Suseok-dong Italian restaurant, mozzarella squash blossom: Romaok

A hanok restaurant in Suseok-dong. The Han River comes into view across the courtyard. This isn't a hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal) spot — it's authentic Italian cooking from a chef who trained at a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Italy.

It's also famous as an outdoor wedding venue, so it's a proven beautiful spot. Come eat here once. It's genuinely delicious, and it'll make you happy. Romaok Riverside.

This place had an unusually high number of repeat-visit reviews — people drive in from far away. There are plenty of places that do Italian well. These days, among the endless competition of restaurants around Seoul, it's not just the food that has to be good — the building, the service, the view, all of it. Romaok Riverside is one of the winners.

The second floor operates as a café and group rental space, the first floor as the Italian restaurant, all inside a hanok. The lighting probably looks gorgeous at night too. A Suseok-dong date, maybe even a Suseok-dong proposal spot — somewhere you'd want a warm meal with friends or a partner.

Where is Romaok Riverside and how do you get there?

Romaok Riverside sits on Gangbyeonbuk-ro 632beon-gil in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, and it's hard to reach by public transit. Not impossible, but everyone just drives.

There's a park golf course right next door, and the whole neighborhood is full of good restaurants.

Italian cooking from a two-star-trained chef, starting with the house bread

Authentic Italian where the chef, formerly of a two-Michelin-star restaurant, bakes the bread from scratch

Romaok Riverside bakes its bread in-house. The fermented starter bread is full of holes and comes warm straight from the oven. Even the olive oil has garlic and basil leaves in it, so it's fragrant. You could be happy just eating the bread.

From the first-floor seats, you get a glimpse of the Han River past the courtyard. The floor-to-ceiling windows have real character, so move quickly if you want a good spot. Even if your table isn't by the window, you can still enjoy the view fully with a coffee on the terrace or upstairs.

Mozzarella squash blossom with carrot puree

The appetizer I ordered was the mozzarella squash blossom with carrot puree. It's made with squash blossom, fior di latte, garlic, anchovy, carrot, and basil.

It's squash blossom stuffed with mozzarella and fried — the batter is very thin, and the first bite releases a honey-like fragrance from the blossom that spreads right through your mouth

It's a dish that feels beautiful, both to look at and to eat. It comes with a squash and basil sauce — wipe your plate clean. It's an unfamiliar menu item, but well worth ordering.

Balsamic glaze salmon steak

This wasn't a carb day.. it was a protein day, so I ordered the salmon steak.

The salmon comes with a balsamic doenjang (soybean paste) sauce, mustard dill dressing, and barley. There's salad underneath, so the nutritional balance is good too

The salmon steak is very large. It easily comes to 250-300g. If you're worried the portion might be small, don't be — one order gives you a thick piece you can share.

The balsamic-doenjang sauce is rich and savory with a bit of tartness and sweetness. You don't get two Michelin stars for nothing. The salmon itself is very tender. After eating salmon as sashimi for so long, it's been a while since I had such a good cooked salmon dish. I'll order it again next time.

Free coffee for a receipt review

TIP: If you write a receipt review, you get a free coffee. You can drink it with your meal too.

Romaok Riverside fills up the moment it opens. If I were craving Italian, why would I go anywhere else.. As long as my schedule allows, I'll keep coming back here..

Seating, parking and tips for visiting Romaok Riverside

After the meal, enjoy the second-floor café and terrace, plus the riverside walking path along the Han River in Namyangju

The first floor of Romaok Riverside is split between the terrace-facing area and an inner hall past the lobby. Every seat is comfortable and pleasant. There are luggage shelves beside the tables too.

Parking is free for the first hour, and even overtime fees aren't expensive. After your meal, make sure to step out onto the terrace and take in the Han River view while chatting. Romaok Riverside looks even more beautiful if you enter through the riverside stairway entrance.

Han River view from the second-floor café, and the verdict

A river-view restaurant in Namyangju known for its many regulars, well suited to warm meals with a partner, friends, or family

Here's what the second-floor café's river view looks like.

The photo focuses on the window, but the space itself is very spacious. It's rented out for weddings and all kinds of events, so if you're planning a year-end workshop or similar, inquire — it'll be talked about positively for a long time.

Fresh, generous ingredients, the plating, the balance of flavors, the staff service, and the beautiful hanok Han River view. Romaok Riverside is a place I'll go back to.