10 Places for Outdoor Drinks in Ueno
Under the tracks, down the side streets and beside an open storefront.

When I talk about outdoor drinking in Ueno, I start with Hoteichan under the tracks. Even as I’ve seen fewer outdoor tables elsewhere, the frontage here has kept its lively drinking scene. This is a very different evening from quietly sitting on an elegant terrace. I come for the bustle under the railway and the unmistakable feel of Ueno.

I like how easy it is to relax here. Just seeing people enjoying a drink by the entrance puts me in the same mood. A fried snack and a drink suit it better than an elaborate spread. That simplicity is part of the place’s charm.

Kiwamiya looks quite different depending on which side you approach. When I visited, there were no tables outside on Okachimachi Ekimae-dori, the main-street side. But by the entrance on the backstreet, there were seats where people could enjoy yakiniku outside. It would be a shame to walk past after looking only at the front.

I included Kiwamiya because I can grill meat and drink outside. Gather around the grill, take a freshly cooked piece and have a drink. The smoke and the surrounding bustle are part of the evening. Outdoor drinking doesn’t always have to mean skewers or stew; this is somewhere I choose when I feel like grilling.

Ueno Gyoko has a particularly open storefront. Some seats sit right at the edge of the premises, close to the passing street. Even without a fully outdoor table, much of the ground floor gives me that open-air feeling. I like the way the restaurant and the neighborhood seem to flow into each other.

The signs catch my eye, but so does the activity by the entrance. If I’ve come to Ueno, I want to feel the place around me while I drink. On those evenings, I prefer a table near the entrance to one deep inside. It’s an option both for people seeking outdoor seats and for those happy with an open, airy room.

Hamachan puts out fewer seats than it used to. Even so, I’m glad I can still have a drink by the entrance. The photograph shows people doing just that. Walking through Ueno and finding this scene still here is reassuring.

Tempura, sashimi and an unfussy storefront make a very fitting combination here. I can snack on fish and enjoy a drink amid the surrounding bustle. It doesn’t need elaborate presentation to be fun. The number of outdoor seats changes with the weather and the day’s setup, so I look at the entrance before deciding to go in.

In Ueno, the name is Yakitori Taisho. The open seating near the entrance lets me feel as though I’m drinking outside while staying within the restaurant. I’m close to the street but properly settled at a table. I like that balance.

The red sign, wooden tables and round stools are enough to remind me I’m drinking in Ueno. I don’t need an elaborate terrace. If I can hear the street and feel the people around me, I’m happy. This suits evenings when I want both fresh air and the character of a casual izakaya.

Chinchinken doesn’t simply have a few outdoor seats: much of the restaurant feels open to the street. The atmosphere is completely different from eating in a room enclosed by walls. I like that it has kept this character for so long. To me, this is old-school Ueno.

The food is pretty good too. Having fried rice and soup in front of me and the street immediately beyond them feels very characteristic of Chinchinken. I don’t need stylish interiors or special effects. Familiar food done well, and a drink amid the city: this is the sort of place I want to see last.

I like the scale of Uokichi Sakaba’s storefront and its broad, open entrance. I can feel the outside air while drinking, and watching the street is entertaining in itself. The sign saying “Established 1967” adds to its old-izakaya character. It communicates the pleasure of a night in Ueno before I even sit down.

But the main reason I want it in this guide is that the food is good. An outdoor seat doesn’t make mediocre food acceptable to me. I want to enjoy what I’m eating, with the openness adding to that pleasure. It remains a favorite for taking my time over a drink and watching the neighborhood go by.

I notice Daitoryo’s sign while I’m still at the station. It gives me that feeling of arriving in Ueno for a drink. The place I’m recommending here is the main branch beneath the railway tracks. People gather right up to the frontage, and the sight of drinks outside is part of what makes the area feel like itself.

The larger branch used to put out plenty of outdoor seats too, but I didn’t see them on this visit. For an outside drink, I head to the main branch. Drinking amid the activity under the tracks feels special. A guide to outdoor drinking in Ueno would be incomplete without it.

Yakiton Daio is down a side street, with red lanterns and outdoor seats a little way off the main road. As the outdoor drinking scene changes from street to street, this lane still has that busy izakaya feel. I enjoy walking through places like this.

I snack on skewers and have a drink while people pass close by. It’s nothing like a quiet private room, but that closeness is part of the fun of drinking outside. For the feel of an Ueno backstreet, this is the kind of place I like. It’s worth looking beyond the restaurants on the main road.

Horumon Sakaba opens wide at the front. Sitting near the entrance gives me an outdoor-drinking feeling even though I’m inside. I like the rows of lanterns and food signs too; they feel right for an Ueno izakaya. I can walk in without ceremony and settle straight into a drink.

You can see the street immediately beyond the finished beer mug and plates. This photograph shows that closeness well. A fully outdoor table isn’t the only way to enjoy an open-air evening. A seat where the street air comes in, some food and a drink can be enough. That’s the ease I like here.