Italian date in Sangmu, Gwangju: risotto & rosé pasta at Camel Orzo

Sometimes you just want a relaxed date somewhere with a nice atmosphere and good food, right? This time I looked up Italian dining spots in Sangmu, Gwangju, and went to Camel Orzo, which won me over on both mood and food!

It's a place where you can feel an exotic vibe even in Sangmu, so I was excited before going in. Once I got there, everything from the exterior to the terrace was really pretty! The stylish interior, a bit different from an ordinary restaurant, put me in a good mood before we even ate, haha. This time I ordered the Manjo crema risotto and the red shrimp bisque rosé pasta and took my time enjoying the meal!

Camel Orzo location, hours and parking

Camel Orzo is at 261 Uncheon-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju (Urban Peak Sangmu, 1st floor, Unit 102), and it's open 11:00–23:00. It's on the first floor of Urban Peak in Sangmu, so it wasn't hard to find!

For parking, you can use the building's commercial lot or the Nice Park Chipyeong-dong lot, so it's fine if you come by car! And the location is great, so it would be easy to stroll around Sangmu before or after your meal as part of a date!

Camel Orzo exterior and rattan terrace

The first thing that caught my eye on arrival was the exterior of Camel Orzo!

From the entrance you get an exotic feel, different from an ordinary restaurant! The terrace outside the building has rattan-style chairs and tables mixed with green plants, so it felt like I was traveling abroad and had found a little Italian restaurant!

On a nice day, eating on the terrace would be really lovely! Daytime seems great for a relaxed meal in the sunshine, and in the evening the lights would make it more romantic, so I thought it's perfect for a date, haha. With a mood like this, it suits anyone looking for a Gwangju date restaurant where you enjoy the space itself, not just the food!

The space I liked most at Camel Orzo was the terrace! In the outdoor area along the side of the building, rattan-style chairs and tables sit together with plants, so it felt like a restaurant at a vacation resort! On a nice day, I think sitting on the terrace would be even better than sitting inside!

Camel Orzo indoor seating and atmosphere

Inside, Camel Orzo felt upscale yet comfortable, with warm lighting and neatly set tables. The exotic mood from outside carried naturally into the interior!

The tables are spaced fairly generously, so we could eat and talk without worrying much about the next table! There are seats ranging from tables for four to spaces for bigger groups, so it looked fine not only for dates but also for family meals or get-togethers!

Personally, I liked that the mood wasn't too dark or heavy!

I think photos would capture both the food and the space nicely,

and it was a comfortable atmosphere for taking your time over a meal and chatting!

Camel Orzo menu and prices of what we ordered

At Camel Orzo you can find a range of Italian dishes, including pasta, risotto, wood-fired pizza and steak! The menu changes with the seasons, which is fun, and the dishes use the tastiest seasonal vegetables and fresh seafood to bring out the ingredients' natural flavor, so choosing was part of the fun!

It's a style that brings out the flavor of each ingredient rather than just a strong sauce, so I had a hard time deciding what to order! This time we ordered one risotto and one pasta and decided to share both!

• Manjo crema risotto (₩23,500)
• Red shrimp bisque rosé pasta (₩22,000)

First they set out clean tableware and water, and after a short wait, the food we ordered arrived!!

Both came out at the same time, which was great for taking photos and for tasting everything at once!!

An exotic atmosphere and the food comes out this pretty too!!

I can see why it's known as a Gwangju date restaurant, haha

Thanks for the food, I'm going to enjoy this one:)

How was the Manjo crema risotto?

Camel Orzo's Manjo crema risotto (₩23,500) has meat and mushrooms on a creamy sauce, and the grains still had a bite. With meat and mushrooms together on top, it looked quite appetizing from the start!

With the first spoonful, the soft texture of the creamy sauce came first, followed naturally by the flavor of the meat and mushrooms! The rice wasn't overcooked and mushy like porridge; it had that soft yet chewy texture typical of risotto, which I liked!

The cream was richly nutty, and with the savory depth of the meat and mushrooms, every bite felt quite deep in flavor!

Eating a piece of meat together with the risotto, the rich meat flavor blended with the creamy sauce for a much fuller taste! I also caught the subtle aroma of the mushrooms here and there, which seemed to cut the richness!

How was the red shrimp bisque rosé pasta?

Camel Orzo's red shrimp bisque rosé pasta (₩22,000) adds the deep seafood flavor of shrimp bisque to the rosé sauce, making it a notch richer than an ordinary rosé pasta.

Personally, I liked this dish from the aroma of the sauce! The deep seafood flavor typical of a shrimp-based bisque blended with the rosé sauce, so it tasted a notch richer than a regular rosé pasta! Twirl the noodles around your fork and take a bite, and you get chewy noodles and smooth rosé sauce, then the savory shrimp flavor rises up behind it!

I tried the red shrimp too, and its plump, springy texture was great; the contrast in texture when eaten with the pasta was fun! Especially with the salty, rich seafood savoriness added to the soft cream sauce, it felt much fuller than the rosé sauce alone!

The sauce coated the noodles well, so I could taste that rich flavor right to the end, haha. The flavor and aroma of each ingredient, like the meat, mushrooms and shrimp, came through naturally, so every bite let me feel the combination of ingredients! The approach of using the tastiest seasonal vegetables and fresh seafood to bring out the ingredients' own flavor came across in the food too!

Is Camel Orzo a good date spot in Sangmu, Gwangju?

I hear Camel Orzo is run on the experience and skill of an owner-chef with 25 years in the kitchen, and maybe that's why the combination in each dish felt quite delicate! After this visit, I definitely think Camel Orzo suits the label of a Gwangju date restaurant!

For one, the exotic exterior is great for taking photos together, and the interior is warm and stylish, so it was easy to talk over the meal! Above all, the food is pretty and rich in flavor, so it would also work for an anniversary or special day!

It's a good place to go when you want tasty food somewhere with a bit more atmosphere than an ordinary meal! After eating, you can keep the date going by walking around Sangmu or stopping by a café! So if you're looking for a restaurant with a nice mood in Sangmu, this is one I'd remember as a Gwangju date restaurant, haha

I really enjoyed eating at this lovely restaurant:) Camel Orzo, where the exotic terrace and stylish interior give you the feeling of being abroad! The Manjo crema risotto was rich and nutty, with the deep flavor of meat and mushrooms blending into a smooth cream sauce, and in the red shrimp bisque rosé pasta, the springy red shrimp and deep seafood savoriness went well with the rosé sauce!

The food brings out the natural flavor of ingredients like seasonal vegetables and fresh seafood, which made it even more satisfying, and I could feel the deep skill of the 25-year owner-chef too! I'd recommend it as a Gwangju date restaurant for days when you want both atmosphere and food, haha