Neko Maru Cafe Ueno: Tokyo, Japan

Contact Information

Address: 〒110-0005 Tokyo, Taito, Ueno, 7 Chome−2−2, 東叡堂ビル

Phone:  +81 3-5826-2501

Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00 - 22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00 - 20:00

Entrance Fee:  30 min/Y800, 60/Y1200, 90/Y1800 

Ratings

Website / Social Media

Website: nekomarucafe.com

Facebook: None

Instagram: None

Twitter:  @nekomaru_champ

Cat vs Cafe (70/30)

Needs... Something:  Review of Neko Maru Cafe Ueno

Neko Maru Cafe Ueno needs something, but I can't put my finger on it.

On the surface, it seems like it should be top notch.  A great location that is easy to find, adorable cats, including a couple of particularly entertaining and rambunctious fluff balls, and judging by the crowds I encountered (on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon no less!), they don't seem bothered.

I just wasn't particularly wowed.

Maybe it was the heat, but the staff were particularly low energy.  The day that I visited, the tiny room was also cluttered and had far too many people in it for the size or the number of cats.  The fact that the air conditioning was not working well contributed to a claustrophobic feeling.  On the plus side, it was clean and fresh smelling, which is always appreciated.

But here at The Neighbor's Cat, the kitties are always the most important factor and they delivered.  Cute and curious, there were about ten cats in total, a few skittish, but most were quite sociable.  However, it felt as though I was 'competing' with the other patrons to pet them which was disappointing.

In addition to drinks, Neko Maru also serves food and sweets with a few rice dishes and cakes on the menu.

Neko Maru is a perfectly nice and acceptable cat cafe, but there are lots of choices in Tokyo that score higher.  If you do go, I would recommend a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Date Visited:  6/4/17