Good New York-style bagels in Tokyo!

First there was the gold standard. Then the silver standard. Now there’s the bagel standard! I’ve been on a quest to find the best bagel in Tokyo, and for now at least, I’d say the gold standard is Bagel Standard, a little shop that opened in Nakameguro in March 2010. No, I didn’t get the shop name wrong: it is not “Standard Bagel,” it’s “Bagel Standard.” Make a pilgrimage for New York-style bagels that are properly chewy, crusty and weigh in at a respectable 150-160 grams. Plains are ￥180. Sesame, salt and poppy bagels are ￥200 each. They have cinnamon-raisin bagels on Thursday and Saturdays only, at ￥220 each, and berry berry on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, for ￥240. Everythings are ￥220 everyday. My hands-down favorite are the salt bagels.

The shop is located on Yamatedori about a ten-minute walk from Nakameguro station in the direction of Meguro Station, next to the Porsche dealer. Their website is mostly in Japanese but there’s a map in English that might help you navigate. The address is 2-8-19 Nakameguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0061. Phone is 03-5721-2012. The shop doesn’t open until 11 am and closes at 7 pm or when there are no more bagels, whichever comes first. They don’t take phone orders or ship. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.