About Alla Prima
Alla Prima sits in a glass-fronted Cheongdam townhouse, all sandstone and brushed brass, with an open kitchen anchored by a wood-fired Mibrasa grill. Chef Kim Jisoo trained at Identità and the late Tickets Barcelona before returning to Seoul to open her own room in 2020 — a 1-Michelin star arrived within a year.
The menu is a love letter to Italy filtered through a Korean pantry: agnolotti stuffed with hanwoo brisket, raw langoustine over yuzu kosho oil, slow-roasted duck breast served on a bed of charred radicchio and aged balsamic. The pasta course alone justifies the trip — every shape made by hand the morning of service, every sauce layered and finished tableside.
The wine list runs deep on Piedmont and Sicily but holds enough Burgundy to satisfy a serious cellar conversation. Pacing is exact: ninety-minute service, never rushed. The dining room seats forty across two floors, with the upstairs mezzanine quieter and slightly more romantic — request it when booking.
Reservations open six weeks in advance via Catch Table and disappear within forty-eight hours. The set menu is the only option at dinner; lunch offers a shorter four-course tasting at roughly a third of the price. Dress is smart — jacket suggested but not required. Service speaks excellent English.
Best Occasion Fit
First-date Seoul rarely warms up faster than at Alla Prima. The pace is unhurried, the lighting low, the kitchen is visible enough to spark conversation without being theatrical, and the wine pairings are calibrated to encourage a second drink, not a third yawn.
Explore More in Seoul
Discover more exceptional restaurants in Seoul ranked by occasion — from first dates to deal-closing dinners and once-in-a-lifetime proposals. Browse our full occasion guide for every type of table, or explore all cities in our directory.