Free corkage couple set for weekend lunch at Bueokgan Suwan, Gwangju

I visited Bueokgan, an Italian restaurant in Gwangju's Suwan district, for a weekend lunch date with my husband. It's a great brunch spot for family outings and I'd already come here with others, but never with my husband — so today we finally made it together, haha.

• 📍 37 Suwan-ro 106beon-gil, 1st floor, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:30–21:00
• ✅ Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 14:30, 20:20

Next to Sumun Park, an Italian-forest concept

It's a bit away from downtown, and right next door is Sumun Park, so the place feels quiet and peaceful. It was designed as a brunch restaurant set in an Italian forest, so it's a real atmosphere spot, haha. There's plenty of parking along the street or in nearby alleys.

The interior

Bueokgan is a great Italian restaurant in the Suwan district that even offers free corkage! Since it's a good spot for family outings, I saw plenty of families with kids when I visited. The closer it got to lunchtime, the more people came in — you could really feel how popular this Suwan-district brunch spot is. Seeing babies around from the morning made me happy, haha.

Seating: bar table plus tables for 2 or 4

Starting with the bar table space where you can watch the kitchen—

there were also tables for 2 and 4, and the wide window overlooking the greenery of Sumun Park was more stunning than any interior decor.

The facade already gives off a European restaurant vibe, and inside, the finishing touches — colorful lighting from Switzerland's Bitrix, Sweden's Artek, and Louis Poulsen — make it a highly polished space, hot for both date nights and family meals.

The ₩48,000 couple set

Couple set ₩48,000 / soup + pasta + rice + 2 drinks (extra charges may apply depending on the menu you choose)

We ordered the couple set, and I liked that coffee and orange juice came out before the meal. Sipping the coffee while we waited, the food was ready before we knew it, haha.

It wasn't a weak brew — a strong coffee that gave me a full dose of caffeine to sharpen up the start of the day, haha.

The included pumpkin soup

For the soup we picked the standard pumpkin soup that comes with the set. It was thick and rich yet really smooth — I ate a bit with a spoon, then ended up picking up the bowl and finishing the rest straight from it, haha.

The crunch of the nut topping added a nice nuttiness — a happy start before the main dishes, haha.

Abalone cream risotto

The couple set includes both a pasta and a rice dish, and we picked the abalone risotto — gotta think about our health, haha!

The rich abalone innard sauce combined with cream was so smooth and nutty, it was delicious — and with every bite you could feel the chewy texture of the abalone and clam meat. The fried enoki mushroom topping was crispy and nutty too, so I enjoyed every bit of it!

Seafood tomato pasta

This is the seafood tomato pasta from Bueokgan, a well-known pasta spot in the Suwan district. The tomato sauce, simmered for a long time, comes loaded with plump shrimp and Manila clams — such an appetizing sight!

One bite and you understand why it's famous as a pasta spot in the Suwan district. The chewy yet soft noodles held the sauce well without going watery — rich seasoning that still came off fresh and not heavy. A successful, feel-good brunch date in the Suwan district!

My husband said it was such a lovely brunch and agreed it's a great Italian restaurant in the Suwan district, haha. I came here with our daughter last time too — next time, when our pasta-loving son comes home, I'll have to bring him along as well, haha.