Opened in November 2016, this commercial strip is set below the railway tracks in Nakameguro, stretching for a total of 700m and running from the Meguro River across Yamate-dori in the direction of Yutenji. 28 different businesses occupy the complex, all with their own distinct personality: you'll find the likes of Pavilion, a wine and kiln-grilled food specialist; a branch of Tsutaya Books, complete with a café; the newest Tokyo outpost of New York's City Bakery, and Niwakaya Chosuke, an udon izakaya from Kyushu that finally made the move to the capital. 

Summary Credit: Timeout Tokyo

Photo credit: G Mark

Address: Right around the Nakameguro Station

Hours: Depends on store but typically open for lunch and dinner time

Website: N/A

How to get there: An 1 minute walk from Nakameguro Station

 

The biggest Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world is now open and it’s in Nakameguro, by the cherry blossom-lined Meguro River. If you’ve been to the area recently, you’ve probably noticed the long lines and fanfare. This is only the fifth roastery that Starbucks has opened worldwide – the other four being in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, and New York.

The massive space houses the roasting factory on the fourth floor, with each floor below devoted to a different type of Starbucks hangout. The first floor is a bakery and café; the second floor is a Teavana tea room; and the third floor is a Arriviamo cocktail bar. The fourth floor factory also has a lounge area and workshop space. There’s also outdoor terrace seating that overlooks the Meguro River. You can bet these seats will be in high demand come sakura season next month. Here’s what you can do at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo.

The Tokyo Roastery is a massive site: with its 1200sqm spread out over four floors, it’s now the biggest Starbucks on the planet (sorry, Shanghai). The exterior was designed by one of Japan’s most influential contemporary architects, Kengo Kuma, while the interior was created by the Starbucks community design team. Everything about the interior – from the lighting to the furniture made in Tendo City, Yamagata – was selected to match Kuma’s modern Japanese style.

*You will need a voucher to get inside with usual waits up to 1-2 hours on busy days.

Summary Credit: Timeout Tokyo

Photo credit: Rethink Tokyo

Address: 2 Chome-19-23 Aobadai, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0042

Hours: 7am - 11pm

Website: https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/tokyo

How to get there: An 11 minute walk from Nakameguro Station, West Exit on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.

 

If you’re taking a stroll by Tokyo’s cherry tree-lined Meguro river, keep your eyes open for CABIN. This cozy bar in Nakameguro offers an incredibly wide range of whisky and delicious handcrafted cocktails in a relaxed, intimate setting.

CABIN Nakameguro is an exquisite whisky bar founded by the team behind the trendy Daikanyama eatery Cedros, The two founders and brothers grew up between the West Coast and Japan, which explains the distinctly American vibe felt throughout the lodge’s rustic interior. The dim lighting and natural wood paneling gives CABIN a warm and cozy atmosphere. The walls are decorated with artistic carved wood hunting trophies, and you’ll find many vintage trinkets and decorative objects across the space. Comfy chairs and a crackling virtual fireplace complete the setting, making us feel right at home.

The bar offers a wide variety of exceptional whiskies from around the world, with special mention for some very rare Japanese bottles. Cocktail-wise, the menu doesn’t disappoint either. Brazilian-born head bartender (and jiu jitsu fighter!) Sullivan Gouvea has been taking inspiration from Japanese culture since the moment he started his life in Tokyo. His different encounters with “Wa” (or Japanese-ness) bring an exceptional twist to his creations, borrowing from traditional ingredients such as konpeito (Japanese sugar candy), wasanbon (fine-grained Japanese sugar) or sometimes even wasabi. Whisky cocktails are obviously the focus at CABIN, but the bar also offers a wide range of other delicious options if whisky is not your thing. Like for instance their signature Wild Corpse Reviver, made with Monkey 47, Lillet, Cointreau, lemon juice and absinthe.

Great drinks, great music and a trendy international crowd, CABIN has it all. Put this stylish bar on your list for your next night out in Nakameguro.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Address: 1-10-23 Nakameguro (Riverside Terrace 101), Meguro-ku, 153-0061 Tokyo

Hours: Closed Sundays, 7pm -12am Monday-Thusday, until 2am Friday/Saturday

Website: http://www.cabintokyo.com/

How to get there: A 6 minute walk from Nakameguro Station, East Exit on the Toyoko Line

 

In a perfect world, all bookshops would be like this. Tokyo's Klein Dytham Architecture won an award at the World Architecture Festival for their work on Daikanyama T-Site, which is spread across three interlinked buildings adorned with lattices of interlocking Ts. That 'T' stands for rental chain Tsutaya, whose seemingly bottomless pockets helped fund the kind of book emporium that most capital cities can only dream of. It's easy to lose hours thumbing through the selections here, which include a good range of English-language titles, art books, antique tomes and magazine back issues. There are also music and DVD sections – Tsutaya's normal stock in trade – as well as branches of Starbucks and Family Mart, while you'll find children's toys, bicycle and pet shops elsewhere in the complex. If you're looking to enjoy some vintage periodicals and cocktails in a sophisticated setting, meanwhile, the upstairs Anjin lounge is hard to beat.

Summary Credit: Timeout Tokyo

Photo credit: T site website

Address: 17-5 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033

Hours: 9am - 11pm

Website: https://store.tsite.jp/daikanyama/english/

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Daikanyama Station, North Exit on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.

 

Designed to be a relaxing village amid bustling Tokyo, Hillside Terrace offers urban dwellers a chance to take their mind off things. Shops and restaurants serving organic food, and classy boutiques encourage visitors to focus on a more healthy and artistic lifestyle. You will also find greenery and quiet relaxing spaces in the complex.

Keep an eye out for special exhibitions, concerts, markets, seminars, and other events at Hillside Terrace. You may even be able to find your favorite artists or handcrafts here. Join the Hillside Terrace club to enjoy the library as well.

Summary Credit: Go Tokyo

Photo credit: Design Art

Address: 29-18 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033

Hours: Depends on store. Typically open for lunch and dinner time.

Website: http://hillsideterrace.com/

How to get there: A 3 minute walk from Daikanyama Station, Central Exit on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.

 

Log Road Daikanyama is a shopping strip on what was once the pathway of the old Tokyu line. Located just one stop away from Shibuya, this spacious outdoor shopping complex is a cluster of freestanding wooden cottage-style shops and eateries flanked by greenery and outdoor benches.

Running beside the new Tokyu line, Log Road Daikanyama features a bakery and cafe, as well as a brewery run by the Kirin beer company. You can dine in at the cafe and brewery—or, grab a takeout coffee and snack, head to the area's elevated end point, and have a picnic. Surrounded by low-rise buildings, the picnic tables in this area get plenty of sun throughout the day.

Summary Credit: Go Tokyo

Photo credit: Log Road website

Address: 13-1 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0034

Hours: Depends on store. Typically open for lunch and dinner time.

Website: http://www.logroad-daikanyama.jp/language.php#tabs01

How to get there: A 4 minute walk from Daikanyama Station, North Exit on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.

 

Ginza is packed with lots of places to shop…A LOT. If you go down the Chuo Dori street, it’s a heaven for any shoppers and browsers looking to eat and drink. Instead of listing all the department stores as a separate post, we’ll just compile all the famous department stores in one list here.

• Ginza Wako: Built in 1932, the clock tower is the symbol of Ginza

• Ginza Six: Opened in 2017, it’s the biggest shopping complex in Ginza. They even have a garden and Noh theater

• Tokyu Plaza Ginza: 14 floors of endless shopping and dining

• Mitsukoshi: A chain department store, but the oldest department store in Japan that has history since the 17th century

• Matsuya: Another chain department store with a variety of fashion, foods, exhibition halls and anything else you can think of

Photo credit: Tsunagu Japan

 

Kagami was founded in 1934 by Kozo Kagami. They opened up as Japan’s first ever crystal glass factory and specialize in edo kiriko, a type of traditional Japanese cut glass. For over 80 years, they have developed advanced glass making skills and techniques. Their high quality glass is also widely used on official occasions such as receptions for state guests, Japanese embassies and consulate generals across the world. Kagami has also recieved special commissions from the imperial family.

Photo credit: Kagami website

Address: Daiwa Building, 2-1, Ginza 6-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Hours: From Mon-Fri, 11:00~19:30, Sat, Sun and holiday, 11:00~18:30

Website: https://www.kagami.jp/english/shop/ginza.html

How to get there: A 7 minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Central West Exit on the JR Yamanote Line.

 

When you descend the narrow wooden staircase into the dimly lit Star Bar in Tokyo’s Ginza district, you will immediately be struck by the attentive service and holistic experience on offer. The ambience in this bar in Tokyo is on the quiet side, and while the bartenders’ proper dress suggests formality, the welcoming atmosphere and gentle murmur of conversation create a space that is both relaxed and intimate. Meanwhile, the curved brown leather sofas and Victorian-style ceilings and wallpaper suggest a nostalgia for a slower time.

Once you have been led to your seat, you are likely to receive a hot hand towel and an amuse-bouche while you settle in. In the Japanese tradition, there is no menu, so a bartender will ask what you like and take it from there. This Tokyo bar’s specialty lies in rare Japanese whisky so request a cocktail built from a whisky base to receive something extra special. The knowledgeable bar staff will suggest and create bespoke potions according to your tastes. The attention to detail and precision cocktail making hail from the bar’s owner, Hisashi Kishi, award-winning bartender extraordinaire.

The meticulousness of these cocktail masters is exemplified by the bar’s insistence on serving drinks with their so-called ninja ice, a cube that is so glossy and clear that you cannot see it in the glass, and so slow melting that it does not dilute your drink. For concoctions so precisely mixed and brewed you will inevitably pay a premium, so attend with an open mind for appreciating potions and cocktail craftsmanship to get the best value for money.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Worlds Best Bars website

Address: Sankosha Building B1F 1-5-13 Ginza 104-0061 Chūō-ku

Hours: 5pm - 12am, everyday

Website: https://www.worldsbestbars.com/bar/tokyo/city-center/star-bar-ginza/

How to get there: A 5 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Kyobashi Exit on the JR Line

 

It's high fives all round for this sleek, low-lit bar, which has received widespread acclaim thanks to the drive of owner Hidetsugu Ueno. A move to new (larger) premises in 2017 has done nothing to dampen the bartender's fire with the same inspired approach to cocktails, plus a 200-strong whisky list that wins praise from across the region. Ueno's Bellinis, Singapore Slings, Martinis and his signature White Lady remain a benchmark, while classics such as Ceremony – J's whisky, green tea liqueurs, and matcha bitters – and Bamboo are as popular as ever.

Summary Credit: Worlds Best Bars Website

Photo Credit: Worlds 50 Best Bars

Address: B1F, Efflore Ginza5 Bldg, 5 Chome−4−15, Ginza, Chuo City, 104-0061 Tokyo, Japan

Hours: Closed every Sunday, 5pm - 11:30pm

Website: https://www.barhighfive.com/

How to get there: A 7 minute minute walk from Yurakucho Station, Central Exit on the JR Line