Italian restaurant in Yeongdeungpo for a weekend pasta date: Cuisine R

I went on a date in Yeouido for the first time in a while over the weekend ☺️ I already love Western dishes like pasta and pizza, so while looking for somewhere we could have delicious Italian food and chat at a relaxed pace, we ended up visiting Cuisine R (퀴진 알).

Inside Cuisine R

We visited for weekend lunch, and I liked the atmosphere from the moment we walked in. The first thing that caught my eye was the huge windows. With so much sunlight streaming in, the whole restaurant felt bright and warm!

There were lots of cute little decorative touches with an Italian feel throughout, so it was fun to look around even before our meal. The warm lighting and wood-toned atmosphere made it feel comfortable and cozy overall.

There was also a wine refrigerator on one side, and it was packed with such a wide variety of wines 🍷 If you enjoy wine, it seems like the perfect place to have a glass with your meal!

Further inside, there was a separated space that felt like a private room. It seemed great not only for dates, but also for blind dates or quiet get-togethers where you want to dine privately.

We settled into a seat by the window!

What we ordered

We ordered the ragù Bolognese pasta, prosciutto e rucola pizza, and iced Americanos.

Bread before the meal

They first brought us balsamic cream and soft breakfast rolls. It was my first time trying balsamic cream, and its subtle flavor was so good!

How was the ragù Bolognese pasta?

I tend to love tomato-based pasta, so I chose this as soon as I saw the menu. The ragù sauce, with the flavor of minced meat and vegetables, went beautifully with the noodles, and although the sauce was rich, it did not feel overly heavy. The first bite had that distinct deep ragù flavor, and it worked so well with the pasta. Personally, this was one of my favorite dishes of the day.

The prosciutto e rucola pizza combination

The pizza was piled generously with prosciutto and rucola (arugula). The salty prosciutto and the fragrant, peppery rucola made such a good combination. Cherry tomatoes added little bursts of freshness, too. Since the pasta was rich, alternating between it and the pizza worked really well. One pasta and one pizza to share was just right for two people!

Iced Americanos after the meal, too

And something else I was quietly pleased about that day was being able to enjoy iced Americanos there as well ☕️ Usually, after a meal, you have to ask, “Which café should we go to?” and move somewhere else, right? But that day, we could have coffee right at our table after eating, so there was no need to go anywhere else. Since it was the weekend and we had plenty of time, we talked for ages over a cup of coffee each. Being able to slowly drink coffee instead of getting up right after the meal made for such a relaxed date.

Next time, a set menu

Another thing that caught my eye while looking through the menu was the set menus. There were various options, from sets for two to meals for larger groups, with salad, pasta or risotto, pizza, and drinks all included. They looked like a good option when you want to try a variety of dishes. We ordered à la carte that day, but if we come back, I think we will try a set menu then.

I am curious about the risotto we did not get to try this time, and I want to order a wider variety of pasta dishes, too!

Our weekend date verdict

The food was delicious, and I also loved the warm restaurant atmosphere filled with sunlight. Above all, being able to enjoy coffee in the same place after our meal made it a great spot for a day when you want to take your time chatting on a weekend date, like we did. The next time we want pasta or pizza on a date in Yeouido, we are coming back for a set menu 🤍