A new concept store for Starbucks Coffee has opened. This is a new store that inherits the concept of a community-based store that had only three stores in Setagaya Ward.

At the Setagaya store, there were even Starbucks fans who visited all the way from afar, and it was talked about as a "special Starbucks". The En-eating editorial department also participated in the preview of the "Okusawa 2-chome store" that opened on November 19th in order to experience the space.

■ "A special cup" for brewing skillful baristas

The drink menu is a little different from regular Starbucks. Even a cup of coffee is an espresso drink (400) such as "Clover" (500 yen and up, tax not included, same below) brewed with special equipment using high quality beans, and latte made by skilled baristas selected from regular stores. Yen ~) is provided.

We recommend the "Home Made Vanilla Latte" (650 yen). Vanilla syrup is handmade by boiling Madagascar vanilla beans, sugar, and water in a counter pot every morning. Take a break with the scent of vanilla and the gentle sweetness. Oh yeah, you can choose from three types of base espresso: deep roasted, monthly, and decaffeinated. Please consult with the staff about your favorite taste.


In addition, there is a wide variety of drinks that cannot be drunk at regular stores, such as "Banana Chocolate & Ice Cream," which uses whole raw bananas, and "Mam's Apple & Tea," which contains plenty of crushed apples (650 yen each). Drinks are available.

■ Exquisite baked goods handmade at the store

For coffee, enjoy pastries baked at the store. If the timing is right, you can meet the hot freshly baked. Fresh sandwiches (800 yen) for morning and lunch. All are menus that can only be eaten at concept stores.


The most popular is the apple pie (580 yen), which uses plenty of Fuji apples from Aomori prefecture. The crispy, large-cut apples go well with the crispy, fragrant pie. Add cold ice cream to the warm and warm freshly baked.


The "Almond Croissant" (290 yen), which has many enthusiastic fans at existing stores, is a perfect menu for sweetly finished coffee. Plenty of almond cream in the croissant, which has a pleasant texture of cookie dough. After all it is recommended to combine it with black coffee or deep roasted espresso.


I like scones. The outside is crispy and the inside is surprisingly moist. The dough inside is thick when freshly baked!


■ Enjoy baked goods with sake

For example, when the flow is "Let's have a little tea and go home" after drinking. Though I thought I didn't need "tea", I had no choice but to go to the cafe and order coffee. Also, I want to relax with a little drink, but I gave up after all because it was too noisy at the izakaya and too heavy at the bar. You've never had that experience? Here you can drink coffee, tea, juice as well as alcohol.

The cake served in the store is on top of the wine in a glass without legs. It is a dish to enjoy the marriage of sweets and wine.


For example, "Bliss Chocolate Cake on Red" (1,100 yen) is a combination of chocolate cake and red wine. The rich but not too sweet cake is accented with the bitterness of cacao nibs. The scent of cacao and the faint berry scent of wine match perfectly, complementing each other's tastes. I was wondering if I was looking for something that suits me and procuring it, but the person in charge went to a winery in Napa, California, USA to make it to suit the pastry. In other words, it is a wine that can only be drunk at concept stores.


White wine is served with a cake that uses plenty of lemon. You can also put cheese on your favorite wine. Besides wine, there are also local beers from Seattle. Enjoy a wonderful marriage of liquor and pastries as well as coffee and pastries.

■ Enjoy a relaxing time in an "organic" space

The store is finished in a "natural" and "organic" space, and I want you to spend your time as if it were an extension of your living room. The counters and tables are wood-grained, and furniture such as sofas are also in natural colors. As an interior, tools that allow you to experience the "fragrance" of coffee are also displayed. Enjoy your own time in a relaxing space.



The location of the Okusawa 2-chome store is 2-38-9 Okusawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Business hours are from 8:00 to 22:00 (some menus are sold from 12:00). In addition, "Komazawa 1-chome store" (1-24-5 Komazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo) is scheduled to open on December 24th. The conversation with the person in charge of menu development, which seems to be very fun, was lively, and I was too comfortable to stay for a long time. Delicious things and a nice space are the best. I would go if I was in the neighborhood.

Added on December 15, 2015: "Inspired by Starbucks" has been redefined as a "Starbucks Neighborhood-type store". Currently, the name of "Inspired by Starbucks" is not used, including the existing stores in Setagaya Ward.