Pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza at Mela, a Yeongdeungpo brunch spot

Where in Times Square is Mela?

Mela MELA is an Italian home-style brunch café right in front of H&M on the 1st floor of Yeongdeungpo Times Square. I wanted to shop and get a good meal at Times Square, and being right by H&M made it easy to find.

What struck me most was the vibe the moment I walked in 🌿 Instead of the usual shopping mall restaurant feel, it had this fresh, lush interior like stepping into a garden — it kept me in a good mood the whole meal.

It seems like it'd be perfect for a date or a gathering — the atmosphere really delivers!

No break time all day: what is on Mela's menu?

Mela runs as both an Italian home-style restaurant and a brunch café. One thing I loved was that there's no break time, so you can go any time of day! From brunch to pasta, pizza, steak-style meals, and even coffee and drinks, there's a wide range to choose from

whether it's morning brunch, lunch, or a late afternoon meal, timing isn't really an issue. Good to know when you're shopping at Times Square and need a place to eat at an awkward hour.

Reservations, paying up front and Mela's self-serve bar

Mela accepts Naver Reservation, and ordering is done directly at the counter with prepayment. I booked through Naver Reservation before heading over. Once we arrived, we could sit right down at our pre-arranged table, which was convenient. Staff don't take orders at the table — you go order at the counter and pay upfront.

And at the self-serve bar there's

• ✔️ Water
• ✔️ Wet wipes
• ✔️ Tissues
• ✔️ Hair ties

all set up for you to grab as needed. These little touches were surprisingly nice to have.

Three dishes for two: was it too much food?

There were two of us, one man and one woman, and we ordered

• 🍝 Minari vongole pasta
• 🍕 Pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza
• 🍞 Classic French toast

three dishes total. The verdict... we struggled to finish, our stomachs were completely full 😂 but everything tasted so good we didn't want to leave any behind.

We got greedy wanting to try all three, and the portions were pretty substantial, so the two of us ended up stuffed. If you're visiting as a pair, ordering just two main dishes should be plenty depending on your appetite. Of course, if you want to sample a bit of everything like we did, three works too haha.

Minari vongole pasta at Mela

Of everything I ordered, this one personally stood out the most — the minari (water dropwort) vongole pasta.

One thing that really matters with vongole is whether the clams have been properly purged of sand.

The clams here were really well purged — I didn't get a single gritty bite.

I think that's the kind of basic groundwork that separates a good restaurant, so it was nice to eat it worry-free. It also wasn't as spicy as I expected. The fragrant minari paired well with the moist pasta for a flavor that wasn't overwhelming and kept me eating.

The minari and vongole combo worked better than I expected 🌿🍝 It wasn't an aggressively spicy style, which I actually liked.

Pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza with syrup and cinnamon

And honestly, this dish exceeded my expectations the most — the pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza! Instead of a regular pizza dough, it uses a pastry dough, so the texture is different from the start.

But once I added the syrup — or honey? — and cinnamon that came alongside it, the whole thing suddenly changed.

It was kind of like... cheese hotteok (sweet Korean pancake)?! The salty, rich gorgonzola cheese combined with the sweet syrup and cinnamon aroma was pretty addictive. And the cheese stretches out in long pulls too — the visual alone is great 🧀

With the mild sweetness of the pumpkin layered on top

if you like the sweet-and-salty combo, this dish will satisfy you. Out of the three, this was surprisingly the one that stuck with me the most.

Classic French toast at Mela

Can't skip French toast at a brunch café! So we ordered the classic French toast too.

Made with thick-cut bread, so it's soft on the outside and moist inside. It came with

• 🫐 Blueberry jam
• 🍯 Syrup
• 🥔 Potatoes
• 🍳 Scrambled eggs
• 🥓 Bacon

so we got to enjoy a variety of flavors all in one plate.

Rather than just eating sweet French toast alone, having the potatoes, scrambled eggs, and bacon alongside let us switch between sweet and salty, which made it fun. True to a brunch menu, there was a lot of enjoyment in mixing and matching bites 😊

Who is Mela Times Square best for?

What I noticed eating at Mela was that it's not just about the food — the overall atmosphere and details are clearly well thought out. From the garden-like interior to having hair ties at the self-serve bar, and basics like properly purged clams handled well, it all added up to a satisfying visit.

So rather than just a simple meal, it seems like a great fit for

• 💑 A different kind of date
• 💌 Wedding invitation gatherings
• 👭 Brunch meetups
• 🍽️ Meals with friends

occasions like these. And being inside Times Square means you can handle dining, shopping, and café time all in one trip — a nice bonus!

If you're looking for a restaurant with a slightly special atmosphere in Times Square, Mela MELA is worth a visit. I especially liked that it's not just brunch — with pasta, pizza, and steak-style dishes too, you get both a brunch café and an Italian home-style restaurant in one place.

What stuck with me most were the clean, well-purged clams in the minari vongole and the unexpected combo of the pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza. If you're planning a date or looking for a brunch meetup spot at Times Square, this is one I'd recommend trying at least once!

Mela Times Square at a glance

• Location: 1st floor of Yeongdeungpo Times Square, right in front of H&M
• Menu: Brunch / pasta / pizza / steak / coffee / drinks and more
• Ordering: Order at counter + prepay
• Reservations: Naver Reservation available
• Highlights: No break time, garden-like atmosphere with great interior