Tokyo
Polished, precise, civilised. Tokyo's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Marunouchi · $$$$
The Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Tokyo draws a steady local crowd in Marunouchi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the ev
Hinode Pier · $$$
Jicoo The Floating Bar draws a steady local crowd in Hinode Pier. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Marunouchi · $$$$
Peter Bar at The Peninsula draws a steady local crowd in Marunouchi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Toranomon · $$$$
Rooftop Bar at Andaz Tokyo draws a steady local crowd in Toranomon. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Shinjuku · $$$$
The Aviary at Park Hyatt draws a steady local crowd in Shinjuku. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Shibuya · $$$
The Bellwood draws a steady local crowd in Shibuya. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Roppongi · $$$
The Blacksmith draws a steady local crowd in Roppongi. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Toranomon · $$$$
The Roof at Edition Toranomon draws a steady local crowd in Toranomon. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Shingo Gokan opened The SG Club in Shibuya in 2018 after returning from running Speak Low and Sober Company in Shanghai. The three-floor compound is unusual: Ca
Aoyama · $$$$
Bar Asterisk draws a steady local crowd in Aoyama. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Tokyo? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.