Hongdae brunch spot for homemade lemonade and ₩2,500 sourdough: MELA

A brunch café favorite in Seogyo-dong, Hongdae — an atmospheric brunch restaurant

Hi, I'm J, the eating expert! Today I'm bringing you a review of a Hongdae brunch café I visited because I wanted to enjoy a leisurely brunch somewhere with great atmosphere. Instead of my usual hearty Korean meal, I was looking for something a bit more relaxed for lunch, and that's how I found MELA. The food was great, but the atmosphere was just as good — comfortable enough to chat and linger for a long time.

Where is MELA Hongdae? An alley near Nudit Hongdae

MELA Hongdae is located near Nudit Hongdae, and you can easily find it by going into the alley off Wolgyecheon-buk-ro 5-gil. The address is 41 Wolgyecheon-buk-ro 5-gil, 1F #105, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Arched windows and a long wood table: what the hall feels like

The hall at MELA Hongdae is warmed by natural light streaming through tall arched windows, with classic pendant lighting and a long wood table — great for group gatherings or dates. It's a Hongdae brunch café perfect for stepping away from the noisy main street and enjoying some downtime.

On the wall is MELA's signature cute red apple logo, which also makes for a nice, atmospheric photo spot.

MELA Hongdae menu and what we ordered, plus sourdough for 2,500 won

Once seated, I looked over the menu. MELA Hongdae has a full lineup of all-day brunch items, plus steak, salad, pasta, and pizza. I ordered the fragrant minari vongole pasta and ragu tteokbokki I'd been curious about, along with homemade lemonade to drink.

The homemade lemonade and sourdough bread arrived first. The sourdough bread, added for 2,500 won, was delicious dipped in the ragu tteokbokki sauce.

Homemade lemonade, our pick after the grapefruit syrup ran out

I personally love grapefruit, so I ordered grapefruit ade, but unfortunately they were out of the homemade grapefruit syrup, so I switched to lemonade. Topped with sliced fresh lemon and apple mint, it looked refreshing just to look at. The lemon's tangy zing paired well with the pasta and ragu tteokbokki, and my disappointment melted away.

How does the minari vongole pasta taste?

The minari vongole pasta passed the visual test right away — a bowl piled with fresh clams and plenty of vibrant green minari (water dropwort). The fragrant minari aroma hit first.

The savory flavor of the oil combined with the umami from the clams, plus the fresh scent of minari, made for noodles I finished down to the last strand without any heaviness. A certified great pasta spot in Hongdae.

Ragu tteokbokki with rice cakes swapped for pasta noodles

Last up was MELA Hongdae's ragu tteokbokki! The rich, heavy ragu sauce soaked all the way through the chewy rice cakes — it felt like eating an upscale dish.

The ragu tteokbokki can also be swapped for pasta noodles, so if you prefer noodles, that's a good option too. This time I enjoyed a delicious brunch pairing vongole with ragu tteokbokki, but the tables around me were mostly ordering steak. Next time I visit, I'm definitely trying the steak menu too. If you want a beautiful date with someone special in Seogyo-dong, or just a lovely brunch, I recommend MELA. :)

MELA Hongdae visit information: hours, parking and directions

• Address: 41 Wolgyecheon-buk-ro 5-gil, 1F #105, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Seogyo-dong 460-25)
• 700m / about 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station (Line 2, AREX, Gyeongui-Jungang Line) Exit 1
• About 7-minute walk from Mangwon Station Exit 1
• Parking available: 1 hour free, then ₩800 per 10 minutes
• Hours: Daily 09:00–18:30, last order 18:00