Hongdae café in Seoul for peach bingsu with gelato: MELA Hongdae

A go-to Hongdae brunch café

Today I went to MELA Hongdae, a Hongdae brunch café, with a friend. I got to spend a relaxing time with my favorite peach bingsu (shaved ice dessert) and a cup of coffee, and it was so nice 💕 Also, funny little episode — a foreign visitor struck up small talk with us and it was actually really fun, haha,,ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

MELA Hongdae: the storefront and the room inside

Here's the exterior of MELA Hongdae

Lots of gorgeous-looking brunch dishes in sight

Peach bingsu 🍑 topped with gelato — the moment I saw it I knew this was the one, haha. Apparently next week peach season ends and persimmon bingsu comes out instead. Persimmon season is coming,,

The interior was spacious

Every corner was pretty, so the photo zones were well set up too 📷🎥🤳

What we ordered at MELA Hongdae and where we sat

Our order

There were also croissants, apple pie and cookies to order alongside coffee

Since it was fully seated, I ended up at a big table

The dessert came out first, along with our coffee

The peach bingsu came with syrup too — the visuals were just so good 🍪🥠🍪🥠🍪🥠🍪

What does MELA Hongdae's peach bingsu taste like?

Gelato sits on top of the peach, and there was no holding back on the peach either — loaded generously 🍑

Scoop up a big spoonful of gelato

Eat it together with the peach and it's basically honey 🍯🍯🍯 total flavor bomb

It's peach season these days, so I kept craving peach desserts, and this bingsu hit the spot 🍑 Great for eating something cool too! Just looking at it makes you hungry, with peaches piled on generously — super satisfying 💕

The sweet, well-ripened, juicy peach and the soft shaved ice melted together beautifully in the mouth. The peach wasn't too sour or bland — just sweet enough, and it paired really well with the bingsu 🍑 You'd bite into peach chunks here and there, good texture, and it was cool and refreshing — perfect dessert for a hot day haha

Sometimes bingsu that's too sweet gets tiring after a few spoonfuls, but thanks to the peach's tanginess, I kept reaching for more than I expected haha. Couldn't put the spoon down ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Sweet peach + soft shaved ice really is a combo that never fails 🤍 It went well with coffee too, and wasn't too much to share between two people!

If you like peaches, this is a menu item worth trying before the season ends 🍑 — if you're looking for a cool summer dessert, go for the peach bingsu ❄️💕

Marlenka cocoa cake with coffee at MELA Hongdae

Unlike a typical fluffy cake, Marlenka cocoa cake has cream layered between several thin sheets, so one bite is moist yet chewy! You could really taste the rich cocoa flavor, which chocolate dessert lovers would enjoy 🍫

It wasn't too dry — the cream and sheets blended well so it went down smoothly, and it was subtly sweet with a slight bitterness from the cocoa, so it never got tiring. Eating it with coffee, the sweet cake and bitter coffee combo was just right ☕️💕

Even just one slice felt pretty satisfying, and you get to enjoy a texture that's a bit different from regular chocolate cake, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different. That's my review of MELA Hongdae, a go-to Hongdae brunch spot!