Pizzeria O

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Pizza That Won the World

Pizzeria O, the flagship location on Dongsung-gil in Seoul's Jongno district, is built on a very specific claim: its founder and CEO Yuk Kyung-hee became the first Korean to take first place at the 17th World Pizza Cup in Rome, and later the first Asian to serve as a judge at the 20th edition of the same competition. That backstory is not incidental — it is the foundation of everything on the menu. Gambero Rosso, the authoritative Italian food guide, has recognised Pizzeria O with a slice award, a rare distinction for a Korean establishment and a mark of how seriously the kitchen takes its Italian roots.

Wood Fire at 485°C

The philosophy here is straightforward: Neapolitan pizza is more delicious and more wholesome than other styles, and the method must match that conviction. Dough is slow-fermented and left to breathe, producing a crust that stays chewy from first bite to last. Toppings lean on fresh ingredients — rucola, basil, buffalo mozzarella sourced from Italy's Campania region — and each pizza is fired in an oak-burning oven held at a steady 485°C, the temperature at which a true Neapolitan base chars and puffs in seconds.

Signature Pies Worth Knowing

The menu is anchored by a handful of standout Neapolitan pizzas. The Stella arrives in a star-shaped dough that folds the flavours of Italy into a single, theatrical form. The Margherita Bufala layers fresh buffalo mozzarella over a classic base for what the kitchen calls "the true queen's pizza." The O'Pizza combines daily-delivered rucola, ricotta, and a house wine sauce — the combination that put Pizzeria O on the map. The salmon pizza is the 2019 Rome World Cup winner itself, served here as a regular menu item. For those who want to go further, the lobster pizza arrives with a whole fresh lobster, while the Quattro Funghi brings truffle oil together with mixed mushrooms in a pairing the menu suggests alongside red wine.

A Queue-Worthy Address in Dongsung-dong

The original location on Dongsung-gil — occupying the first and second floors of a building in Dongsung-dong — has earned a reputation as one of Seoul's most sought-after spots for wood-fired pizza. Television appearances and word of mouth have kept lines forming. The Neapolitan pizza here is not a novelty act; it is the product of genuine competition-level craft, recognised both in Italy and at home.