Gwangju Italian restaurant terrace waiting for pepperoni pizza

It's the weekend haha🫥 Today I went to Bueokgan, a famous Italian restaurant in Gwangju's Sangmu-dong. This place has two branches in Gwangju, Sangmu and Suwan, and I visited the Sangmu branch. Let me walk you through parking, hours, the interior mood, and food reviews of the pasta and pizza — a brunch spot worth knowing about in Sangmu-dong🤍

Exterior and waiting — a line even at 1pm

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch sits right on a road near Sangmu-dong, so it wasn't hard to find. The exterior has a slight European feel to it✨ Even though I visited at 1pm, there was a wait since the place is well known ㅜㅜ Thankfully, the outdoor terrace seating is well set up, so you can wait comfortably there.🌿 The visitors ranged from families to friends to couples, and the atmosphere is pretty enough that it's a nice spot for a meal and a mood change.

The restaurant has a European vibe with full glass windows, so my expectations were already up before even stepping inside🙆🏻‍♀️ Also, as the posted sign says, there seems to be a break time from 15:00 to 16:30 for kitchen prep. (As of September — note this differs from the hours listed on Naver!)

Interior mood — classic Italian hotel concept

This branch was apparently designed around the concept of a vintage classic Italian hotel. Walking into the main hall, the European interior and the spacious layout gave off a real overseas feel... it felt like a place for a more relaxed meal rather than an everyday lunch. The interior overall felt warm yet had that European restaurant atmosphere. One side has round sofa tables, which would be perfect for a more atmospheric meal.

On one side of the restaurant, a drinks showcase fridge full of wine, beer, and other beverages caught my eye 🍷 A glass of wine with the pasta or pizza would've made the mood even better, but I drove that day so sadly I couldn't drink ㅜㅜ

Menu and set composition

Bueokgan has a wide range of Italian dishes, from steak to pasta, pizza, risotto, and salads. They also offer various set menus! I ordered Couple Set B — pasta or rice + salad + pizza + 2 drinks. There was also a Naver review event going on!!

How was the rosé pasta, salad, and pepperoni pizza?

The rosé pasta's sauce wasn't too heavy or greasy — it had a clean, well-balanced rosé flavor that was easy to eat without feeling weighed down. Best of all, the shrimp were plumper than I expected, very satisfying🤍 Eating them together with the pasta noodles, you could really feel that shrimp texture.

And here's the perk of this set! The salad that came with it kept things from feeling too greasy. It had tomatoes and a variety of vegetables, perfect to pair with bites of pasta in between.

And then the pepperoni pizza🍕 It wasn't the cheese-pull kind of pizza I first imagined, but the salty pepperoni flavor paired well with the light, clean dough — good to eat alongside the pasta.

Personally, my recommendation is the rosé pasta! The sauce isn't overly strong or sharp, it's clean, and with the shrimp it was really delicious🦐 That said, since this place is popular, there can be a wait, so it's best to go early or with some time to spare. Naver Reservation is also available, so if you have somewhere to be, I'd recommend booking ahead!

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch — location and info

• Location: 25 Seogwangju-ro, 1st floor, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 (break time 15:00–16:30)
• Lunch last order at 14:30
• Parking: behind the restaurant, or roadside parking in front
• Outdoor terrace seating available
• Group-friendly / Naver Reservation available
• Rating: ★★★★★ / Would revisit: ★★★★☆

If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere Italian restaurant or a good pasta spot in Sangmu-dong, Bueokgan is worth a visit🤍