Spicy chorizo pizza and porcini cream pasta in Gwangjin: Osteria Hyeon

I visited Osteria Hyeon, a Gwangjin restaurant I'd been wanting to try! It's an Italian restaurant serving wood-fired pizza alongside pasta. I made a reservation before going. I ordered Caesar salad, spicy chorizo pizza, and porcini mushroom cream pasta — and out of all of them, the wood-fired pizza was the tastiest haha.

Where is Osteria Hyeon, and what are its hours?

• About 4 min walk from Children's Grand Park Station Exit 6
• About 10 min walk from Gunja Station Exit 7
• Reservations available
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30 (closed Mondays)
• Break time 15:00–17:00, last order 21:00

Walking from Children's Grand Park Station toward Sejong University, you'll spot Osteria Hyeon right on the main Neungdong-ro street. It's an easy find for a Children's Grand Park Station meal, and the dark green sign stands out so the storefront wasn't hard to spot at all. Right next door was Bonanza Coffee's Gunja branch, which I'd visited before haha.

At the entrance there was a notice with usage guidelines. No pets and no outside food are allowed, and it operates as a care kids zone, so keep that in mind!

Open kitchen, wood-fired oven and terrace seats at Osteria Hyeon

On one side of Osteria Hyeon, wine glasses, various wines, and bottled drinks were on display. With the open kitchen and wood-fired oven in view, the place really felt like an Italian restaurant.

Turns out Osteria Hyeon has made the Blue Ribbon Survey list for several years running! At the counter, Blue Ribbon markers from 2024 through 2026 were lined up side by side.

The restroom is outside, so you'll need to check the password posted in the store before using it!

There's also outdoor terrace seating out front. The full-length windows were wide open, letting in fresh air that felt really pleasant haha. Now that the weather's cooling down, eating outside sounds like a great idea!

The interior was decorated with warm lighting, with a small lamp at every table. In the evening it felt even more calm and cozy. The table seating had plenty of space, and toward the back there was a long sofa-style seating area too.

Osteria Hyeon's menu and what we ordered

The menu ranged from salads to wood-fired pizzas, risotto, pasta, and even steak.

There were quite a few wine options too, which looked great for pairing with the food! Here's what I ordered.

• Caesar salad (₩25,000)
• Spicy chorizo pizza (₩34,000)
• Porcini mushroom cream pasta (₩28,000)

The bread served before the meal

The pre-meal bread came out first. It was served nice and warm, and honestly even the bread alone was delicious haha. I dipped it in the oil that came with it while waiting for the mains.

Caesar salad, 25,000 won

The Caesar salad was romaine lettuce topped with bacon, croutons, and Reggiano cheese. There was a generous amount of bacon on top, so even as a salad it looked pretty hearty. I could enjoy crisp romaine, salty bacon, and nutty cheese all together in one bite.

Porcini mushroom cream pasta, 28,000 won

Next up was the porcini mushroom cream pasta! It used wide, thick paccheri noodles served with porcini mushrooms and cream sauce. The cream sauce leaned thick and rich rather than light. The sauce clung heavily to the thick paccheri noodles, so every bite delivered a strong creamy flavor. If you love a rich mushroom cream pasta, this one's for you haha.

Spicy chorizo wood-fired pizza, 34,000 won

This is the spicy chorizo pizza. It's topped with a generous amount of chorizo over tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella. The edges of the wood-fired dough had those telltale golden char marks.

Lifting up a slice, the chorizo and cheese were piled on pretty generously. The combination of spicy, salty chorizo and soft cheese worked really well together. But most of all, the wood-fired dough itself was delicious. If you're looking for wood-fired pizza in Gunja, the spicy chorizo pizza is worth checking out. Out of everything I ordered this time, this was hands-down the tastiest haha.

The pizza came with Reggiano cheese, basil sauce, and oil on the side. I could add a little at a time to suit my taste. Since I love basil, pairing it with the basil sauce was my favorite combination!

Is Osteria Hyeon worth a visit in Gwangjin?

Osteria Hyeon, a Gunja restaurant, turned out to be an Italian spot with a warm indoor space plus an outdoor terrace. The price range wasn't exactly light, but ordering a mix of salad, pizza, and pasta made for a relaxed, well-rounded meal. The thick, rich porcini mushroom cream pasta was good, but the spicy chorizo wood-fired pizza was the standout dish. The chorizo and cheese combo was great, and the wood-fired dough was so good that I'd order the pizza again on my next visit haha.