When the weather starts to warm up, Tokyoites hit the great outdoors for some of the best things to do in the city: strolling Tokyo's lush parks, marvelling at a Japanese garden, catching free works of art, and even dining up high at these stunning rooftop restaurants and bars. Spring is a particularly lovely time to hang out outdoors before the arrival of summer's sweltering heat. So order your cocktail, take in the picturesque city skyline and raise a glass to Tokyo's spectacular views.
RECOMMENDED: In the day, hang out at these scenic rooftop gardens instead
With unimpeded views all the way to Tokyo Bay, the Andaz Tokyo hotel's rooftop terrace bar is perched on the top (52nd) floor of Toranomon Hills and offers a spectacular late-night experience. Seasonal fruit and teas form the basis for the cocktails here, while other drink options include domestic beer, fine champagne and nihonshu.
Every spring, the rooftop bar is flanked with real cherry blossom trees for a hanami in the sky experience.
An outpost of the popular sky-high bar on the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Tokyo’s Cé La Vi may not be as vertigo-inducing as its Southeast Asian counterpart, but it still commands a good view of the iconic Shibuya Scramble. This multitalented venue covers two floors on the rooftop of Shibuya Fukuras, and features a restaurant, rooftop bar and club.
On the 17th floor, you’ll find the café-bar Bao by Cé La Vi, as well as the alfresco Cé La Vi Club Lounge complete with a DJ station. The Cé La Vi Restaurant & Sky Bar on the 18th floor has a more exclusive setting, offering a luxurious food menu with a side of Shibuya skyline views. Both floors feature outdoor seating with cosy lounges, making them the perfect hangout during the warmer months.
This gorgeous hotel houses two restaurants sharing a highly coveted outdoor terrace, making them one of the best places in Tokyo for a sundowner. One of them is Italian eatery Pigneto, which offers fine Italian cuisine and a selection of Milanese aperitivi. The other is French-Japanese restaurant Est which earned its first coveted star in the 2022 Michelin Guide. Do note that the terrace is only open from April to October.
This new Tokyo Edition hotel is an indulgent haven amid the hustle and bustle of Ginza, but you don’t have to be an overnight guest to enjoy some of its greatest features. The second-floor Punch Room, for instance, is an excellent place to stop by for cocktails with friends if you’re looking for a leisurely place to sit and chat after an afternoon of window shopping. Elegantly decorated with dark walnut coffered walls and velvet-upholstered sofas, this moody lounge bar is a Japanese take on the private clubs of 19th-century London.
Then there is the 15th-floor rooftop, which offers a leafy retreat away from the frenetic pace of the city. Surrounded by a wall of ferns and olive trees that are lowered to overlook the surrounding cityscape, this lush rooftop oasis offers intimate seating surrounded by plants and space for private gatherings of all sizes, with a stunning view of Tokyo Tower in the distance that is especially scenic after dark.
Where better to enjoy a satisfying fix of Mexican cuisine than on a rooftop? Hacienda del Cielo's ninth-floor terrace is a perfect setting to chomp on freshly prepared guacamole and spicy fajitas, washed down with lime and spicy tomato juice-infused tequila banderas. Inside is no less impressive, mind: lounge-style furniture, high ceilings and a chandelier modelled on Kukulkan separate it from the pack.
Spend your evening under a starry night sky at The Aoyama Grand Hotel. The gorgeous rooftop bar, known as The Top, offers panoramic views of the city skyline including an unobstructed view of Tokyo Tower.
The menu features a selection of seasonal original cocktails and mocktails as well as a curated lineup of wine, champagne, whisky and sake. Italian-inspired bar snacks and desserts are also available for order including cold cuts, cheese platters and bruschetta, and for dessert, tiramisu, gelato and assorted fruit.
It's taken a surprisingly long time for word to spread about the 13th floor restaurant at Asakusa's The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon – maybe because everybody who's been there was hoping to keep the place to themselves.
The menu of bistro-style French food – including dishes like Burgundy-style sauteed scallops and onion gratin soup – is well executed and surprisingly good value. But it's the scenery that really ought to be luring the crowds here: whether you're gazing from behind the floor-to-ceiling windows or sat out on the terrace, you can enjoy one of the best vistas that eastern Tokyo has to offer, crowned by an uninterrupted view of Tokyo Skytree.
City views, wide open spaces, shiny cube-shaped furniture… Omotesando's Two Rooms Bar & Grill is a restaurant that has it all. Enjoy top-notch steaks, fresh teppan-grilled fish and a fine bottle of plonk with a side of cooling breezes and cityscapes, or head back for more of the same at one of their famous weekend brunch sessions. Bliss.
Although they're right there underneath you, the love hotels and host clubs of Kabukicho feel a million miles away from the Shinjuku Granbell’s 13th-floor bar. The hotel's bar has become even more comfy thanks to the addition of exotic-looking plants and other greenery, while the views of Nishi-Shinjuku’s sparkling skyline are as spectacular as ever. Happy hour, when all drinks go for ¥700, is every day from 2pm to 7pm.
A comfy café and bar found on the rooftop of a well worn building right next to Sangenjaya Station, A-Bridge charms with an anti-commercial ethos befitting its neighbourhood close to the local jumble of izakaya and small bars that make up the local yokocho, Sankaku Chitai. Catch the sunset early in the evening and stick around for a DJ set or indie gig.
Worth consideration especially for those special occasions, Casita has that luxury resort feel right in the heart of the city. The main dining area with its upscale Italian fare is suitable for an intimate date, while the terrace is more laidback with its colourful tapas and selection of wine and bubbly. Warm evenings are when to catch the sunset with a cocktail in hand.
Sitting pretty in the middle of Kagurazaka, this chic, modern Italian restaurant is best known for its spacious and comfy terrace. Stagione serves very respectable fare, including well-prepared Neapolitan pizzas, while the rooftop area works as an ideal spot for parties and even weddings. While you're at it, don't miss their stellar wine menu featuring a number of vinos all from Italy.
Relax in one of these secret gardens, found way above ground on the city's shopping mall rooftops
Venture into the great outdoors without leaving Tokyo, from a bamboo forest and nature parks to lush river valleys and more
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