Tokyo Beer Gardens: Where to Spend a Summer Evening

We’re in the thick of Tokyo’s beer garden season, and summer wouldn’t be complete without a glass of beer, a group of friends, and the hum of cicadas.

Luckily, there are dozens of choices to fulfill your late-night drinking desires. Some require an all-you-can-drink buy-in, which as we’ve mentioned before, isn’t always the best deal. Many offer à la carte menus, BBQ and are even open until autumn (which, let’s face it, is the best outdoor drinking season.)

Best beer gardens with a view

Relax with a cold one in your hand and something pretty to look at.

Keio Asahi Sky Beer Garden, West Shinjuku

June to September
5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays; 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays
Official site

Lord your pint over the workers of Shinjuku while lounging on the rooftop of Keio Department Store. The garden has an extensive menu, so enjoy your sparkling surroundings with a choice of over 30 types of drinks — of course, this includes Asahi Super Dry.

Everything is self-serve, so thankfully you don’t have to wait around for your beer (a shortcoming of many beer gardens). If you go early between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. (last entry 6 p.m.), you can get unlimited drinks for two hours (incl. snacks) for ¥3,850. The classic courses — with all-you-can-drink and various food — start at ¥4,950.

Keio Asahi Sky Beer Garden

Japanese:京王アサヒスカイビアガーデン

Address:Keio Department Store Rooftop, 1−1−4 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo

Phone:

03-5321-5349

Hours:June to September

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Beer Mount, Mount Takao

June to October
1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Official site

Beer Mount is definitely the highest beer garden in Tokyo, 500 meters up Mount Takao. From your terrace, garden, or hall seat, you can enjoy the views from Takao day or night.

There are four main types of Japanese beers with occasional festivals bringing added surprises. Apart from beer, you can also choose highball, wine, shochu, and cocktails. All are part of an unlimited drink plan. But this garden isn’t just for drinking (what!?); the all-you-can-eat buffet includes an array of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes. This year there is also an option to add a grill-at-your-table BBQ option for ¥2,500 per person (meat included). Prices start at ¥5,000 for a two-hour free-for-all.

Takao Beer Mount

Dates:15th Jun–15th Oct, 2024

Entry:

¥500 – ¥5,000

Venue:

Mount Takao

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Eki Beer, Asakusa

June to September
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays; 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays
Official site

In Asakusa, you can sip your brew (and get a crick in your neck) while gazing up at Tokyo Skytree. This beer garden, right on the Sumida River, sits on the rooftop of the Ekimise building at Asakusa Station. With seating for 170, they offer a 90-minute all-you-can-drink course, plus a barbeque set, for ¥5,000, with a few other plans available too. À la carte beers start at ¥800 a glass.

Best beer gardens for a date

Cuddle up with a pint… and your partner.

Garden Island, Shiba Park

July to September (restaurant open year-round)
5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Official site

Woo your date with a romantic backdrop of Tokyo Tower at Tokyo Prince Hotel’s very own beer garden. While the restaurant is open year-round (when reserved from October to March), its indoor and outdoor seating fills with thirsty punters and BBQ enthusiasts in the summer. They also offer various seasonal food plans including unlimited drinks from ¥8,000.

Garden Island

Japanese:ガーデンアイランド

Address:Tokyo Prince Hotel, 3-3 Shiba Park, Minato City, Tokyo

Phone:

03-3432-1129

Hours:5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m

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Sekirei, Motoakasaka

May to October
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays
Official site and reservations here

For a flashy, more intimate beer garden, take yourself to the 19th-century building Meiji Kinenkan (a popular wedding venue) and spend the evening at Sekirei. Only originally open in the summer months, this open-air restaurant gets pretty busy, so reservations are advised (this does cost between ¥1,500–¥1,500 for a terrace or garden seat). There is a beer hall inside (which also happens on some weekends in August), which is considerably cheaper — starting at ¥4,000 for an all-you-can-drink plan.

This is not far from Forest Beer Garden, which is also on this list.

Beer Terrace Sekirei

Japanese:ビアテラス「鶺鴒」

Address:Meiji Kinenkan, 2 chōme-2-23 Motoakasaka, Minato City, Tokyo

Phone:

03-3746-9419

Hours:5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sun–Fri; May to October only

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Best beer gardens for a large group

Planning a party or large gathering? You’ll need a beer garden that can put bums on seats.

Forest Beer Garden, Shinjuku

April to September
4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays
Official site and reservations here

This almost 1000-person capacity beer garden is held in the Meiji Shrine Outer Grounds. The garden runs daily from late April to late September and is open weekday evenings, as well as afternoons and evenings on weekends. Get an all-you-can-eat-and-drink option for ¥5,880 that lasts two hours. This is a great pick for the sheer size and lovely location.

Note: During the high season (July 20–August 31) the hours change to 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Forest Beer Garden

Japanese:森のビアガーデン

Address:14-13 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku-ku (Meiji Jingu Outer Gardens)

Phone:

03-5411-3715

Hours:4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekends and holidays

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Best beer gardens for a local experience

Citabria Baypark, Toyosu

All year
4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wed–Fri and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays in summer; closed on weekdays in winter
Official site

While this waterside venue may be a little out of the main city center, you are rewarded for your efforts with a beautiful and alternative view of Tokyo. Citabria Baypark has only outdoor seating — come rain or shine — with rows of benches that sit under umbrellas. It is also one of the locations for the Belgian Beer Festival, so it is set up nicely for a boozy evening out. A Heartland draft beer will cost you ¥700 and a small pitcher ¥2,700. They also do a mean mojito and their oven-baked pizza and fish and chips aren’t too shabby either. For those who enjoy a bit of luxury, there are also tents to rent, as well as BBQ plans.

Citabria Baypark

Address:6-4-26 Toyosu, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo

Phone:

080-9179-5151

Hours:4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wed–Fri and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays in summer; closed on weekdays in winter

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Petit Garden, Shimokitazawa

All year except winter
Times vary but generally, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and holidays
Official site

Not all beer gardens are built for hundreds. This quaint, unpretentious spot is a great neighborhood haunt for beer lovers and outside drinkers alike. Petit Garden is not big (slightly obvious from its name), but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character and greenery. It has its own appointed gardener, and you can rent out the space for your very own BBQ beer garden parties. They have an à la carte menu including snacks and serve beer from ¥650. Check out their opening times and occasional beer discounts on their Instagram.

Petit Garden

Japanese:プチガーデン下北沢

Address:2-33-1 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku Tokyo

Phone:

080-9523-4587

Hours:6 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays; 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekends and holidays; open all year except winter

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This article was first published in August 2014 and authored by Selena Hoy. This article was extensively rewritten and updated by the editorial team in July 2024. While we try to make sure our information is accurate, details may vary. Reservations are strongly recommended for all of these venues. Note that public holidays follow a weekend schedule.