Times Square Yeongdeungpo brunch café with 4pm steak: Mela

I was shopping at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo and stopped by Mela Times Square.

Since it's inside the mall, parking is convenient and it's easy to go straight shopping after eating. But most of all, the store is spacious and the floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much sunlight that the vibe was really lovely.

I went at an awkward time between 4 and 5pm, but since there's no break time, I actually got to eat in a relaxed way. It'd also be a great option if you're looking for somewhere for a late lunch in Times Square.

Where is Mela Times Square in Yeongdeungpo?

Mela Times Square is about 250m from Yeongdeungpo Station Exit 5, and once you're inside Times Square, it's easy to find since it's right across from H&M on the 1st floor.

What the Mela Times Square space feels like

The moment I walked into Mela Times Square, what I loved right away was the high ceiling and the sense of openness.

It's a store inside Times Square, but one whole side is a big floor-to-ceiling window, so it never feels stuffy. When I visited there was still plenty of sunlight, and the light pouring in through the window made the space look even brighter and prettier.

The tables weren't cramped either, and overall it had a clean, open feel — I really like this kind of interior.

And having no break time is a huge plus. For someone like me who ends up eating around that awkward 4-5pm window, a restaurant with no break time is so precious haha. At that odd hour it's quiet everywhere, which is perfect for me since I hate crowds. It was a weekday afternoon so it was quiet, and I got to eat really comfortably.

On weekends Times Square gets so crowded that there can be a wait during meal times. I booked ahead on Naver just in case, and if you're visiting on a weekend, making a reservation beforehand seems like a good idea.

What's on the menu at Mela Times Square

Mela is a brunch café, but it's not a place with only simple brunch items.

It runs on recipes developed by a culinary researcher trained at ICIF, an Italian cooking school, and apparently 'Mela' means apple in Italian.

Signature menu items include Mela's chuck flap steak, minari (water dropwort) vongole, scallop mushroom cream risotto, ragu tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and Victoria French toast. With everything from pasta to risotto, gnocchi, pizza, salad, and French toast, there are plenty of meal options.

There's also a wide range of coffee, lattes, ades, and teas, so it'd be great even for just stopping in for a coffee break while shopping, without needing a full meal. You order first at the entrance, and staff bring the food to your table.

Grilled alba cabbage salad at Mela

I ordered Mela's chuck flap steak and

the grilled alba cabbage salad. I'm a huge carnivore, but I genuinely love vegetables too. Is there anything I don't like? Which is exactly why I can never lose weight haha.

Anyway, I didn't think much of it when I ordered the cabbage salad alongside, but it turned out to be really delicious. Since it's grilled alba cabbage, it had a totally different flavor from a raw vegetable salad, and it went great in between bites of steak.

I came for the steak but caught myself busily picking away at the cabbage instead haha.

How Mela's chuck flap steak tastes and how it's cooked

I went back and forth between steak and pasta for a while, but in the end I couldn't give up meat and picked Mela's chuck flap steak.

There was no option to choose the doneness separately. It came out cooked to about medium-well, and it was already cut into easy-to-eat pieces, which was convenient.

The meat was tender and the doneness suited my taste well, so I enjoyed it a lot. Mela's chuck flap steak is one of Mela Times Square's signature dishes.

Ordering it together with the cabbage salad made for a good combo — meat, then vegetables — and the portion was quite filling.

Still, I have a little lingering regret about the pasta. They have pasta options like minari vongole, carbonara, and burrata arrabbiata that I agonized over right up until the end against the steak. I'll have to try pasta next time.

Does Mela work for brunch or an afternoon tea break?

Mela is a good fit if you're looking for a well-known brunch café in Yeongdeungpo, but what I liked even more was that you don't have to visit specifically during brunch hours. Since it runs from morning to night with no break time, you can go for a late lunch, and with its wide range of coffee and dessert menus, you can also drop by for a tea break instead of a full meal.

There are brunch items too, like the Victoria French toast or the signature brunch plate, plus a wide range of drinks from Americano to lattes, ades, and teas.

Especially in the afternoon, the sunlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling window really made it feel like sitting in a café and relaxing, even though I was right in the middle of Times Square.

Mela Times Square parking validation and reservations

One of the most convenient things about a good café or restaurant in Times Square is definitely the parking.

Parking support was 30 minutes for purchases over ₩20,000, 1 hour for over ₩30,000, and 2 hours for over ₩50,000. If you're planning to shop around Times Square before or after your meal, it's worth checking spending amounts and parking time at other stores too.

Since I went on a weekend, I booked ahead on Naver just in case. Times Square itself gets so crowded on weekends that if you're visiting during peak lunch or dinner hours, booking in advance would probably give you peace of mind. And if, like me, you end up eating around 4-5pm right when break time usually hits, Mela might feel even more welcome haha.

If you're looking for a Western restaurant near Yeongdeungpo Station and like spaces that are spacious, clean, and open, Mela Times Square is worth a visit. You can handle a meal, brunch, and coffee all in one place, and being on the 1st floor of Times Square made access and parking easy too.

I enjoyed both the steak and the cabbage salad that day, so next time I'll go back to finally try the pasta I couldn't stop thinking about.