Yongridan-gil Christmas Date Course: Straw-Fire Dinner at Warayaki Heyday, a Wine Bar and a Namsan Night Walk
📍 Seoul / Yongsan · Between Samgakji & Yongsan Stns.
Picking a place for a Christmas date is weirdly the hardest part, right? So here is an evening I actually did and loved in Yongridan-gil, the trendy little food street in Yongsan: dinner, one glass of wine, and a quiet walk with a view of Namsan Tower. Plus a café for while you wait.
| Name | Warayaki Heyday (와라야키 헤이데이) |
| Address | 1F, 37 Hangang-daero 52-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 서울 용산구 한강대로52길 37 1층 |
| Getting there | Between Samgakji Station and Yongsan Station |
| Price | Avocado beef tartare ₩24,000 · Mushroom cream pasta ₩26,000 |
| Reservations | Possible via apps like Catch Table |
| Good to know | Ordering wine is required — we had two glasses of house wine |
| Paid by | Me — this is not a sponsored post |
Stop 1: Warayaki Heyday for dinner
Warayaki is a Japanese way of searing food over burning straw, which gives it a soft smoky aroma. Warayaki Heyday mixes that smoky cooking with a cozy, Japanese-inspired mood. It sits on the ground floor of a white brick building; the sign also lists another spot, Saku, on the 2nd floor and a rooftop.
The location is handy too — it is between Samgakji and Yongsan stations, so it works well as a meeting point. The lighting and interior are clean and stylish without being stiff, so it is easy to talk. I would say it is great for a first date or a blind date as well as for couples.
Date tip: book a window seat or one of the cozier tables for the best mood.
The menu
Check the menu before you go. One thing that surprised me: ordering wine is required here. We had two glasses of house wine, and they went really well with the food.
On the menu, “2.4” means ₩24,000, “1.8” means ₩18,000 and so on.
Warayaki avocado beef tartare (₩24,000)
This was the dish I was most excited about. The first thing you notice is a gentle straw-smoke aroma, which makes it very different from normal yukhoe (Korean beef tartare). The creamy avocado wraps around the fresh beef, and a light hint of yuja (Korean citrus) keeps it fresh instead of heavy. It is a fun “oh, this place is special” dish to share.
Warayaki mushroom cream pasta (₩26,000)
This one uses pappardelle, the wide, bouncy ribbon pasta, which soaks up the cream sauce beautifully. The mushrooms were the surprise — I never knew enoki mushrooms could taste this deep and fun to chew. The sauce is nutty and not too heavy, so I never got tired of it. I want to go back just for this pasta.
Overall, it felt less like “a tasty restaurant” and more like a place made for a nice evening together. Would revisit x100.
Stop 2: a glass at a local wine bar
Yongridan-gil has lots of small local wine bars hidden in its alleys, and you can just walk in when one looks nice. The one we went to after dinner was relaxed — perfect for one glass of house wine and then moving on. It was cozy enough that I already want to go back.
Stop 3: a night walk with Namsan views
From Yongridan-gil, if you keep walking along the alleys, the road naturally leads toward Namsan. In the evening there are little moments in the quiet streets where you catch the lit-up Namsan Tower, and everything feels calmer.
I also really recommend the walking paths around the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan. It is fairly quiet even at night and very spacious, so you can walk slowly, talk, and look out toward Namsan. Great for letting dinner settle.
- War Memorial of Korea (전쟁기념관): 서울 용산구 이태원로 29
Bonus: Café Invited while you wait
I got there early, so I waited at Invited, a café in Yongridan-gil. The black sesame latte was delicious and the space has a calm, dark, stylish feel. The name means “invited,” and I happened to be in Seoul that day because I had been invited — so it felt extra special.
- Invited (인바이티드): 서울 용산구 한강대로52길 41
Zoapik’s verdict
– Smoky straw-fire dishes you don’t find everywhere – Avocado beef tartare and mushroom pappardelle were both winners – Stylish but relaxed — good for a first date too – Easy to reach between Samgakji and Yongsan stations – Little wine bars to hop into after dinner – A quiet night walk with Namsan Tower views to finish – Heads-up: wine ordering is required at Warayaki Heyday, so plan your budget for that
Dinner, one glass of wine, then a slow walk under Namsan Tower — it all flows so naturally. Yongridan-gil really is a lovely neighborhood for a date night.
