Hakdong Station Italian for 200 days married: polpo at Osteria Lucia

I finally went on a Gangnam date with my husband for the first time since we met~! We're coming up on 200 days of marriage, and after wondering what to do, we headed to Osteria Lucia near Hakdong Station, a well-known corkage-free spot in Gangnam.

Where is Osteria Lucia, and where do you park?

Osteria Lucia is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hakdong Station. If you're driving, there's a parking lot on basement level 2, just so you know.

Atmosphere of an anniversary restaurant near Hakdong Station with private rooms and group seating

The moment we walked in, the spacious, upscale interior stood out. The open kitchen was in full view, which somehow made it feel more trustworthy, and there was a big round table in the middle and a private room on the right. There was even a group celebrating their parents' 60th birthday that day, so it looked good for anyone searching for an anniversary restaurant or a family gathering spot near Hakdong Station.

There's group seating on the left too, so it looked fine for larger get-togethers. Wine bottles were displayed like interior decor, each with a stylish design, and the whole place felt really high-end.

What the two of us ordered at Osteria Lucia, and the prices

At Osteria Lucia we ordered 2 focaccia, the polpo (octopus) and the bottarga (cured fish roe pasta), and for dessert the lemon sorbetto and truffle gelato.

• Focaccia - ₩1,500 × 2
• Polpo - ₩28,000
• Bottarga - ₩32,000
• Lemon sorbetto - ₩2,500
• Truffle gelato - ₩3,500
• Wine - ₩10,000
• Coke Zero - ₩3,000

Each place setting was neat and tidy, and the wine we ordered came out quickly. It was neither too tannic nor too sweet, just right for taking a sip after each dish.

Is the focaccia a must-order?

I recommend ordering the focaccia (₩1,500 each) at Osteria Lucia. We got 2 so we could have one each, and it came with a sauce for dipping.

Spread with the sauce, the savory olive flavor and the mild tang of sun-dried tomato went really well with the warm bread. The focaccia was slightly crisp outside and moist inside, so it was a very satisfying starter bread.

How tender is the octopus dish, polpo?

The first dish to arrive was the polpo (₩28,000), with octopus, chickpeas and spices on top of potato mousse. See how the octopus is being cut? It sliced so softly that I was surprised.

Eating the potato mousse, octopus and chickpeas in one bite, the octopus's signature chew combined with the smooth, nutty mousse for a really great texture combination.

Homemade pickles: giardiniera

The giardiniera at Osteria Lucia is served once when you order pasta, and I hear refills cost extra. Maybe because they're homemade, the pickles weren't harsh and the vegetables stayed crunchy, so they were nice as a palate cleanser in between bites.

Bottarga pasta: is it different from aglio e olio?

The dish I'd been looking forward to most even before coming to Osteria Lucia was the bottarga (₩32,000). Bottarga is fish roe that's been salted or dried, and it came piled generously on top of an oil-and-butter-based pasta.

Honestly, at first I thought, "Isn't this just aglio e olio with roe sprinkled on?" and I'm sorry about that.... The moment I took a bite, the roe aroma hit, and it wasn't so much saltiness as the roe's deep, rich flavor spreading through my mouth. Even with the oil and butter base it wasn't greasy at all, and the umami of the roe balanced everything so I kept reaching for my fork.

Dessert: lemon sorbetto and truffle gelato

The lemon sorbetto (₩2,500) at Osteria Lucia was so refreshing that my mouth is watering even as I write this. I recommend it if you want to finish the meal on a clean note.

The truffle gelato (₩3,500) was the staff's recommendation, and honestly I'm not a huge fan of truffle flavor, so I wasn't sure. But my mind changed with the first bite. The truffle aroma spreads gently and blends in harmony with the smooth ice cream, leaving a luxurious lingering finish. If I go again, I'd definitely order this once more.

Corkage-free Osteria Lucia in Gangnam: would we go back?

We came by car that day, so we didn't bring our own wine, but Osteria Lucia is corkage-free, so next time I'll bring a favorite bottle. The atmosphere is great and the food quality was satisfying, so I'd recommend it for anniversary dates, blind dates and family meals too :)