Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo, the biggest Starbucks in the world, is located in Nakameguro, not far from Shibuya. You be the judge if the 4-story coffee shop lives up to the hype.

But first you need to jump through some hoops: Your first stop is the “Numbered Ticket Distribution Center” next to the actual place. Here you get your pass to the world of Starbucks–you can’t enter the reserve roastery without one. Entrance is free, and while waiting times especially on weekends and in the evenings used to be brutal for the first few months, things seemed to have toned down now considerably. Just to make sure, it is best to come on a weekday afternoon.

The interior is modern and beautiful with lots of good photo opps for the ‘gram if that is what you are after. The numbered ticket system probably already gives it away, but things can get crowded during peak hours. If so, head up to the 4F terrace to find an open seat, as most people seem to settle on the lower floors.

Your order will be a bit more fancy (and pricey!) than your regular ol’ Starbucks, so they take a bit longer and you will be given a buzzer to call you back once it’s done. This makes it easy to order various things from the different floors/zones at the same time, which is what most people seem to be doing.

by Mareike Dornhege