Suwon restaurant for quattro formaggi ham pizza: The European

My absolute favorite!! There is this amazing wood-fired pizza place, so I went over on the weekend. It is an Italian restaurant run by a chef with 10 years of experience at Seoul's Shilla Hotel ^^

The atmosphere is so upscale, and the pizza quality is on another level, so this is a hidden gem I really want anyone planning an Italian date in Haenggung-dong to visit!

The European Haenggung Main Branch: information and parking

• Address: 1F, 21-1 Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30–21:30
• Parking: Hwaseong Haenggung roadside public parking directly in front is recommended (₩900 per 30 minutes; 50% discount for low-emission and compact cars).

It is right in front of Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, and the Hwaseong Haenggung roadside public parking lot is practically right there, so parking is really convenient 👍 The lot is genuinely spacious and pleasant too.

Like this, haha. It was completely empty on a weekday... whoa.

Around 2–3 p.m. on weekends, it was completely full, with such a loooong line of cars waiting to park. Maybe because it was lovely September weather, there were so many people out for a visit to Hwaseong Haenggung Palace.

This is what the exterior looks like :) Since it specializes in wood-fired pizza, there was a whole lot of oak firewood outside.

Even Suwon's mayor has visited—this is a real expert's kind of restaurant, haha.

An interior that is great for dates and gatherings

With an interior and atmosphere that absolutely radiate elegance, I thought it would be such a great spot for a date or even a blind date.

When you head farther inside, there is an even larger space,

with tables continuing down both sides. The space can be divided using doors that open and close, so I thought it would be perfect for company dinners or year-end gatherings too.

There is no separate physical menu; you can simply scan the Catch Order code with your camera and order easily.

Menu and prices

There are 17 kinds of pizza alone, plus pasta, gnocchi, and steak—just packed with dishes Italian-food lovers cannot help but love. There were too many to include them all, haha. I think it would be good to check the menu on Naver.

How was the quattro formaggi ham pizza?

Quattro Formaggi Ham Pizza ₩30,000

I enjoyed the basil burrata pizza so much on my last visit that I seriously considered having it again... but I am the ultimate curious person, and I want to work my way through all the dishes I wonder about, so I ordered the quattro formaggi ham pizza.

Just from the name, it was a dish that cheese lovers would find hard to pass up. The look of it was incredible too, haha. Quattro formaggi ham pizza combines several kinds of cheese, so it is a pizza where you can really savor that nutty, intense cheese flavor.

The menu describes it as: “Gruyère, Grana Padano, Emmental, and ricotta. A pizza where the rich flavors of four cheeses meet the nutty, savory saltiness of ham in perfect harmony.”

With the first bite, the cheese's rich flavor came through first, followed by the ham's distinct savory, gently aromatic flavor—it was an excellent combination. The intense cheese could have become a little rich, but that salty ham flavor made it just insane... that was all I could say.

The cheese in the center seemed to be ricotta—can you see how soft it looks? It was slightly sweet too, and it played the role of a kick that maximized the flavor of the four-cheese pizzaㅠㅠ So, so delicious...

And there was shredded pickled radish to refresh your palate when it got a little rich, plus honey for dipping!! The perfect finishing touch.

I am a professional pizza-crust-leaver(?), but The European Haenggung Main Branch's pizza dough is so wonderfully chewy and fluffy that I always finish every last bit 😭🫶

It is delicious on its own, but yum yum, dipping it in honey makes it even better ❤️ The atmosphere was so lovely and the pizza was so good—I had such a happy time, haha.

I took this on the way out, but the absolutely massive presence of that Grana Padano cheese—whoa—was impressive too.

A Haenggung-dong meal itinerary with Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Rather than simply having a meal at a good restaurant and heading home, I think Haenggung-dong is even better as part of an itinerary that includes Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Haengnidan-gil. You could stroll around Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, stop by a pretty café, then have Italian food at The European Haenggung Main Branch for lunch or dinner. It is especially a great place for couples looking for an atmospheric meal on an Italian date in Haenggung-dong :) And if you love cheese like I do, please make sure to try the quattro formaggi ham pizza at The European Haenggung Main Branch at least once!!