IL Cipriani Restaurant

Il Cipriani Restaurant is located in Apkujong. It's the second floor above Starbucks in a building on that big main street that Cine City is on. You have to enter a Starbucks to get to this conservatory-like trattoria on the first floor. This classy Italian restaurant serves fresh innovative food in a bright loft-like atmosphere. When you walk into Il Cipriani, you walk up a candlelit staircase and into a large red brick-walled space with high ceilings. The white linen-covered tables are perfectly accented with gorgeous Korean pottery dishes. The place is accented by lot of wood, greenery and modern art paintings. The service is good and very efficient although the staffs in the restaurant don't really speak any English.

Generally this place is a little expensive, but the lunch set menus are a good value. For 30,000-45,000 won, you can order a set menu with an amuse gueule (a kind of small appetizer compliments of the chef), soup, salad, a small pasta dish, a main course, coffee and dessert. The breads are homemade and delicious. The walnut bread, baked in the brick oven that dominates the kitchen. The grilled tomatoes that come with the dishes are super ripe and tasty. Everything has a fresh simple and clean taste. Nothing is overly spiced. It seems that the chef wanted all the natural flavors of the food to come through. The wine list is amazing, showing labels from all parts of the world, including Portugal and South Africa.

This place is a favorite with Kangnam ajumas because of its chic atmosphere. When reserving, ask for a table by the French windows that look out to the bright lights of Gangnam-gu.