Tokyo is arguably one of the greatest culinary capitals in the world. The city boasts more than 100,000 establishments, from mom-and-pop shokudo (informal restaurants with set menus) to cutting-edge fine dining, as well as five-seater backstreet bars and several entries on this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
There is one key area in which Tokyo falls short of its overseas counterparts, however, and that’s outdoor bars. There are few quaint plazas fringed with tables from eclectic establishments, begging regulars to while away an hour or two over an Aperol spritz … or three. Yet more and more places are recognizing the allure of drinking outside and how it’s simply not fair to relegate it to an informal springtime activity on blue vinyl sheets in the parks.
In fact, several places are taking alfresco imbibing to higher levels — literally. Tokyo’s rooftop bars and terraces offer respite from the hustle and bustle of the city streets in summertime. Rise above the asphalt for a little perspective on this thriving, vibrant metropolis and even a little breeze as you enjoy booze with a view.
Roku Nana
Roku Nana manages to somehow both affirm and reject the vibe of the Roppongi neighborhood all at once. On one hand, it’s unashamedly kitsch: look no further than the glass cube tables framing upside-down chandeliers on the rooftop terrace, which looks out onto the towering Roppongi Hills complex. On the other hand, Roku Nana eschews the loud, unabashed ostentatiousness of many nearby venues. There’s no blasting music, and the entrance is down a dimly lit backstreet with almost no signage. In fact, its brave customers must venture up a staircase to the third storey of what looks like a small apartment block if they want a drink.
Roku Nana takes some legwork to find, but you’ll escape the alfresco crowds if you can locate this secret watering hole.
| PHOEBE AMOROSO
Roku Nana manages to hover somewhere between all-out tacky and very serious ambitions as a rojiura (back-alley) bar. This self-consciously styled image could, of course, come tumbling down on the wrong side of the fence if the drinks were bad — but they’re not. In fact, they’re very good. There’s a range of signature cocktails, including a New Old Fashioned, which features caramel popcorn infused rye whisky and honey Angostura bitters, and a Roppongi Espresso Martini with coffee liqueur, salted caramel vodka and hazelnut liqueur. Alongside the seasonal fresh fruits cocktail, I highly recommend the Banryoku Twisted Negroni featuring gin, green tea-infused vodka and white wine — it’s bold and savory, only flirting with bitterness for dangerously easy sipping.
Roku Nana revels in its status as a secret back-alley bar, so walk-ins are generally fine, but staff advise to book for Friday nights. The rooftop and Roppongi Hills views are definitely part of the charm, but the main bar is indoors with counter seating, sofas and some all-important air conditioning. There’s also an eclectic food menu with bar classics like smoked nuts alongside heartier meals such as brown rice soup curry.
Garden Terrace
What would an urban jungle be without a little greenery? Garden Terrace, located on the 31st floor of the Tokyo Edition hotel in the Toranomon area, does exactly what its name suggests — carefully sculpting a garden in the sky.
The outdoor patio space features wooden decking and chairs arranged among six bamboo and around 200 potted plants, all with an expansive view over Tokyo Tower. What’s more, at 140 meters above street level, Garden Terrace provides a bit of respite from Tokyo’s intense concrete heat. Watching the sun set over the city while sipping a crisp white wine is a blissful way to round off the day.
If you have the money to spend and are looking for a spectacular night high above downtown Tokyo, it’s hard to beat the views or the drinks at the Garden Terrace on the 31st floor of the Tokyo Edition Hotel.
| PHOEBE AMOROSO
Garden Terrace leaves the bartending theatrics and fancy cocktails to Gold Bar downstairs. Thirty stories up, the focus is on an intriguing line-up of wines: well-loved classics alongside wines from China, Armenia, Greece and Czechia. It’s a truly varied selection that allows the adventurous to do some globe-trotting through grapes.
For those looking to branch out from wine, there’s a Garden Spritz menu, bottled cocktails, zero-proof cocktails and beer. Be sure to also check out the specials, too — my recent visit showcased the wonderfully refreshing Jade Float — Shichiken sparkling sake poured over elderflower sorbet and topped with caviar for some salty notes that balanced the sweetness.
There’s a light menu featuring snacks, such as truffle maitake mushroom buns with Shintoku cheese, plus Yamagata pork with sauerkraut and mustard leaves. A highlight is the buckwheat sourdough baked by Danish bakery Brod with an extremely delicious recipe exclusive to the Garden Terrace and the accompanying Jade Room restaurant (which is worth a visit for a splash-out meal).
The drinks don’t come cheap (cocktails and wine by the glass start from around ¥2,000 to ¥3,000, but many run pricier), but you’re paying for the stunning setting and view that give you the feeling of escaping Tokyo while admiring the city at the same time. The cognitive dissonance is welcome, though, especially after a glass or two.
Roof Top Bar and Terrace G
Drinking with a Shinjuku skyline backdrop was immortalized by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in “Lost in Translation,” whose alienated characters meet for the first time at the Park Hyatt’s New York Bar. However, if you want the breeze in your face and a more affordable option, the Granbell Hotel’s Roof Top Bar and Terrace G has you covered.
Situated in between the entertainment district of Kabukicho and Shin-Okubo’s Koreatown, the hotel’s 13th floor features a rooftop bar that boasts views of neon signs, landmarks like the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building and Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, as well as mountains far out to Tokyo’s west.
At the Roof Top Bar and Terrace G atop the Shinjuku Granbell Hotel, serviceable drinks and stunning views won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
| PHOEBE AMOROSO
This is not a fancy affair: The cover charge is a mere ¥500, and there’s a daily happy hour from 2-7 p.m. with beer, wine and bourbon for just ¥600 a glass. The full menu has a vast array of all the usual bar drinks: whiskies, gins, beers, shōchū (Japan’s traditional distilled spirit), or any cocktail you’d want. There’s also standard bar food — edamame, olives, sausages and so on — to nibble on alongside the view.
The venue is cheap, cheerful and relaxing, allowing you to unwind in what feels like the true heart of Tokyo. Due to its space, the Roof Top Bar and Terrace G is also family friendly, and there were families with babies in strollers when I visited. Still, the Shinjuku Granbell’s rooftop terrace also works as a casual gathering spot for a group of friends.
Punk Doily
Drinking on rooftops isn’t just reserved for an evening out in the big city — Tokyo’s suburbs have plenty of hidden charm, too, and the meat pie shop Punk Doily is a strong flag-bearer for the cause.
Starting out as a take-out spot with just a couple of stools, native Aussie Kif Saint opened a wooden-decked rooftop terrace with four tables and views over the low-rise residential neighborhood of Setagaya. Saint features an ever-changing array of Australian craft beers, and there’s also a line-up of craft ciders — I enjoyed a crisp, well-rounded cloudy cider from Cedar Creek Cider on my last visit.
For an open-air terrace outside the city’s concrete jungle, Setagaya’s Punk Doily offers a delightful change of pace.
| PHOEBE AMOROSO
These all make excellent pairings with excellent pies. Saint is particular about all his ingredients, taking great pains to source the best quality meat, such as grass-fed beef raised in Tasmania’s Cape Grim. The menu features regulars like steak and cheese, steak and red wine, along with rotating specials like Thai green chicken curry. Round off with any of the home-baked sweet treats, which change by the week but often include Aussie classics like Lamingtons. Saint will happily recommend a beer pairing, but he also serves up a smooth flat white for caffeine cravers.
If you’re feeling like you’ve overindulged — easily done given the options — then take a stroll to the nearby Todoroki Valley, an improbable ravine in Tokyo, where you can walk it all off.
Marunouchi House
On the surface, the Marunouchi district can seem a little sterile — sleek glass skyscraper monuments to corporate Japan — but it has got its fair share of fun watering holes and hangouts. Marunouchi House is one of them.
The seventh floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building is a patchwork of restaurants with indoor dining, surrounded by an uninterrupted panoramic terrace with outdoor seating galore: bar counters, round tables and sofa lounges. It’s a choose-your-own atmosphere affair, where you can select between views of the Imperial Palace, the red-bricked Tokyo Station or somewhere in-between. You can also tailor the occasion — the space accommodates everyone from groups of friends downing beers and dating couples sheepishly sipping wine to remote workers tapping away on laptops in between mouthfuls of fries.
Take your pick from whichever restaurant in the building you fancy and carry your haul to your seat. Outdoor tables also display QR codes to an order via the Line app, but the menu may be more limited than ordering directly in-store. Choose from a dizzying array of options: Mexican beers and cocktails, such as frozen margaritas and passionfruit Caipirinhas, alongside small plates and tacos; tempura, sushi and soba; sashimi platters, shioyaki (whole grilled fish with salt) and aji furai (deep-fried horse mackerel). Those craving Western fare can enjoy small or full plates of stewed pork or steak frites, or tapas, pizzas and pastas.
There’s a drink, a dish and a view for everyone.