Japan's First Starbucks Reserve Roastery .
My First day in Japan consisted of me going where else, but to the first Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Japan. This roastery is located in Nakameguro right next the Meguro River which is lined with cherry blossoms.
Meguro River during sakura season
What is a Starbucks Reserve Roastery you may ask? Well, as of writing this there are only five in the world, and they are meant to be an upscale version of your neighborhood Starbucks. They offer the full menu of your local store, with a few signature concoctions.
This is one of their signature concoctions. It is a glass of tea with a sakura flavored popsicle. Super light and refreshing! Something unique about this roastery is that there are four levels with three of them catering to a different type of beverage. When you finally make it through the doors (the line can be a few hours long depending what time of day you go) you are greeted by a friendly barista who may give you a map of the store. The first level has your main espresso bar where you can order your coffee and or bakery items, there is also the scoop bar where you can ask a barista to scoop a pound of coffee for you.
barrels of roasted coffee
This first level can be super overwhelming especially with all the other guests looking at retail, or watching the baristas roast coffee (if you’re lucky you can catch them roasting coffee right in front of you). This level also has a spot where you can watch the Princi bakers in action. Behind the glass you can see the ovens where the baked goods are baked. I settled for a cortado and a nutella like croissant.
Level two is all about tea. When you walk up the stairs you can see this really cool collage of tea cups that spell out Teavana (however it was a little difficult to capture it with all the people around). On this level there is a tea bar which you can order tea from, and right across the room there is a counter where you can smell the full leaf teas and purchase an ounce or two.
Teavana, level two
And finally there is that third level, this level has the Arriviamo Bar, which has craft cocktails inspired by Starbucks (yes there is an espresso martini) this floor is also where you can go out onto the terrace and enjoy your beverage and the sakura alike. I however did not order anything from this level so I can’t tell you how amazing that martini is. I arrived here at eight in the morning and was trying to beat the jet lag and didn’t want a cocktail that early in the morning. But this level still has its charm with a few barrel aged spirits to give it that feel.
And lastly that fourth level is just another seating area, it definitely needs the extra chairs with how much buzz this place has.
Final thoughts, this roastery is beautiful. It’s what Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory would be like for coffee. If you ever find yourself in Tokyo I would recommend coming here, even if you’re not a coffee fan. There is a lot to experience at the reserve.
