Gangnam Italian restaurant, ripieni and bottarga pasta: Osteria Lucia

Today I'm sharing my visit to Osteria Lucia, a great restaurant near Hakdong Station in Gangnam. I was so excited because I think I found my favorite Italian restaurant ever. It's one of those hidden hangouts that people in the know already know about near Hakdong Station, so let me start the review.

I heard the chef trained at a Michelin 3-star restaurant and recreates the flavors as they taste in Italy, so I was looking forward to it even before I went.

How do you get to Osteria Lucia, and where do you park?

From Exit 3 of Hakdong Station (Line 7), just walk straight for about 191 m. It takes only about 3 minutes on foot, so it's right by the station and easy to reach by public transport.

The building has its own car park on the B2 level. Parking is free from 17:00 on weekdays, and from 11:00 on weekends and holidays.

At weekday lunch, the building car park may not be available, so you'll need a nearby private lot. Cheongun private lot is right next to the restaurant, about 10 m away, and is the closest. Nonhyeon private lot is about 50 m from the restaurant.

Inside Osteria Lucia: atmosphere and seating

The moment you walk into Osteria Lucia, the open kitchen catches your eye. You can watch the chefs cooking busily and neatly in real time.

There's also a private room for small gatherings or business meetings, and the group seating reportedly holds up to 18 people.

True to the restaurant's slogan of inviting someone dear into your home, the staff were attentive, and I felt looked after throughout the meal. They also host private events, so I thought it would be great to hire the space for a party on a special day.

Osteria Lucia menu and ordering rules

Based on authentic Italian cooking, Osteria Lucia reportedly develops and makes everything in-house, from bread and desserts down to the pickles. They also stock about 100 wines from regions all over Italy, so it might be heaven for wine lovers.

To really enjoy the day, we ordered a bit of everything, from appetizers to the signature dish.

What we ordered at Osteria Lucia

• 🧡 Burrata ₩15,000
• 🧡 Mushroom rippieni ₩15,000
• 🧡 Bottarga pasta ₩32,000
• 🧡 San Pellegrino 750 ml ₩8,500

At Osteria Lucia, you need to order one special, pasta or risotto dish per person. To keep the meal quiet and relaxing, entry is limited to ages 13 and older.

How did each dish taste at Osteria Lucia?

San Pellegrino

Before the appetizers, I cleansed my palate with San Pellegrino sparkling water.

🍽️ Burrata

The burrata cheese plate I picked as an appetizer was a work of art in its plating. Fresh, soft burrata came with fragrant, slightly bitter wild arugula, and I loved the aroma of the flavorful basil pesto.

The olive oil tied it all together and made my mouth feel clean and fresh. It was a first step that let the natural freshness of the ingredients come through.

🍄 Mushroom ripieni stuffed with chorizo

Personally, the mushroom rippieni was the fresh and memorable dish for me. It's a European-style bite: button mushrooms stuffed with chorizo, a salty, spicy Spanish sausage, and baked in the oven.

The moment I bit in, the fragrant mushroom juice burst out and mingled with the chewy, spicy chorizo, and it was an amazing taste. I thought it would go perfectly with wine too.

🍝 Sicilian bottarga pasta

At last, the big signature dish, the bottarga pasta, arrived. It's a high-end cured roe pasta flavored with Sicilian bottarga (salted, dried fish roe), garlic, butter and parsley.

Bright yellow bottarga powder is sprinkled generously over the noodles, and the look alone is overwhelming. On a rich, savory butter base, the salty, deeply umami bottarga clings to every strand.

There's no fishy taste, just a subtle sea flavor and nuttiness lingering in the mouth. One bite and I understood right away why this is the signature dish. It was a wonderful taste.

Who is Osteria Lucia for?

Osteria Lucia felt like being invited into a caring Italian home and served a warm, special meal.

Thanks to the polished dishes that show the skill of a chef from a Michelin 3-star kitchen, and the friendly service, I could focus on just the food and conversation.

I recommend it to anyone who wants proper, authentic Italian food around Nonhyeon-dong in Gangnam or Hakdong Station, or who wants to spend an anniversary quietly sipping wine with someone special.

I'm planning to go back soon to try Osteria Lucia's other pasta dishes.