Dimatteo Pizza, Seoul

After walking around the Taehangno area looking for a nice place for my wife, my two kids and myself to have a meal, we noticed through the door of Di Matteo that there was an Italian gentleman (I assume the owner) manning the pizza oven. I saw this as a good sign and we went in, despite my wife's prophetic statement of 'just because he is Italian doesn't mean the food will be any good'. How right she was. We were initially impressed. The restaurant has an attractive and clean dining area and there were a good number of other people eating. But during our first order attempt, we were told that 28 of the 31 pizza choices on the menu were not available. This information had not been given to us until after we had sat down and had ordered drinks for our kids to keep them quiet while waiting for food. It should have been told to us the minute we sat down so that we didn't have to go through a 15 minute ordering process or to allow us to decide to eat elsewhere. In the end it was a case of 'it is getting late and the kids are hungry, so let's just get them fed'. We settled for a Special Pizza (rucola, tomato and mozzarella cheese) and Lasagna and Spaghetti Carbonara, so that the kids would not get fussy and not eat. The pizza itself was not bad, a nice base and well cooked. But the two pasta dishes appeared on the table with disturbing speed, making us feel that these had been just warmed through, which for the Lasagna I can understand, but for the Carbonara is kind of unforgiveable. They were bland and downright boring, and even my six year old daughter complained and said that she didn't think they were very good. The lasagna was desperately under seasoned, and the carbonara was like drinking a bowl of warm cream with no flavour from the other ingredients coming through at all. These are probably two of the three staple pasta dishes in any Italian restaurant and for them to get them wrong is pretty much committing a sin. The final straw for my wife was a table service error towards the end of the meal. A waiter trying to be helpful came to the table to pour more water, but without asking if we wanted more water and despite there being a very obvious soda bottle on the table, he managed to top up my daughter's soda with water. It was well intentioned, but careless, and although he quickly brought some more soda, it just managed to annoy my wife enough that we are unlikely to eat here again. So in the end, a pizza, two pasta dishes, a bottle of Italian beer and a bottle of soda for a total of 75,000 won. Not bad value for feeding a family of four in Korea, but not worth it for the food and service that we received, and it was an easy decision to have dessert somewhere else. Last words... these are simple things to fix (the floor manager to train his staff better and a chef that that actually tests food before it leaves the kitchen) and I hope that they do it, but I doubt we will be trying Di Matteo again in a hurry.

What was this stuff? Someone needs to go back to culinary school. Terrible, and a waste of time/money. Staff were friendly enough, but that doesn't make a restaurant.

It was amazing!! What could be better than old fasion pizza when you are the pickyest person on Earth??? I felt like I was back in the norht end eating at pizzaria regina. you shoud always visit this great place in Seoul if you are feeling homesick for the northeast or just if you are in the mood for some awesome pizza.

By far the best pizza in Seoul. I felt like I was home again - the food there could compete with pizza and pasta in Boston's north end and Arthur Ave!

Hello Everybody, My name is Giampaolo and I am Italian and I had the worst experience in my life concerning Italian restaurants. This place is for failed people; the service in this restaurant was totally bad; the waiters have no manner and no education. They made us even wait 45 minutes for a risotto and three pizza dish. Unbelieveble!!! They do not give bread, Parmesan Cheese and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for accompaining the Risotto Dishes, because they say they can only serve them with the pasta. Are we crazy???!!!!! The environment is without an identity and you do not feel that you are in an Italian Restaurant. Please, everybody trust me because if an Italian says that this place is a failure, you can definetely avoid to go there. If you do not believe me, you can also ask to the Italian Embassy of Seoul and ask an opinion regarding this restaurant. I have heard that the owner even quarrelled with the Italian Embassy Representatives. Anyway, I hope that I should be enough convincible and advise to all of you to avoid that miserable place. Thank you very much. Giampaolo.

i stumbled upon this place when i first came to korea. my boyfriend recommended this place and i have to say, this place was awesome. the service was excellent and the food (pizza) was delicious, not greasy at all! they made it on the spot in a stone stove. i just can't wait to go back with philip! two thumbs-no all my fingers up!

I thought the place was awsome we went to it on Valentines Day. The pizza was awsome pawsome! I cant wait to visit Korea again and to eat there again.And I cant wait to eat there with David again.