# Italian restaurant in Hongdae, Seoul for a quiet early dinner: MELA - By Dahwi (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-bottle-opener/) - Written Sep 19, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-bottle-opener/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-bottle-opener/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/index.md) ## In short MELA Hongdae is an Italian home-style brunch and pasta restaurant in an alley between Hongdae and Hapjeong in Mapo, Seoul. Arriving in the early evening before the 6:30pm closing time, the writer found a near-empty dining room and ordered baby potato basil cream gnocchi, pistachio jalapeño pizza and a mini salad, with the pastry-dough pizza the standout. For a calm meal away from the Hongdae crowds, MELA Hongdae is the answer. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F, Unit 105, 41 World Cup-buk-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (alley between Hongdae and Hapjeong) - **Hours**: Opens 9am, last closing 6:30pm - **Dishes ordered**: Baby potato basil cream gnocchi, pistachio jalapeño pizza, mini salad - **Signature dishes**: MELA's chuck flap steak, minari vongole, ragu sauce tteokbokki, Victoria French toast, eggs Benedict - **Facilities**: Groups welcome, reservations, takeout and delivery, Wi-Fi, high chairs, shared building restroom (separate for men and women, code entry) - **Parking**: Parking inside the building; first hour free / first 30 minutes 2,000 won, then 800 won per 10 minutes - **Event**: Say you booked for the birthday event and show ID to receive one free slice of honey cake (subject to change) - **Price reference**: ₩2,000 ≈ $1.4 · ₩800 ≈ $0.6 (2026-09-20) *as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026* ![Exterior of MELA Hongdae in a Hongdae alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-01-7c3k4-966.webp) Hongdae is always crowded and busy, but step off the main street and there are some surprisingly quiet, well-designed spots. ![Quiet alley scene between Hongdae and Hapjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-02-1g6dv-966.webp) In the alley between Hongdae and Hapjeong there's a restaurant called MELA, and the vibe there was seriously great. ![Entrance area of MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-03-10h9n-966.webp) MELA serves Italian home-style brunch, pasta, and full meal dishes all together. ![View of MELA Hongdae, an Italian home-style brunch restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-04-v73dw-966.webp) ## MELA Hongdae opening hours: last closing at 6:30pm MELA Hongdae opens early at 9am, so it's great for brunch, but in the evening it closes at 6:30pm — if you're going for dinner, go early. > A great-vibe restaurant, MELA ![Interior seating and decor at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-05-rt1xl-966.webp) ## What is MELA Hongdae like in the early evening? MELA had a really great atmosphere. ![MELA Hongdae dining room with large windows and warm lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-06-1x5t2-966.webp) Bright, warm lighting, wide open windows, all kinds of little props, and pops of color — it had a lot of personality. It was early evening, close to closing time, so there weren't many people, which made for a relaxed meal. > A restaurant with a wide range of Italian home-style dishes ![MELA Hongdae menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-07-2ccx8-900.webp) ## What is on the menu at MELA Hongdae? MELA builds its menu around recipes developed by a chef trained at ICIF, an Italian culinary school. ![Menu page listing Italian home-style dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-08-1in92-900.webp) The menu was pretty varied, with plenty of dishes that looked both visually appealing and delicious. ![Menu page featuring MELA's chuck flap steak](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-09-8jpy2-m-900.webp) One of the signature dishes is MELA's chuck flap steak. It's a signature dish made with tender chuck flap, and looked like a juicy, medium-rare steak. Among the pasta dishes, the minari (water dropwort) vongole stood out — a regular vongole with clams and hard clams, given a fragrant lift with minari. People who like minari would probably love this one. ![Pasta menu including minari vongole](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-10-1sxp2-900.webp) The tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) was unusual too — it combines Italian ragu sauce with Korean tteokbokki, a pairing you don't often come across. I liked how they reinterpret various dishes in MELA's own way to create something new — it felt distinctive. ![Menu page for ragu sauce tteokbokki and brunch dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-11-o7y5k-900.webp) For brunch, there's also Victoria French toast and eggs Benedict. The French toast in particular is said to have a soft, moist texture, so it should suit anyone who likes a sweet brunch. Eggs Benedict is also the classic brunch dish that comes to mind, good as a hearty brunch-lunch. With such a wide menu, it's great for going with a group since everyone can order to their own taste. > Baby potato basil cream gnocchi > Pistachio jalapeño pizza > Mini salad ![Table set with gnocchi, pizza, and mini salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-12-1c9m4-1200.webp) ## The three dishes ordered at MELA Hongdae I ordered the baby potato basil cream gnocchi, the pistachio jalapeño pizza, and a mini salad. ![Full spread of the three dishes ordered at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-13-wcfqu-900.webp) The combination of pizza, gnocchi, and salad was truly perfect. ### Baby potato basil cream gnocchi I really love basil cream tteokbokki, and you can think of this as the gnocchi version. ![A plate of baby potato basil cream gnocchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-14-1w175-900.webp) The rich cream with chewy gnocchi was seriously delicious. ![Gnocchi and baby potatoes coated in rich basil cream](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-15-1etwc-900.webp) The portion was really generous too. There were also baby potatoes on top, and they didn't taste like the baby potatoes I usually eat. There was no dry, mealy texture that catches in your throat at all — they were chewy and soft. This was my first time with baby potatoes like this, so it was surprising. ### Pistachio jalapeño pastry pizza ![Full view of the pistachio jalapeño pizza](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-16-3e77r-900.webp) The pistachio jalapeño pizza was also a first-time flavor for me. ![Pistachio jalapeño pizza made with pastry dough](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-17-hzzgn-900.webp) I thought the most unusual thing about this pizza would be the pistachio-jalapeño combo, but the freshest surprise was that the crust was pastry dough! ![Cross-section of the flaky pastry pizza crust](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-18-1sgbe-900.webp) The pastry crust was seriously delicious. It wasn't heavy with butter or oil, so it felt clean. ![Pizza surface topped with pistachio powder](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-19-1ic9c-900.webp) Pistachio powder was scattered over the top of the pizza, giving it a nutty flavor with a kick of spice. ![A slice of pizza topped with jalapeño](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-20-1jeny-900.webp) With the jalapeño mixed in, it was quite spicy, so it's good to eat alongside the gnocchi or salad. ![A lifted slice of pistachio jalapeño pizza](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-21-13mau-900.webp) It was truly a flavor of pizza I'd never tasted before — really compelling and delicious, and I'd love to have it again next time. ### Mini salad ![Mini salad at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-22-1454j-900.webp) The mini salad was just right to eat alongside the main dishes. The vegetables were super fresh, and the dressing was delicious too. ![Mini salad with fresh vegetables and dressing](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-23-1jzkj-900.webp) A refreshing feel that goes perfectly with the gnocchi or pizza! ![Mini salad portioned as a side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela-24-1ug5s-900.webp) The portion was just right as a side, which I liked. ## Groups, parking and facilities at MELA Hongdae The restaurant is really spacious, so it can accommodate groups, and reservations, takeout, and delivery are all available. Wi-Fi is available, and you can use the shared building restroom. The men's and women's restrooms are separated, and you access them with a code. High chairs are provided too, so it's good for going with family. Parking is available in the building's parking lot, and the first hour is free. After that, it's ₩2,000 for the first 30 minutes, with ₩800 added every 10 minutes after that. ## MELA Hongdae birthday event: a free slice of honey cake MELA Hongdae also has a birthday event. When ordering, mention that you booked because of the birthday event and show an ID that confirms your birthday, and they'll give you a free slice of honey cake. The event may change, so it's best to check in advance. If you want a relaxed meal away from the crowds of Hongdae, MELA Hongdae is recommended! ## Where it is - MELA Hongdae (멜라 홍대점) - 1F 105, 41 World Cup-buk-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 월드컵북로5길 41 1층 105호 - 37.5561238, 126.9167212 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%9C%EB%9D%BC%20%ED%99%8D%EB%8C%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5561238,126.9167212,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-bottle-opener/hongdae-early-dinner-pistachio-pizza-mela/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt