at once, and the Gamberi Crema shrimp cream pasta was delicious too — good for a simple lunch or as part of a Hongdae/Sangsu/Hapjeong date course.

If you're an office worker or student near Hapjeong or Sangsu stations, this is a good place to set as a meeting spot and pick either pasta or pizza.

How to get there, opening hours and parking

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza is about a 7-minute walk from both Hapjeong Station Exit 6 and Sangsu Station Exit 1, right at the entrance to the Hapjeong-dong café street.

Since it sits between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations and near the entrance to Hongdae Red Road, it's also a hot spot for people in their 20s and 30s and for foreign tourists.

Address: 5 Dokmak-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 11:30 - 22:00
• Break time 15:30 - 16:30
• Last order 21:30
• Saturday & Sunday 11:30 - 22:00 (last order 21:30)
• Closed regularly on Tuesdays

Parking - Not available in front of the restaurant, due to the nature of the Hapjeong/Sangsu alleyways.

Inside Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza

The inside was clean, with an antique, old-fashioned kind of feel.

It felt like a new place at first, but looking at the props and photos on the wall, some looked almost 10 years old.

They seem to have been running a place along the Hapjeong-Sangsu line for quite a while now. If you take part in the review event, you get a free drink.

What we ordered

As the name suggests, the signature feature of Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza is pizza and pasta made using a wood-fired oven (hwadeok). Unlike ordinary pizza, baking it in the wood-fired oven brings out a chewy texture in both the dough and the toppings.

This time I ordered the Quattro Stagioni pizza together with the Gamberi Crema shrimp cream pasta. The crispy, chewy dough of the wood-fired pizza and the spicy shrimp cream pasta showed off two very different textures, which paired well together. If two people visit and each order one, it's a great combo for sharing several flavors.

Quattro Stagioni pizza, 26,000 won

Quattro Stagioni is a pizza put together so you can taste Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza's signature menu items all at once. It costs ₩26,000.

You get to enjoy four flavors on one pizza: Quattro Formaggi, Croccante, Margherita, and Diavola.

Ordering just one flavor of pizza can feel a bit lacking, but with Quattro Stagioni you can split four flavors between everyone, which is especially convenient when you're visiting with several people.

From the Quattro Formaggi, where you can really taste the cheese, to the familiar tomato sauce and cheese combo of the Margherita, to the spicy kick of the Diavola — each had its own distinct character. It was also fun dipping slices into the honey that comes with it.

You can really feel the aroma and texture that come from dough baked in a wood-fired oven, so it's a menu worth checking out if you're looking for wood-fired pizza in Hongdae.

Gamberi Crema shrimp cream pasta, 18,500 won

I also ordered the Gamberi Crema shrimp cream pasta, priced at ₩18,500. It's a dish that adds shrimp and mushrooms to a spicy cream sauce for extra flavor, with the wood-fired oven's heat used to melt the cheese on top for a savory finish.

The rich cream and cheese soaked well into the noodles and shrimp, giving it a savory taste — though it's a bit spicier than it looks.

It's a dish that adds shrimp and mushrooms to a spicy cream sauce for extra flavor, with the wood-fired oven's heat used to melt the cheese on top for a savory finish.

I also liked that you can choose between penne and spaghetti noodles depending on your preference. (The photo above shows the spaghetti version.)

Worth a lunch stop near Hapjeong and Sangsu stations?

If you want to enjoy pizza and pasta together near Hapjeong or Sangsu stations, it's worth looking for a place built around wood-fired oven dishes, like Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza.

This time I tried the signature Quattro Stagioni pizza together with the Gamberi Crema shrimp cream pasta. If you want to experience several flavors at once, Quattro Stagioni seems like a great fit. If you're setting up a lunch meeting near Hapjeong or Sangsu stations, or looking for wood-fired pizza, Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza is worth keeping in mind.