Meguro is eclectic and residential. Embassies, old ryotei, and government research institutes sit alongside parasite museums, indie galleries, and good ramen. Most of the places are not ones that guidebooks will fawn over, but I have a particular soft spot for the neighborhood having lived there before, and it still feels a little like home.
Museums & Art Spaces
Teien Art Museum. Formerly the residence of an imperial prince, prime minister's residence in the post-war period. Exhibition spaces, a cafe, and a museum shop.
Meguro Museum of Art. Three floors of clean lines and rotating exhibits that lean local but thoughtful. No café, no gift shop, just art and light.
Hyakudan Kaidan. A wooden staircase with 100 steps and seven lavish rooms along the way—painted ceilings, carved panels, gold leaf. Built in the early Showa era, now part of Hotel Gajoen. It’s both a time capsule and museum. Really love it.
Gajoen Hotel. Part hotel, part gallery—90 years old and lined with thousands of pieces of Japanese art. Tea house, Japanese garden, fine restaurants. They run workshops on furoshiki, matcha, calligraphy, kimono. Nice place to spend an afternoon when weather is not great.
Parasite Museum. Small, free, and full of preserved worms — including one tapeworm that’s almost nine meters long. Unsettling, oddly fascinating.
Parks & Nature
The Institute for Nature Study. Protected forest, 20 hectares of trees, wetland, and quiet. Originally an imperial estate, now a research site, it’s one of the few places in Tokyo where nature’s been left mostly alone. Entry’s capped at 300 people.
Rinshi no Mori Park. Once an experimental nursery, the park is a forest pocket in the city—tall trees, quiet trails, and the occasional woodpecker. A good place to disappear for a while.
Coffee
Jubilee. Good coffee, roasted in-house.
Switch. Compact roastery and coffee stand, known for its meticulous approach.
Neighborhood Bars
Meguro Shinbashi. Tucked away in a building built in the mid-1960s, many shops and bars, Aki is at the entrance, variety of dishes, no menu, friendly hosts. Meguro 1-chome-24-19.
Kome Kome. Sake bar tucked on the side street, excellent selection, lots of seasonal produce and use of local rice from various regions.
Another 8. Opening in a space that used to be a garage, laidback drinking, beer is the speciality, also a small but nice selection of sake.
The Dodo House. A laid-back beer spot in a former garage, with indie bar energy and neighborhood regulars.
Bar Gone. Not exactly remarkable—just a narrow counter, highballs, and Heartland on tap. But it was near our house, friendly, open late when we needed it.
Little Texas. Tokyo’s honky-tonk basement—boots, cowboy hats, and dance floor where regulars show their stuff. Good chicken-fried steak, rodeo videos on the background, live music.
Where to Eat
Locale. Chef Katy Cole serves seasonal, vegetable-forward dishes w ingredients sourced from farms. The menu reflects a philosophy of Californian simplicity, warm atmosphere and Katy’s personal touch.
Mark’s Tokyo. 12-seat table where Chef Mark Sekita serves a seasonal Japanese-Italian tasting menu. Local produce, Toyosu seafood, and a kitchen that feels like home make it refined, but never fussy.
Kabi. Japanese ingredients, stripped-down Nordic influence, the plating is spare, the flavors a revelation. Kabi offers just one dinner seating per night—18 guests.
Tonki. The tonkatsu shop has been around since 1939. The menu is simple, you order pork—rosu or hire. Men in white coats move like a silent machine behind the counter, breading, frying, plating. Delicious.
鳥繁 Torishige. We used to call it Owl Yakitori. Neighborhood yakitori joint that’s been quietly excellent for decades.
Matsuba Sushi. Family-run counter spot, the kind of place where the fish is fresh, the service is warm, and the regulars don’t need menus. Not necessarily a recommendation, just want to remember it.
Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto. Ramen for the masochistic palate: blistering red miso broth crowned with a slab of mapo tofu, hot enough to trigger hallucinations. Beneath the fire is a deeply savory, fermented complexity, the kind that lingers, oddly addictive.
ZAUO. Where you catch your own dinner. Inside, diners fish from indoor tanks, choosing how their catch is prepared. While the novelty is the main draw, the food quality is decent, and the staff is helpful. It's a fun spot for those looking to combine entertainment with their meal.
Shopping
Furniture, Vintage, Recycle Shops. Known as “Interior Dori” Meguro seems to have a whole row of vintage and contemporary furniture stores:
Acme. West Coast-inspired furniture with a retro feel and solid wood builds.
Karf. Refined minimalism with Japanese craftsmanship and Scandinavian warmth.
Colt. Clean-lined, practical pieces that lean industrial without trying too hard.
Lewis. Mid-century modern mixed with playful touches and vintage finds.
Point 38. Quiet, functional design—think oak tables, neutral tones, and no fuss. It used to be on Meguro dori, not sure if it might have moved.
Owl. Clothing designed with original fabrics, animal designs. Great selection of jackets, tops, coats, skirts, accessories.
Lecker Bissen. German-style butcher and deli known for its handcrafted sausages and hams. This entry is meant not for visitors, but for newly arrived of expat who might in search of deli meats.