Explore Nakameguro like a resident

The closest place to eat, and a good bowl of ramen. Open Thursday to Saturday for lunch only, closing at 15:00; check the day before visiting.

The neighbourhood bakery, open from 8:00 for the morning bread. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Specialty coffee in a small house with a tree outside. Open from 8:00 to 18:00.

An unpretentious grill-and-drinks place known for its lemon sour. Usually busy; open from 15:00.

A Taiwanese kitchen doing lunch and dinner in two sittings (11:00–14:00, 17:00–22:00). Closed Wednesdays.

A casual Yutenji teppan restaurant for okonomiyaki, monjayaki and Fujinomiya yakisoba.

A traditional yakitori izakaya where the cook works the grill in full view. Small, warm and reservable; closed Mondays.

Seasonal Japanese plates in a relaxed cafe-restaurant.

Hakata-style dishes and drinks at a Yutenji izakaya, with late hours for dinner.

Wood-fired pizza, evenings only from 17:00. Closed Tuesdays.

A small, inexpensive curry shop with a strong following. It opens for lunch and dinner Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, and for lunch Sunday; closed otherwise.

Old-school Japanese curry in a dining room packed with railway memorabilia. The train theme makes it particularly good with children.

Known for harami and thick-cut Toraji-yaki, this Yutenji yakiniku restaurant has been open since 1996. Book ahead.

Big, plain steaks at a Meguro institution, with walls covered end to end in pro-wrestling memorabilia. Closed Mondays.

Big burritos, enchiladas and margaritas in a colourful, maximalist room. Lively, casual and well suited to groups.

French-Japanese cooking in a converted house, open for dinner and weekend lunch. Book ahead.

Japanese black wagyu grilled at the table in a polished yakiniku room. This is a sit-down dinner rather than a quick stop; reservations are sensible.

Enormous portions and a devoted following. Buy a ticket at the machine, call your toppings when asked, and expect a line.

Charcoal-led Italian centred on meat, including a signature meat-sauce spaghetti. Primarily a dinner restaurant; booking ahead is sensible.

A tiny Italian-style gelateria serving handmade classic and seasonal flavours.

Omelette rice, hamburg steaks and set meals at a long-running Nakameguro yōshoku lunch counter.

Neapolitan-style pizza in a narrow, steampunk-like building with Beatles on the speakers. The menu is deliberately focused, and queues are common.

Cutlets and set meals are the focus at this small Ebisu-side yōshoku shop. At 28 minutes, it is the longest walk on this list.

This eighteenth-century temple gives the next station its name and has hand-painted murals, a bell tower and cherry trees in spring. On an ordinary weekday, it is quiet and almost empty.

Cherry blossoms arch over the Meguro River for kilometres, beside a strip of coffee shops and boutiques. Crowded for two weeks each spring; a good walk the rest of the year.

The nearer station from the house, on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. Two stops to Naka-Meguro and three to Shibuya.

Tokyu Toyoko and Metro Hibiya lines, with direct service to Ebisu, Roppongi and Ginza without changing. The walk from the house follows the river strip.

The konbini around the corner is open 24 hours for late-night essentials.

The other 24-hour 7-Eleven is in the opposite direction, on the way toward Yutenji.

Open 24 hours by Yutenji Station. The health-leaning Natural Lawson format has better bread and salads than a standard konbini.

A compact everyday supermarket open 7:00 to midnight, useful for top-up groceries.

The full-size supermarket near Yutenji for a proper weekly shop. Good prices; open until 21:00.

Open until 23:00, making it the late supermarket option after the nearer shops close.

The nearest proper drugstore stocks cold medicine, toiletries, cosmetics and daily basics. Open 8:00 to 21:00.

A daytime dispensing pharmacy for prescriptions from a clinic. Closed Sundays.

The 100-yen shop upstairs in the Tokyu Store, with kitchen items, storage, hangers, batteries and other move-in fixes.

The local park has open ground and a playground five minutes away. A practical nearby option with children.

A small wooded playground built into a hillside, with a sandpit and shelter. Quieter than Aburamen Park.

A well-regarded pediatric clinic, open until 19:00. Closed Wednesdays and Sundays; call ahead to check whether English support is available.

The nearest general hospital. Consultations are daytime only (9:00–11:45 and 13:00–17:30), and it closes Sundays. It is not an overnight emergency service; dial 119 in an emergency.

Open 24 hours with keycard access; a global membership works here.

A no-frills 24-hour gym at the budget end.

The nearest post office for mail, forms and small errands. Weekdays only, closed for lunch and shut by 17:00.

A 24-hour coin laundry three minutes away, so washing and drying can be finished in one trip. The house's machine cannot do both.

The neighbourhood kōban is staffed around the clock for lost property, directions and minor reports. Start here for minor police matters.