5 Unique Outdoor Izakaya You Can Enjoy Until The End Of Summer

The city's top outdoor izakayas for the hot season.

It’s been raining a lot over the past couple of weeks, but it looks like the weather will soon be back to normal, which means it’s time to hit the local outdoor spaces once again. Though Tokyo never runs out of opportunities to enjoy a few (or more) drinks, finding a beer garden or an outdoor drinking spot that’s not excessively crowded and where you won’t need a megaphone to chat with your friends, might be a challenge. Great news though — here’s a list of the top five Savvy Tokyo-recommended unique outdoor spaces, where you can relax, have great food and drinks and still enjoy conversation.

1. Crayonhouse’s Organic Outdoor Izakaya

Tucked in a narrow alley just outside Omotesando station is Crayonhouse, your one stop shop for everything organic — be it food, clothes, accessories or makeup. The store is also the home of one of the very few organic-certified restaurants in Tokyo. This summer, Restaurant Hiroba is taking it to a new level by inviting customers to their first ever outdoor izakaya at the venue’s spacious terrace. Everything on the menu is fully organic and domestically produced, coming to your table straight from local farms across Japan. The nostalgic vibe and the simplicity of the food will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time in the Showa era, but that’s exactly what makes it so unique. It’s just like the good ‘ol times when everything was so much simpler. Choose from a variety of appetizers — from tofu, chilled tomatoes, cheese assortment (it’s so good!!), and dishes of your choice from the restaurant’s famous buffet. All that for ¥500 per plate! As to drinks — you’ll have a hard time choosing from the long list of organic wine, beer, Japanese sake and more! Guaranteed quality and a bit of hangover as you won’t be able to stop!

Where: Crayonhouse B1F, 3-8-15 Kita-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
When: From 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. (Dinner time). Until late summer

2. Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s White Smoke Barbecue Summer Beer Garden

The summer beer garden at Grand Hyatt’s The Oak Door is well-known among expats and fans of good quality barbecue and free flow drinks. Held annually in collaboration with pit master Craig White from White Smoke, a pioneer of introducing traditional smoked barbecue to Japan, the menu here is served family-style and features too many irresistible tastes: from a colorful summer salad, unlimited barbecue-flavored French fries and a selection of oak-wood, slow-smoked American meats presented in a white smoke-filled dome, to name a few. Guests can also opt for a free-flow plan which includes beer, wine, sparkling wine, frozen margaritas and a selection of other refreshing cocktails, or upgrade to the VIP plan, which includes free-flowing premium champagne and a gourmet seafood platter showcasing the freshest catches of the day. Regardless of what you go for, there’s something for everyone.

Where: The Oak Door, Grand Hyatt Tokyo 6F, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
When: From 6 p.m. Until Sept. 30, 2017. For reservations, click here.
Cost: ¥6,800-¥14,900 depending on course

3. NoMad Grill’s “The Tokyo Beer Garden”

The recently opened NoMad Grill Lounge’s Tokyo Beer Garden is one of the most stylish places to enjoy an outdoor drink in relatively quiet surroundings, despite its strategic location in the heart of Tokyo. The view is Tokyo, the food is from all over the world, the ambiance is cosmopolitan, the experience — priceless. The full course menu includes a veggie-rich garden salad, an appetizer plate, the restaurant’s signature grilled beef and chicken steak, and dessert. Enjoy that with unlimited drinks varying from champagne to beer, wine, and soft drinks.

Where: Nomad Grill Lounge Terrace, 4F Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho, 1-2 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 1-minute walk from Subway Namboku Line Nagatacho Station Exit 9a
When: Upon reservations. Until late summer. Book online here.
Cost: ¥6,600 (Full course and free flow drinks)

4. Tokyo Prince Hotel’s “Garden Island” Summer Beer Garden

Nothing can beat the smell of barbecue and the flow of beer at the backdrop of Tokyo Tower. No doubt you have wondered what that fun place hidden in the woods is as you pass by near Zojoji Temple. Well, it’s Tokyo Prince Hotel’s one-of-a-kind summer beer garden at its Garden Islands Beer Restaurant. Popular among girls-only groups and couples, this is the beer garden you want to be at if you’re looking for the ultimate Tokyo summer experience. The spacious outdoor restaurant is surrounded by greenery, Tokyo Tower is just a hand stretch distance away, and the food is a top chef quality. Choose from a variety of different courses, including the popular “Ladies BBQ,” a colorful meat and seafood-filled plan designed by a group of top women hoteliers. All plans include a two-hour all-you-can-drink service, too, so your craves will be satisfied on all levels.

Where: Garden Islands Beer Restaurant, Tokyo Prince Hotel, 3-3-1 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo When: 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Until Sept. 22, 2017.
Cost: From ¥6,000 per person. Depends on course.

5. Green Tea Restaurant’s Matcha Beer Garden

While there are tons of matcha-flavored sweets on the market, only a handful of brave brands turn to the green powder to combine it with alcohol. So, here’s a chance! The popular Green Tea Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu in Kanda invites you to celebrate summer by indulging in its unique out-in-the-terrace green tea-flavored beer garden, including ten different types of matcha-infused beer and even wine (how is that possible?) The food menu, as you can guess, includes green tea sausages, tea leaves pizza, matcha sweets and more. We guarantee that your dinner will be filled with surprises and tons of Insta feeds!

Where: Green Tea Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu, 3-4 Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
When: 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Until Sept 30, 2017
Cost: ¥3,500 for all-you-can-drink, plus extra for food of your choice