Hongdae brunch café with weekday reservations and pre-ordering: MELA

Today I visited MELA, a brunch café in Hongdae with great vibes and food to match. It's located in Nudit Hongdae, so parking is easy, and the atmosphere is comfortable for chatting with company — perfect for a date or a meetup with friends. Here's my piping-hot review!

MELA Hongdae location, hours and parking at a glance

The address is 41 World Cup buk-ro 5-gil, 1st floor #105, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from both Hongik University Station and Mangwon Station. It's open daily from 09:00 to 18:30, with last order at 18:00. Parking in the building is free for 1 hour, then ₩800 per 10 minutes after that.

• Salmon Eggs Benedict ₩22,000
• Mela's Top Blade Steak ₩39,900
• Fragrant Minari Vongole Pasta ₩23,000
• Victoria French Toast ₩21,000

Walking from Hongik Univ. Station to the Nudit building

I took the subway and walked from Hongik Univ. Station. The weather was nice, so I enjoyed the autumn breeze and arrived before I knew it! It's located in the Nudit building, so it was easy to find.

That apple is so cute. Apparently MELA means apple in Italian!

The table setting was adorable from the start. They've really nailed their branding.

A weekday 1pm reservation: what are the seats and atmosphere like?

The interior at MELA Hongdae was clean and spacious. It's divided into 2-person tables, 4-person tables, and group seating, so you can sit according to the nature of your gathering. I visited after reserving for 1pm on a weekday, and a little more than half the seats were already filled.

The MELA cup is so cute. I really loved the cute interior of this place.

MELA Hongdae menu prices and the order-and-pay-first system

Here's the MELA menu board. Main dishes include steak, pasta, gnocchi, shakshuka, pizza, and kimchi fried rice; brunch menu items include French toast, brunch plates, eggs Benedict, and salads. There are also side dishes like fries and mini salads, plus bakery items, desserts, and wine. Check the photo below for the drinks menu!

After a long deliberation, I ordered the Victoria French Toast (₩21,000), the new napa cabbage salad (₩19,000), and a decaf Americano (₩5,800)! Since it's pre-order and pre-pay, you look at the menu at your table and then order at the counter. One order per person is required!

The food came out really fast. I went to the restroom once and both dishes were basically out by the time I got back.

Victoria French Toast.

Napa cabbage salad. It looks so appetizing, ㅠㅠ

How does the new napa cabbage salad taste?

To avoid a blood sugar spike, I decided to eat the vegetables first. Can vegetables really taste this good...? I tried it out of curiosity since it's a new item, and the napa cabbage itself was crisp and sweet and delicious, while the sauce and crispy bacon bits made for a fun texture.

Victoria French toast: toppings and portion size

Next up was the one I was most excited about — the French toast. The Victoria French Toast came with sugar-coated banana, blueberry, mango, whipped cream, and strawberry jam toppings.

Two thick slices of bread stacked on top of each other made it surprisingly filling for a brunch dish. French toast coated in that nutty egg batter is always a love 💕 Ah, I ate so well and got so full!

Is MELA Hongdae worth a visit? Final thoughts

If you're looking for a solid brunch spot around Hongdae or Mangwon, I recommend MELA Hongdae. The food is great, of course, but unlike the bustling main street of Hongdae, you can really feel like you're having a leisurely brunch. With no break time, you can eat or have brunch anytime without worrying about the clock. Parking is convenient and the interior is great for conversation, making it perfect for a date or a hangout with friends!

(The video quality suddenly got worse when I uploaded it to the blog, which was disappointing 🥲 If you want to see the video, please check the clip instead)