Meguro’s café spots

The days may be getting colder, but if you’re the type to brave the dropping mercury to find some cosy cafés to melt the ice, then the Meguro River is the place to go. In the spring, summer and autumn the trees lining the Meguro River make for a spectacular burst of cherry blossoms, leafy green canopies and fiery foliage, however in the winter things retreat inside to the warmth of a comfortable seat and something hot and hearty on the menu.

In the Naka-Meguro area, where people stroll around with their fashion sensors out, quaint restaurants and cafes line the streets. All of Meguro’s cafes will give you a warm welcome with their diverse menus and interesting, stylish décor. Gaze out the window and the ever picturesque river, enjoy a chat with friends, have dinner, or relax over a book. It’s also an ideal spot for a change of pace after a busy day at work; many of the cafés stay open well into the night. New cafés are constantly opening, so the line up of spots is always changing, keeping things fresh and inventive. These 10 cafés are a great start to discovering the warmth of Meguro.

Kawara CAFE&DINING

Kawara Café & Dining restaurant opened in October 2009, with wa (Japanese style harmony) as the driving concept. Tucked away in a small lane near Naka-Meguro station, the café is distinguished by its permanent stage for performances, DJ booth and brilliant wall art by graphic designers. The café manages to be both contemporary and have a sense of old Japan through clever touches such as using kawara roof tiles as dining plates.

Address: 1F Kato Bld, 1-20-2 Kami-Meguro, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3714 0614
Open: Mon-Sun 11:45am-12midnight
Website: www.ka-wa-ra.com/

hanabi

Opening in Sept 2009, this cafe-restaurant was created by staff from unice, a multipurpose cafe space in Daikanyama. The interiors evoke a nostalgic Japanese feel, with earthen floors and Japanese-style tatami woven-mat rooms. Lunchtime offers set meals, and in the evening drinks can be complimented with cuisine from their full dining menu, proving this is more than just a simple café. In warmer weather, the glass doors fronting the river are opened up creating a wonderful feeling of space. Located about a ten minute walk along the Meguro River towards Ikejiri, the café is well situated and allows dogs.

Address: 1F Fukuoka Adachi Gakuen Building, 2-16-11 Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5456 4404
Open: Mon-Sun 12noon–4pm, 5pm–2am
Website: www.hanabi-nakame.jp/

drole

Despite the small and tricky to find entrance, Drole remains a popular café hideaway. Run by the apparel maker Anbidex, décor is an important aspect of the space; the timber interiors create a calming sense of warmth. Everything, from the tables to the chairs, to the displays has been charmingly crafted. Though lunch is served at Drole, the café is most popular for is varied selection of tarts, which range in flavour from banana to raspberry and are topped with generous portions of cream, all the while not veering into overly sweet territory. Drole is the sort of place where one can sit for hours without even noticing the time pass. On weekends, however, be prepared for a short wait before getting a table.

Address: 1F 1-23-4 Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5722 6083
Open: Mon-Sun 12noon-8pm
Website: www.ambidex.co.jp/drole/

Aunty Rommy

This unique café features the regional specialities of Arita, in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu. The specialty at Aunty Rommy is Arita yaki curry, a grilled curry made with a roux carefully stewed for a week with 28 kinds of spices and organic onions from Arita. It’s a dish that brings out the flavour of the Saga wagyu beef to perfection. Of course, all of the tableware used is artisanal Arita porcelain, a speciality of the region. Centring on ceramic pieces by well known artists such as Sojiro Oogushi and Motomu Yoshida, each curry is grilled directly in the unique ceramics, so they can be served piping hot to the customer. The characteristic blue colour of the Arita porcelain also adds a new dimension to the simple act of drinking coffee at Aunty Rommy.

Address: 2F Aobadai 117 Bld. 1-17-2 Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5728 2318
Open: Mon-Sun 11:30am-10pm (9pm on nat. holidays)
Website: aunty-rommy.jp/

Huit

Located on the Meugro River towards Meguro is Huit. This sun-warmed European styled café with its large windows is a perfect perch for a slow afternoon. Serving everything from French-inflected western dishes to cakes and sweets all day long, this café is great any time of the day.

Address: 1F Riverside Terrace, 1-10-23 Naka-Meguro, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3760 8898
Open: Mon-Sat 11:45am-12midnight, Sun and nat. holidays 11:45am-10pm
Website: www.ctn139.com/shop_huit.html

Combine

Combine is a second-hand book café and bar located next to Huit. The Japanese-based menu is perfectly suited for lunch, dinner or a quick bite to eat. However, if you’re looking to spend more time there, one wall is lined with second-hand books which customers are free to browse. Combine is presented to be ‘a place to meet the people you are meant to meet’, and while it feels as if it’s inhabited by crowds of regulars, it’s still completely comfortable for the first time visitor. It tends to get a bit crowded after 10pm, so be sure to arrive before the rush hits.

Address: 103 Riverside Terrace, 1-10-23 Naka-Meguro, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3760 3939
Open: Mon-Sat 12noon-4am, Sun 12noon-2am
Website: www.combine.jp/

Mother Esta

This local treasure of an organic café, located a 10 minute walk along the Meguro River towards Ikejiri, serves simple, vegetable based dishes. The fashionable interior has a bistro feel to it, providing a relaxed atmosphere in which to savour the flavour of the organic vegetables served. Even a traditionally stuffy pâté manages to retain a casual air alongside more common grill fare.

Address: 2-20-14 Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5724 5778
Open: Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 11:30am–2pm and 6:00pm – 10:00pm, Sat-Sun and nat. holidays 11:30am–3pm, closed Wed
Website: www.mother-esta.com/contents_e.html

CHANO-MA

Chano-ma was designed by Codomo Show, themed on the colour white, with large windows on either side of the café command views of the Meguro River. The interior features a long raised platform, a modern take on the engawa (Japanese veranda) and the koagari (raised tatami seating). It reflects the purpose of the café: to create a contemporary chanoma (traditional Japanese living room), and produce a home style, relaxed space. In the evening, indirect lighting and candles produce a softly dimmed ambience. The home-style cooking centred menu helps to further the ‘modern living room’ theme of the café.

Address: 6F 1-22-4 Kami-Meguro, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3792 9898
Open: Mon-Fri, Sun12noon–2am, Sat and days before nat. holidays 12noon-4am
Website: www.jellyfish.bz/shop/tokyo/chanoma-nakame/chanoma-nakame.html

Café Eight Aobadai

This café is a Tokyo pioneer in vegan fare. No dairy or animal products are used, but seasonings full of herbs and spices ensure that even those who aren’t vegan will be fully satisfied. The menu changes with the seasons— summer incorporates tart and tangy flavours, and winter produces food to warm the body —ensuring that the flavour of each vegetable can truly be appreciated. The sweets are also first-rate. Café Eight Aobadai’s location about halfway between Naka-Meguro and Ikejiri-Ohashi also makes it a great stop off during a walk.

Address: 1F T+Building, 3-17-7 Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5458 5262
Open: Tue-Sun 11am–10pm
Website: cafe8.jp/

Be my self

Be my self is an organic deli/café with some extras. The first floor houses a deli exclusively for take-away orders, including fruit, sandwiches and genmai (brown rice) lunch boxes. The second floor is a wood-styled café space that offers a lunch menu that changes daily, and dinners of fresh pasta with coupled with glasses of organic wine. Be my self’s philosophy goes beyond just food— an organic aromatherapy treatment space occupies the third storey, and the sub-floor contains a studio with yoga lessons starting at 3000 yen.

Address: 1-25-1Aobadai, Meguro, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)6412 8381
Open: Mon-Sun 11am–11pm
Website: bemyself.jp/