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Meat Bar Rosemary Ueno

Lunch time Indian curry

As parents to two kids, my partner and I often only have the daytime to go on a date together while the kids are at school or at an after school program. Lunch is a good time to eat out as many restaurants offer cheaper meals at this time of the day. But sometimes, it's also a certain ambiance we are looking for that is not usually available in the daytime.

We found ourselves walking around the Yushima-Ueno area at lunchtime looking for such a place to slow down and enjoy each other's company. This area of Ueno, dotted with closed bars and clubs, looks like it would be swinging in the evening. The restaurants that were open were packed with the working crowd out for a quick bite. Then we chanced upon Meat Bar Rosemary, off the main road, and not as busy.

At night time, Meat Bar Rosemary dishes up steaks and similar decadent fare, but at lunchtime, the menu is Indian. The curry of the day costs ¥780 and other curries at ¥800 or so. The door opens to a dark interior cozy with its booths, dark wood tables, and dim lighting, and an ambiance we associate more with romantic evenings rather than bright noon and therefore, perfect for us. We picked a table in the far back and under the glow of a low lamp, have the illusion of an evening date.

The menu is pretty standard for an Indian restaurant. We ordered chicken curry and saag curry sets, both accompanied with naan and a salad, and an extra lassi (+¥100) to share. Spice level can be customized and at medium spice, the heat hit the right spot. The food was not exceptional but was delicious nonetheless.

Prior to discovering Meat Bar Rosemary, we were almost going to go to a chain curry restaurant at the street corner. Now, we have tagged this restaurant as a great place for a noontime romantic lunch.

Getting there

The nearest station is Yushima Station served by the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line.

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Novia Mardasari 3 years ago
The naan looks so delicious!
Paul McInnes 3 years ago
Nice article Sherilyn! Thanks for sharing. Ueno and Okachimachi have many great Indian and Nepalese curry houses. My favourite is Andhra Kitchen in Okachimachi. It's amazing. They also have a slightly more upscale space in Ginza called Andhra Dining. My friend runs a great blog about Indian food in Tokyo. Check it out for many great recommendations: http://www.justinmycurry.com
Sherilyn Siy Author 3 years ago
Will do! We love curry and are always on a lookout for good ones! Thanks for sharing your recommendations.
Bonson Lam 3 years ago
Amazing pictures of the naan. I didn’t know Rosemary was connected to Indian cuisine.
Sherilyn Siy Author 3 years ago
I think Rosemary is more in reference to their nighttime menu with steaks and all. We were surprised that this restaurant had an Indian menu for lunch too!
Kim 3 years ago
Same struggle here for dates, so I appreciated this suggestion!
Sleiman Azizi 4 years ago
Lunch time deals are great in Taito City.

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