Weekday late lunch couple's set with free salad at Romaok Magok

My husband finally took a weekday off. It had been a while since we'd had time just the two of us, but with the kids' pickup and everything, going far wasn't really an option.

I remembered seeing Romaok — it had that European restaurant vibe — when we went to see a show at LG Arts Center a while back. I looked it up and found they run a late lunch promotion that comes with salad and bread if you visit during the late lunch hours. So we went together, without traveling far, to get a little date feeling and try the late lunch deal.

What's the vibe like on the 3rd floor of LG Arts Center?

Romaok Magok (로마옥 마곡) is on the third floor of LG Arts Center Seoul. Once inside, light pours in through the big windows and the ceilings are high, so the space doesn't feel cramped at all. The tables were also fairly spaced out.

The staff were attentive from seating to explaining the menu, and they checked in on us thoughtfully throughout the meal. It was a comfortable atmosphere for the two of us to eat slowly.

What we ordered and how much it cost

Since it was our first visit, we thought a bit about what to order and ended up going with the signature dishes.

• Abalone geou pasta: ₩26,000
• Eclipse squid ink risotto: ₩25,000
• Pine nut caprese salad / pre-meal bread: free (late lunch)
• Sprite: free (receipt review)

Besides pasta and risotto, there was also a good variety of main dishes like steak, desserts, coffee, and wine on the drinks menu.

The salad and bread from the late lunch promotion

With the late lunch promotion, you get pre-meal bread and a mini pine nut caprese salad. I didn't expect much since it was a complimentary dish, but once it arrived it was good enough to have been worth ordering on its own.

The pine nut fromage blanc on the salad especially was nutty and smooth. The bread was crispy outside and soft inside — the kind you'd want to buy separately from a bakery.

On top of that, we got a soft drink from the receipt review event. We only ordered the pasta and risotto, but with the salad, bread, and drink also on the table, it made for a pretty solid lunch spread for the two of us.

Abalone geou pasta with a whole abalone on top

The abalone geou pasta uses abalone geou (abalone's roe/liver), so the flavor wasn't unfamiliar at all. It was rich and nutty like a cream pasta, and a whole abalone was placed on top, giving it a hearty texture.

Eclipse squid ink risotto that felt like the theater

With a white cross drawn in sauce over pitch-black squid ink risotto, the plating looked a bit special from the start. It matched the visual of Dracula, the show currently running at LG Arts Center, which made it feel like eating inside a restaurant that's part of the theater.

The menu noted that since it's meant to be eaten with wine, it's seasoned on the saltier side by default. We ordered it with the standard seasoning, and it was indeed a bit salty. If you usually prefer milder flavors, it might be worth asking for lighter seasoning when ordering.

Is it okay to bring kids along?

This time we went just the two of us, but Romaok offers a free mushroom cream risotto for preschoolers aged 12–72 months.

When eating out with kids, you know how it goes — ordering a separate kids' dish means they often can't finish it, but just sharing the adult food isn't quite right either. Since there's a dish set aside just for kids, I thought it'd be nice to come back here with our kids next time.

Perks worth checking before you visit

We took part in the late lunch and receipt review events, but there were several other perks too. If you're planning a visit to Romaok, it's worth checking before you make a reservation.

Basic info for Romaok Magok

• Hours: 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Parking: 2 hours free for Romaok diners, ₩3,000 per hour after