After what feels like forever, I finally got the chance to to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery near the Meguro river. I remember all the hype and articles when it first opened and how the queues were so long and it was so crowded. In hindsight I have no regret of not going sooner. We arrived just after 12pm so it was lively but not packed. By the time we left at 2pm there were queues up the stairs, so it seems we had good timing.
Before we took a seat we wandered up through the floors to have a look around. The layout is interesting to say the least. As soon as you walk through the door you are immediately introduced to some of the latest merchandise, which happens to be the Cherry Blossom collection at this current moment. It’s worth noting that because of the close proximity to the Meguro river, that during the Cherry Blossom bloom it will be very busy in the area.
We went first to the 4th floor which sometimes has classes or tasting sessions. There’s also seating here and an outdoor terrace area. At the time of our visit we were lucky enough to see them packing the latest roast, Tokyo Blend in the packing area.
Down on the 3rd floor is a bar area where you can order alcoholic beverages. There is more terrace seating here. There is also a great photo spot of coffee cards on the wall. Perfect for you Instagram folks.
2nd floor is where we picked a seat to enjoy our lunch. We took a counter seat on the bar area that specializes in Tea. You can see the staff straining and preparing the tea. One thing to note in this Starbucks is that it’s almost like a marketplace and each area has a slightly different menu, so in some places you can’t order everything. This means you have to order different items from different areas. It can be a little confusing but I’m sure they’ve created it that way on purpose.
After saving our seats we went down to the 1st floor to first order our drinks. I went for a Butterscotch latte which was just delicious. I really loved it. The menu here includes a mix of items, some standard , some that have been special editions in normal Starbucks in the past, and some exclusive to the Roastery. If I remember correctly the Butterscotch latte had been a special edition in the past. Although the menu here is a little more pricey than a standard Starbucks. After ordering drinks we went to another counter to choose some food. As is normal in Japan, the food display is pretty aesthetic. Makes you want to eat everything. I’m not a fan of Sakura (Cherry blossom) flavored food, but even I was tempted by the seasonal Croissant decorated with bright pink icing. Instead I went for the salad lunch plate, which included plenty leaves, a hefty amount of chicken and two pieces of bread. It was all very fresh and the bread is baked in-store.
To be honest, I was quite overwhelmed by the choice, and of holding up people behind me, but there were focaccia sandwiches, tarts, pasta salad, cakes, croissants and also pizza. There were around four choices of pizza, margarita, mushroom, seafood and mozzarella. We went for the plain margarita, which was also very tasty. I couldn’t fault any of the food we had. All in all it was a great experience, and I especially think it would be a nice place to visit if you are a tourist in Tokyo. They have some exclusive merchandise which is of course overpriced, but would make a super Souvenir.
Starbucks is extremely popular in Japan, and there are stores on almost every street. But this Roastery is certainly unique, just remember to take a full wallet when you visit !
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