# Yeongdeungpo café date with minari vongole pasta: Mela - By Yejin (https://superchart.com/en/@coffee-dinner-gap/) - Written Sep 13, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Yeongdeungpo, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was supported by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@coffee-dinner-gap/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@coffee-dinner-gap/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/index.md) ## In short Mela Times Square is an Italian home-style café in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. On a Friday evening, we enjoyed minari vongole pasta, rosé corn gnocchi, and apple ade at a window table. Mela Times Square is an easygoing choice for dates or family gatherings. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F, 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea; at the far end opposite H&M on the first floor of Times Square's main building - **Minari vongole pasta**: ₩23,000 - **Rosé corn gnocchi**: ₩22,000 - **House-made apple ade**: ₩7,500 - **Seating**: Window seats, high chairs, and group seating mentioned - **Parking**: Times Square parking mentioned *as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026* ## Friday evening, off to Times Square ![Featured photo from a visit to Mela Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-01-o81m7-1200.webp) After wrapping up a fiercely busy week at work, happy Friday evening had finally arrived. My wife and I headed to Yeongdeungpo Times Square to wash away the week's fatigue. Wanting to enjoy delicious Italian food and a relaxed atmosphere before the weekend, we visited Mela Times Square (멜라 타임스퀘어점), an Italian restaurant already well known around Yeongdeungpo for both its ambiance and food. ![Mela restaurant on the first floor of Times Square's main building](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-02-iywe2-900.webp) The restaurant is on the first floor of Times Square's main building, making it very easy to find from the underground passage at Yeongdeungpo Station or from street level. With the comfortable parking and accessibility typical of a shopping mall, it was simply perfect for a Friday-after-work date. ![Location guide for Mela Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-03-1u7yh-900.webp) It is opposite H&M, near the far end of the first floor. ![Exterior of Mela opposite H&M](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-04-qjbcq-900.webp) ![Mela entrance on the first floor of Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-05-145sb-900.webp) ![Exterior of Mela Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-06-j36jc-900.webp) ## A European garden atmosphere of flowers and vines The moment we arrived at the entrance, the plant-filled exterior, brightly decorated with green trailing plants and red roses, immediately caught my eye. ![Entrance decorated with trailing plants and roses](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-07-13oou-900.webp) ![Plant-filled exterior of Mela](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-08-1f7hm-900.webp) The polished interior felt as though an exotic European garden or stylish outdoor café had been transplanted right here, and I was already excited before even stepping inside. ![European garden-inspired restaurant interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-09-nd1th-900.webp) ![Arched window table with flower decorations](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-10-a8qmq-900.webp) The lavish flower decorations around the arched windows would make a perfectly good photo spot, and through the floor-to-ceiling glass, people enjoying intimate meals beneath warm lighting looked so peaceful. We had booked for 7 p.m., so we were given a window table. Once inside, the dining hall was much larger and more comfortable than it had looked from outside. Other bloggers commonly praised Mela for its spacious, relaxed setting, high chairs, and group seating, saying it was popular not only for couples' dates but also for family gatherings. Seeing it for myself, the high ceiling and generously spaced tables really did make for a very comfortable meal. ## Pasta and gnocchi: what we ordered After settling in, we looked over the menu displayed in front of the counter and kitchen. ![Menu displayed in front of the counter](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-11-1n1dw-900.webp) There was a satisfying range of tempting Italian home-style dishes, from all-day brunch to pasta, risotto, gnocchi, and pastry pizza. After some deliberation, we ordered Mela's fragrant minari (water dropwort) vongole pasta (₩23,000), one of its signature dishes; rosé corn gnocchi (₩22,000), topped with a whole ear of sweet-and-savory corn; and a house-made apple ade (₩7,500) to refresh the palate. ### House-made apple ade Not long after we ordered, the chilled apple ade arrived first. ![Apple ade topped with dried apple chips](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-12-zxu33-900.webp) ![House-made apple ade with rosemary](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-13-hyt72-900.webp) Beautifully topped with dried apple chips and rosemary, the apple ade did not have an artificial syrupy taste. Instead, its subtle, refined apple juice flavor and refreshing fizz came together wonderfully to awaken the appetite before the meal. ![Apple ade on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-14-1mvvx-900.webp) ![Minari vongole date at Yeongdeungpo Times Square, Mela](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-15-1ikvj-900.webp) ## Minari vongole and rosé corn gnocchi Then the evening's main dishes, minari vongole pasta and rosé corn gnocchi, arrived at the table on neat ceramic plates. As soon as the two plates were placed side by side, the nutty aroma of oil, the rich scent of rosé sauce, and the colorful presentation filling the table were truly a work of art. ### Minari vongole pasta First, we tried the minari vongole pasta, generously topped with fresh minari. ![Minari vongole date at Yeongdeungpo Times Square, Mela](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-16-29eid-900.webp) ![Vongole pasta with clams and minari](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-17-tt546-900.webp) ![Minari vongole date at Yeongdeungpo Times Square, Mela](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-18-phy2s-900.webp) ![A plate of minari vongole pasta](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-19-19xc8-900.webp) Loaded with Manila clams and shellfish, the broth was wonderfully clean and deeply savory, while the linguine had perfectly absorbed the briny clam flavor and garlic oil. In particular, the fragrant, crisp minari freshened up the vongole oil pasta, which could otherwise have been a little plain, so I kept reaching for it without getting tired of it. The clams had been thoroughly purged, with no grit at all, and were deliciously chewy. A gentle pepperoncino heat rounded it out, and I savored every last strand in admiration. ### Rosé corn gnocchi The rosé corn gnocchi we tried next was so moving that a "wow" slipped out the moment I took a bite. ![Rosé corn gnocchi topped with Chodang corn](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-20-aypiu-900.webp) ![Rosé corn gnocchi topped with snow-like cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-21-iibid-900.webp) A large piece of golden grilled Chodang corn sat atop the thick orange-pink rosé sauce, with snow-like cheese melting appetizingly over it. The carefully shaped potato-dough gnocchi was chewy on the outside and fluffy-soft within, while the gently spicy, sweet, and creamy rosé sauce warmly enveloped the mouth. The nutty sweetness of the popping grilled corn kernels made an incredible match with the gnocchi. The romantic, bright European garden-inspired interior, the staff's kind service without losing their smiles despite the busy Friday evening, and the flawless, high-quality Italian home-style cooking all came together for a truly happy dinner. ![Dinner at Mela Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date-22-1oxf4-900.webp) If you want a feel-good date or gathering with reliably delicious Italian food and brunch inside Yeongdeungpo Times Square, I wholeheartedly recommend Mela Times Square, a café and brunch spot that does not disappoint. ## Where it is - Mela Times Square (멜라 타임스퀘어점) (멜라 타임스퀘어점) - 1F, Unit 103-9, 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 영등포구 영중로 15 103-9호 1층 멜라 타임스퀘어점 - 37.5172145, 126.9025629 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%9C%EB%9D%BC%20%ED%83%80%EC%9E%84%EC%8A%A4%ED%80%98%EC%96%B4%EC%A0%90/@37.5172145,126.9025629,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@coffee-dinner-gap/yeongdeungpo-mella-minari-vongole-date/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt