Gangnam Italian restaurant with vongole: Brivit Gangnam Station

Whenever I have plans in Gangnam, choosing a restaurant is surprisingly something I agonize over. There are so many good places, but also so many people—and if possible, you want somewhere with great food and a nice atmosphere too, right?

This time, I wanted to leisurely eat pasta and chat for the first time in a while, so I looked up a good pasta place near Gangnam Station and visited Brivit Gangnam Station (브리비트 강남역). It sits between Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Stations, so it is easy enough to get to, and once you head into the alley, its pink European-style exterior immediately catches your eye. The menu ranges from pasta and gnocchi to risotto and steak, so it looked like a nice choice not only for dates, but also for first dates or get-togethers with friends.

Between Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Stations—what about parking?

It is on the first floor at 31 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. You can walk from exits 11 or 12 of Gangnam Station or exit 6 of Sinnonhyeon Station, and it is open daily from 11:30 to 21:15. Reservations, group seating, high chairs, and a waiting area are available.

If you are coming from Gangnam Station, come out near exit 11 or 12 and head into the alley with CGV. From Sinnonhyeon Station, use exit 6. The pink exterior stands out, so it is fairly easy to find once you are in the alley.

I recommend checking the parking situation before you visit. Brivit Gangnam Station does not have its own parking lot, so drivers need to use a nearby paid parking lot.

A pink exterior and window-side seating

As you walk along the alley, Brivit's vivid pink sign jumps right out at you. Even though it is right in the middle of Gangnam, the entrance is filled with lush green plants, giving it a cuter atmosphere than I expected.

The pink exterior is definitely a focal point, so it was easy to find even on my first visit. There is also a standing sign with menu photos in front of the entrance, so you can casually check what they sell before going in. It has a little bit of the feel of a small European restaurant, making for a first impression that people looking for a Gangnam Station first-date or date spot might love :)

There are side-by-side seats right in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, which were nice for eating while looking outside.

Inside, the wood-toned interior and warm lighting create a cozy mood. The tables do not feel cramped, and the seating running along the walls plus the framed pictures here and there give it a clean yet casual feel!

Brivit Gangnam Station signature dishes and our order

Brivit Gangnam Station has many Italian dishes that emphasize presentation and combinations rather than ordinary pasta. Looking at the currently published menu information, the salmon steak pasta and spicy fried eggplant are listed as signatures, while the Greek yogurt and tomato salad is listed as a best menu item.

The salmon steak pasta, for example, pairs salmon steak with tomato pasta in a spicy, clean-tasting ragù sauce, making it filling enough to enjoy as a meal all on its own.

If you love gnocchi, the porcini shrimp gnocchi is worth a look too. It is made with house-made gnocchi, porcini mushrooms, and shrimp in a cream base, so you can enjoy its creamy texture along with the mushroom flavor.

There are also plenty of dishes with Brivit's own personality, including the Hoppity-Hop! Rabbit Pasta topped with rabbit-shaped cheese, spicy jambon risotto with almonds, and spicy fried eggplant—crisply fried eggplant served with spicy chipotle sauce.

• Porcini Shrimp Gnocchi ₩17,800
• Spicy Vongole Oil Pasta ₩18,900
• Spicy Fried Eggplant ₩10,900
• Orange Juice ₩3,500

Orange juice and spicy fried eggplant

The first thing to arrive after ordering was a cold orange juice! 🍊 It was tangy and sweet, so it was nice to sip lightly before the food came out. It also paired well between flavorful dishes like pasta and fried food.

We ordered the spicy fried eggplant as a side. It is golden-fried eggplant topped with cheese and herbs, served with a spicy sauce on the side.

The coating was crisp on the outside while the eggplant inside was moist and tender, so the contrast in texture was lovely. I think even people who do not really like eggplant's characteristic soft texture could eat this without much hesitation.

It was nutty and tasty on its own, but dipping it into the spicy sauce made it even better because it cut through the potentially rich fried flavor. It was a satisfying first dish—a side that was perfect for the two of us to pick at one piece at a time before the mains arrived :)

Vongole oil pasta loaded with clams

For one of our two mains, we ordered the vongole oil pasta. The first thing that caught my eye as the plate arrived was the clams piled all around the pasta! There were more clams than I expected, so it looked generous from the start.

With its oil base, it tasted clean overall, while the savory flavor from the clams naturally soaked into the noodles. The vegetables and cheese on top added another layer of flavor. It was not heavy like cream pasta, so it was also nice alongside the other dishes.

Rich porcini shrimp gnocchi

And then, the porcini shrimp gnocchi I had been looking forward to! It came with plenty of golden-browned gnocchi in a thick cream sauce, along with plump shrimp and mushrooms. Thinly sliced radish and

cheese were added too, so the plating was pretty as well.

The outside of the gnocchi was lightly browned and nutty, while the inside remained soft and chewy. When you coated it generously in the rich, creamy sauce, the mushroom flavor really came through; eating it with the springy shrimp now and then kept the texture interesting too.

While the vongole was clean and mild, the porcini shrimp gnocchi was thick and rich, so the two dishes made a great combination. Personally, if you like cream sauce, I would recommend this dish at Brivit!

How each dish tasted and why I want to return

The vongole oil pasta had lots of clams and a clean savory flavor, while the porcini shrimp gnocchi paired the deep flavor of the cream sauce beautifully with chewy gnocchi. The spicy fried eggplant had a distinct character too! I was told that the porcini shrimp gnocchi and spicy fried eggplant are especially popular menu items.

Most pasta and gnocchi dishes were in the high ₩10,000 range, which did not feel overly burdensome for a Western-style restaurant near Gangnam Station. It was also a nice setup for ordering several sides and sharing them.

I personally loved the atmosphere, with its cozy wood-toned interior and window seats. It was neither too formal nor too casual, so it felt like a good place to eat and talk comfortably. From being shown to our table through the flow of dishes arriving, everything felt relaxed, and it was nice to enjoy the meal course by course, from sides to mains.

I would visit again! Next time, I want to order a different pasta or risotto that I did not try this time. I recommend it for anyone looking for a good pasta restaurant near Gangnam Station, couples wanting a date in a nice setting, or people seeking a restaurant where they can talk comfortably for a first date or a meeting between families before a wedding. Being between Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Stations made it a good place to set as a meeting point too.