Suwon Italian restaurant for Bolognese lasagna: The European

An Italian restaurant found in front of Hwaseong Haenggung parking lot

Today was one of those days when I wanted Italian food. So I headed to Suwon as soon as I got off work haha 🚗 The European Haenggung Main Branch (더유로피언 행궁본점) is right in front of the Hwaseong Haenggung Street Public Parking Lot, so parking was no problem even with a car!

Hwaseong Haenggung Street Public Parking Lot 🅿️

• 10 minutes free
• Base fee: ₩900 for 30 minutes
• Additional fee: ₩400 per 10 minutes

What is the best thing about public parking lots? The low-emission vehicle discount, of course haha. My parking fee that day was ₩7,700, but I got an ⚡️electric vehicle⚡️ discount and paid only ₩1,600!! This is why I use public parking lots haha. After parking, just come out toward the entrance and walk a little way—you can easily find The European Haenggung Main Branch!

An entrance with a wood-fired oven and fresh pasta station

As soon as you go through the automatic doors, you can see the 🔥wood-fired oven🔥 for pizza straight ahead, and a space on the left where they make fresh pasta 🍝!

The lovely smell of pizza baking hit me the moment I entered the restaurant haha.

Past the oven area, there was also a refrigerator where they age dough and store steak meat!!

At first glance, it did not look like there were many tables, but there were plenty further inside! Once seated, we checked the menu and ordered the Margherita pizza, truffle cream gnocchi, and Bolognese lasagna. I wondered if it might be too much for two people, but we could not resist after looking at the menu and ended up ordering all three haha. The food came out faster than expected after we ordered! I think all three dishes arrived in under 10 minutes!

Tomato and basil on the Margherita pizza

Margherita pizza — ₩23,000

The tomato sauce and basil aroma on the Margherita pizza went so well together. The sauce did not taste like a store-bought one either—it felt like they made it themselves!

And the most important thing about wood-fired pizza, above all else: the dough! The plate is a bit messy, but it was wonderfully chewy haha.

Truffle cream gnocchi with a shiitake aroma

Truffle cream gnocchi — ₩23,000

Ah... I really love both gnocchi and cream, but this gnocchi pasta has shiitake mushrooms 🍄🟫 in it.... Since I do not like the shiitake aroma, I was so disappointed... If you do not like mushrooms, please keep that in mind....!!

Bolognese lasagna with ragù sauce and green oil

Bolognese lasagna — ₩23,000

This lasagna had ragù sauce and green oil drizzled over the top, and they worked so well together!! I cut it into bite-size pieces with my fork and slurped it right up haha.

House white wine — ₩8,000 Coca-Cola — ₩3,000

This was the white wine we ordered to drink with the food haha. The atmosphere was nice, and the food seemed like it would pair well with wine, so we could not resist. Of course, I had to drive, so I drank Coke insteadㅠ When I first smelled it, there was a strong sweet aroma, but the sweetness was not that intense when I actually tasted it! It was a nice wine to have with our dishes without becoming tiring.

My thoughts after eating at The European Haenggung Main Branch

So, to sum up The European Haenggung Main Branch, which I visited on a day when I wanted Italian food!!

• The restaurant was clean and had a great atmosphere!
• The food was mild overall, so it was easy to enjoy without getting tired of it!
• But.... the shiitake mushrooms in the gnocchi were such a shame....!
• People who eat salty food might find it bland, so opinions could be divided!

Visiting Suwon and craving Italian food? Want freshly baked wood-fired pizza? Want to dine somewhere with a lovely atmosphere? Then give The European Haenggung Main Branch, a great restaurant near Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a try~!