Visiting Starbucks Reserve Roastery is a far more interactive and immersive experience than simply going to a coffee shop - it feels more like a trip to a coffee-themed amusement park, with different attractions on each of the building's four levels. This huge 3000-square-meter retail space is the largest Starbucks branch in the world, and the fifth in their series of Reserve Roasteries. The building was designed by noted architect Kengo Kuma and completed in 2019, with interiors designed by Liz Muller.
A massive 17-meter-tall copper cask is the centerpiece of the interior, rising up through the different levels. Attached to the cask are the "Symphony Pipes" - a picturesque and audible series of tubes carrying freshly roasted beans from the cask to silos in the coffee bars. The main coffee-drinking zone is spread out along the ground floor, along with a design-heavy boutique where you can shop for anything from stationery supplies to coffee-making equipment.
The second floor houses a tea bar, serving 18 loose-leaf teas and various tea-based drinks. Prominent design elements here include a wall inspired by Japanese washi (traditional paper), a teacup wall, and an origami ceiling. Up on the third floor is the Arriviamo cocktail bar, which offers coffee- and tea-based cocktails as well as other original drinks. If you enjoy slow-paced entertainment you can sit in front of the cold-brew silos and watch the cold-brew process in action, one drip at a time.
On the top floor is the Amu Inspiration Lounge, where seminars, tastings and other events are held. There's also a "coffee-packing line" - a mini-assembly line where you can watch coffee beans being packaged. Whichever floor you're on, the heady aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans is ever present, as is the club-like soundtrack of background music. In addition to the ample indoor seating, the third and fourth floors each have a wide outdoor terrace area with a nice view out over nearby Naka-Meguro.