Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2010

Photo by James Hadfield

Tokyo is far too short on outdoor drinking spaces, especially once the beer garden season has drawn to a close. So we can’t get enough of the seventh floor terrace at the Shin-Marunouchi Building, which draws a healthy mix of office workers, couples and out-of-towners to gaze out over the neighborhood’s latest construction projects. Order drinks and food at the bars inside, including Rigoletto Wine and Bar (affordable menu, sketchy service), So Tired (ersatz Chinese cuisine) and Henry Good Seven (pricier, good wine list). The terrace closes at 11pm, but most of the places indoors stay open until 4am Monday-Saturday.

7F Shin-Marunouchi Bldg, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.marunouchi-house.com