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Welcome to Reserve Dosan, Seoul's first Starbucks with whiskey and a fireplace

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 18:58 Updated: 01 May. 2025, 11:17

CHO YONG-JUN
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The second floor of the Starbucks Reserve Dosan branch in southern Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

Starbucks Korea’s latest premium branch feels different the moment you walk in. A bar, where coffee is brewed and drinks are made, welcomes visitors on the first floor. The upper floor features moody lighting and a cozy interior, with a fake fireplace and comfy sofas. You can reserve a seat.

A big flipboard clicks and flips every now and then to display welcome messages, reservation information and decorative pipe designs inspired by the tubes that transfer beans at roasteries. The cafe feels more like an upscale cocktail or whiskey bar than a franchise coffee store. Oh, and it also serves alcohol.

Throughout the press tour of the Starbucks Reserve Dosan branch, located near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday, Starbucks Korea staff who were involved in the new branch's design kept describing it as a “miniature version of Starbucks Roastery.”

The new store, which opened Tuesday, is not quite the long-awaited Korean introduction of Starbucks Roastery, the brand’s flagship store that is only present in six locations around the world. The two-story location is much smaller than the company's four-story Tokyo roastery and 30,000-square-foot roastery in Shanghai, China. Critically, Reserve Dosan does not roast its own coffee beans, but instead offers the different single-origin beans sold in other Reserve stores.

But the Dosan branch still provides an experience that is not seen in other Starbucks stores.

Starbucks Reserve Dosan branch in southern Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

“While we’ve been talking with the American counterpart about the opening of a Starbucks Roastery in Korea, we cannot decisively say whether Roastery will or will not be opening in Korea at the moment,” a Starbucks Korea staff member said during the press tour.

Instead, staff say the new branch aims to bring the Starbucks’ Reserve-only store experience to the center of Seoul, because other Starbucks stores with such a vibe, like the Bukhangang R and the Jeju Songdang Park R, are far from the city center and difficult to access by public transportation.

To solidify this special experience, baristas at the counter ask customers not only what drink they want, but also what type of beans and how they would like them brewed: sweetness, acidity and the body of the beans are all considered.

Reserve smoked cold fashioned coffee served at the Starbucks Reserve Dosan branch in southern Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

The store also features 11 exclusive drinks, ranging from coffee that is smoked like a whiskey, cold brew mixed with bourbon and a French vanilla matcha latte with burned sugar on top, for those avoiding the beans. There are also 11 exclusive food items — such as a bear-shaped chocolate, brûlée cheesecake, melting mascarpone tiramisu and a fancy butter bar with black truffle.

Starbucks' whiskey-infused coffee, in particular, mixes whiskey when the coffee is cold-brewed, different from the barrel-aged coffee sold at Starbucks Roastery.

The whiskey-infused coffee didn't necessarily emit much of a whiskey aroma; In fact, it didn't smell much different from the franchise's ordinary cold-brewed coffees. It did, however, feel alcoholic once it went down. The whiskey-infused cold brew has 3 percent alcohol, according to Starbucks, and a sign outside the counter indicates that customers wishing to purchase alcoholic coffees may be asked for ID.

The second floor of the store continues with the premium vibe, as the traditional seats with plugs are replaced with glass tables and a faux fireplace at the center of the floor, reminiscent of a rich and luxurious U.S. living room.

Thick sofas at the side are open for reservations. Each sofa set features a noticeboard notifying visitors of the times the seats are reserved for the day. Customers without a reservation can sit on the sofa when it is empty, but will have to move away if the reservation nears. Reservations for the seats are made on KakaoTalk with a deposit of 10,000 won ($7).

The second floor of the Starbucks Reserve Dosan branch in southern Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

“When I first saw the interior of the store, I just thought, wow, this is crazy — none of the interior designs were inspired by existing Starbucks branches in Korea,” said Stella, the manager of the Dosan branch. “It feels like a luxurious bar.”