Boccalino

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Taste of Southern Italy in the Heart of Seoul

Boccalino occupies a sunny, light-filled room on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, and the atmosphere makes its intentions clear from the moment you walk in. This is Italian dining — warm, generous, and grounded in the kind of recipes that belong to families rather than trend cycles.

At the stove is Head Chef Ivan Spadaro, a Sicilian whose path to fine dining wound through a passion for travel and gastronomy before settling into a deep commitment to the food of his homeland. His cooking at Boccalino draws on cherished Italian family recipes and seasonal ingredients, while quietly incorporating local Korean flavour accents — a reflection of where he is as much as where he comes from. "My cuisine is constantly evolving," he says, "driven by my love of fine flavour and the wide-ranging gastronomic and cultural inspirations I encounter."

What Arrives at the Table

The menu reads as a confident tour through Southern Italian cooking. The Pistacchio e Mortadella Pizza — pistachio cream, mortadella, fior di latte, and Parmesan — has become one of the restaurant's defining dishes. The Spaghettoni alle Vongole is made with homemade pasta, clams, olive oil, lemon, and white wine: simple, precise, and satisfying. For something more robust, the Polpo alla Luciana arrives as slow-cooked octopus with cherry tomato, capers, black olives, chilli, and grilled ciabatta — a dish that speaks directly to the Neapolitan tradition. The Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a US-grilled T-bone with grilled vegetables, rounds out the heartier end of the menu.

Meals can begin with an antipasti platter and close with a dessert buffet, while an extensive selection of wines and cocktails supports the table throughout.

Recognition and Setting

Boccalino's consistent quality has earned it recognition from Gambero Rosso, Italy's foremost food and wine authority — a meaningful endorsement for an Italian restaurant operating outside Italy. The award reflects what Chef Spadaro has built: a room where Mediterranean cuisine is treated with genuine seriousness, not as a hotel amenity but as a destination in its own right.

Lunch and dinner are served daily, with a weekend brunch rounding out the week.