Jamsil jazz restaurant for introverts: feta citrus salad at Allegro

It's such lovely autumn weather these days, I'm so happy… I was wondering where to go for a date and found a great jazz bar slash Western restaurant! It's called 'Allegro' in Songpa, Jamsil. I'd only ever been to drinking spots in Bangi-dong, so a place with this nice a vibe?! The mood is perfect for a date… ✨ I've been to a few live cafés and have really good memories of them, so this time I wanted to try a jazz bar too.

What is the atmosphere like at Allegro in Jamsil?

Allegro is a neat Western restaurant with soft lighting and a live jazz bar feel, and it's on the 3rd floor of a building. I hear it's newly opened in Jamsil ✨ Come up to the 3rd floor!

The interior is honestly amazing. It has the soft lighting of a tidy Western restaurant that's great for dates, plus a live jazz bar feel on top! Lots of guests start arriving about 30 minutes before the performance, so I went early and grabbed a window seat ✨

Allegro seating: facing the stage or a side window seat?

Allegro has an area facing the stage and a side area. Round tables let you sit side by side, and square tables let you sit face to face.

I'm an extreme introvert who feels pressure to react if I'm looking straight at the performers^.. so I sat at a window seat farther away, and it was just right. You can see Lotte World Tower from there 🤍 But if you want to enjoy the performance more, I'd recommend the center seats! The sides make it hard to see the musicians playing in one full view. If you like enjoying things from a distance like me, go for the side ✨

Allegro menu, set times and live cover charge

Allegro's menu is varied: pasta, steak, salads, and even plates that go well with wine. Check out the Western menu before you go. They had polpo, so I decided this time I'd have that! 🫦🤍 I want to work my way through the whole menu.

Allegro's set times are Set 1 at 7:30–8:10 and Set 2 at 8:25–9:05. They post the lineup every time, so check it before you visit! The live cover charge is ₩10,000 on weekdays and ₩15,000 on weekends, and if you come before or after the performance there's no separate cover charge!

What we ordered for two: one salad and two mains

For the two of us, we ordered a salad and 2 mains!

Feta citrus salad (₩18,000)

Allegro's feta citrus salad has fresh citrus fruits topped with feta cheese, granola and arugula (rucola).

I really recommend this one among the salads. The fruits like grapefruit and mandarin are so delicious, and the arugula aroma goes well with the other ingredients.

It was my first time trying feta cheese, and its firmness is somewhere between ricotta and cream cheese?! The taste is similar to ricotta with a bit of added saltiness. Perfect for whetting your appetite… 🤍💦

Polpo (₩34,000)

Allegro's polpo is an octopus dish, and since I hadn't had it in a while, it was one of the dishes I was most looking forward to.

At first they set fire to some leaves and I was startled! I guess the leaves are burnt rosemary! It seems to give the dish a smoked aroma. Smells so good… (●'◡'●)

The flame goes out by itself after a little while. The octopus cuts so tenderly.. ✨ The outside is a little crispy!! This is only the 2nd time in my life I've had polpo, and Allegro's was really tender and the harmony with the sauce was so good.

The sauce was mashed potato and a slightly spicy sauce. It tastes familiar but is hard to describe.. but it totally suited my taste! I looked it up and it's called 'romesco'! Apparently it's made by grinding roasted bell pepper, almonds, olive oil and garlic!

Carbonara (₩16,000)

Allegro's carbonara felt like a traditional carbonara, so I ordered it.

It has guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino cheese and egg yolk. Once you mix it well, it's thick and delicious. I liked that it wasn't too salty! The guanciale was so tasty.. ლ(╹◡╹ლ)

How was the live jazz at Allegro?

Allegro's first set started at 7:30, after stage adjustments from around 7:10. The lineup was vocals, piano, cello and drums.

The vocalist's voice was so charming, and the piano, cello and drum players were all so good. I fell in love with jazz.. (❁´◡`❁) The atmosphere, food and jazz were all perfect! The staff and the owner were kind too, so we ended the last day of the Chuseok holiday on a happy note.

Is it okay if it's your first time at a jazz bar?

Allegro's guests were really varied: families, dates, blind dates and more. A jazz bar felt a bit intimidating to me, since I worried I wouldn't enjoy it, but I had a great time.

I think it's a place you can come to comfortably whatever the purpose. Of course, it'll make you even happier on a special day! Honestly, I want to come back on my birthday.. they do a lettering service for birthdays and anniversaries!! I recommend it as a Jamsil Western restaurant with a great atmosphere 🤍