Starbucks Reserve Ginza House — Review by Mikey Chen
Tokyo, Japan — Italian-Japanese fusion buffet
Mike Chen finally gets access to Tokyo's unique all-you-can-eat Starbucks Reserve buffet after waiting 2 years. While the buffet features a variety of interesting items including excellent pasta, delicious focaccia-style breads with bacon, and a lovely Sakura cake, some items like the bruschetta are served on stale bread. At 3,800 yen (approximately 20 dollars), it's a worthwhile one-time experience driven by curiosity more than exceptional food.
What was great: Excellent pasta dishes (particularly the crab and pesto pasta), delicious bacon-topped focaccia bread, Sakura cake, and the overall buffet experience. Great drink selection and the novelty of an all-you-can-eat Starbucks concept.
What could improve: Stale bruschetta bread, non-fresh tomatoes on some items, not all-you-can-drink (only all-you-can-eat), and some items were inconsistent in quality
The Dishes
The buffet offers a diverse spread of items that can be enjoyed across multiple plates. The standout items include an exceptional crab pasta that tastes like it came from an Italian restaurant, a pesto penne pasta that is quite legit, and a focaccia-style bacon bread that is ridiculously good and light. The Sakura cake is lovely with a delicate, airy texture and fragrant cream that tastes unmistakably like sakura. Other notable items include olive bread served with hummus (a great pairing), a chocolate cream sauce for dipping bread, a spinach omelette, tuna with chickpeas and beans, cured ham, and a seaweed fried rice ball. However, some items disappoint: the bruschetta is served on extremely stale bread (described as tasting like it's been sitting for two days), and the tomatoes are not particularly fresh. The focaccia pizza bread with bacon is described as a cross between focaccia and spicy pepperoni pizza.
The Experience
The buffet operates in an interesting way: diners order a drink and receive a menu, then join the line at the counter where staff prepare a plate of food. The restaurant is a Starbucks Reserve location, so regular Starbucks customers are mixed with buffet diners. The menu includes multiple drink options and a helpful sheet with tips for enjoying the first plate. Diners can return for additional plates with rotating food items, though the selection appears to be the same items repeated rather than completely new dishes. The atmosphere is that of a premium Starbucks location with upscale seating areas.
Value and Pricing
The buffet costs 3,800 yen per person (approximately 20 US dollars). For this price, diners receive access to all-you-can-eat food and a choice of beverages from an extensive menu. However, drinks are not included in the all-you-can-eat format, which Mike notes as a missed opportunity since he downed his drink thinking it was unlimited. Given the price point, it's considered a reasonable value for a unique experience, though the food quality is somewhat inconsistent.
Notable Moments
This is a Starbucks reserve. Oh, yeah. This is the place.
The bruschetta is served on top of really, really stale bread. Oh, that's stale. Tomato is not that fresh either.
That's basically I think Starbucks take on focaccia bread and it is wonderful.
2 years finally got a reservation. Curiosity 100% satisfied.
The Verdict
This all-you-can-eat Starbucks buffet is definitely a one-time experience that satisfies curiosity more than delivering exceptional dining. The pasta dishes and focaccia-style breads are genuine highlights, and the Sakura cake is lovely, but inconsistent quality (particularly with stale breads on some items) and the limitation of non-unlimited drinks detract from the overall experience. At 20 dollars, it's worth trying if you're curious about the concept, but it's not something Mike would recommend as a regular dining destination. The buffet is best suited for those seeking a unique, novelty dining experience in Tokyo rather than those looking for consistently high-quality food.