Mado Lounge sits on the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower Building in the Roppongi Hills complex. As the last stop at the top of the structure, it is a fitting location for the building's official City View attraction. For 1,500 yen, a whisper-quiet elevator smoothly whisks you to the top in less than a minute, and thus elevated, Tokyo lies prone at your feet. Other high-rises are so dwarfed that the red signal lights on top appear to blend in with the blink of traffic and neon at street level. At this time of year, they also give the city a jolly, festive look.

Unlike the 51st floor, which is exclusively for members of the Roppongi Hills Club, on the 52nd floor everyone is welcome. And now that Mado Lounge has opened, you can linger in comfort and sip a cocktail as you contemplate one of Tokyo's most fabulous views. When you consider that members at the club pay more than 1 million yen (for milli-yen-airs only) to indulge in the same privileges, the 52nd floor is, in fact, a bargain.

Mado Lounge is every bit as chic as the high-end bars one floor below, but much more hip. Local talent Yasumichi Morita designed the interior throughout, and every surface shimmers and reflects -- the floors, the walls and even some of the ceilings. The entry is understated, with simple white plaster walls and a kitchen and a service bar each tucked into a corner. From there a series of silky white fringes, which cascade from ceiling to floor like synthetic waterfalls, lead you through an anteroom lined with white upholstered couches on your left and your first taste of the view through the glass-enclosed VIP room on your right.