New Friends at The Roastery, Shibuya

There are so many good coffee specialty places these days we are getting way too spoilt for choice. Most of these coffee specialists boast swank interior design, top-of-the-range equipment and most certainly all sorts of single origin arabica royalty. But every once in a while, you stumble upon one which has all of the above…and more.

I am talking about an awesome crew.

I was reliving my coffee trail in Shibuya with friends recently and discovered The Roastery by Nozy Coffee along Cat Street. The Roastery, whose design was inspired by Sightglass in San Francisco and Intelligentsia in Venice, California, had just opened a month ago – what perfect timing! Nozy Coffee has been on my radar for a few years but I’ve just never made it to the head shop in Sangenjaya, further west of Shibuya. So yes I was pleased with this find.

Congratulations on your opening, Shimada-san and team!

The space is handsome. The outdoor area is flanked on the left by high tables and on the right by bleachers. Inside, a rectangular espresso bar is centrepiece, while the Probat and brew bar sit at the back. Warm wood tones and metal dominate.

From the moment we stepped into the shop, we were greeted by a very jovial front-of-house who made us feel right at home. A welcomed change from our previous day’s visit to a nearby specialty coffee shop – a favourite of mine but which runs a much less intimate service.

As I toured the cafe, attentive faces, warm smiles and enthusiastic nods of acknowledgement abound. The crew was eager to please. It was an endearing atmosphere I personally felt characterized The Roastery and surpassed the shop’s beautiful design, gadgets and coffee itself. A good service crew is hard to come by and The Roastery seems to have this worked out.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to Hiroki-san, Riku-san and the rest of the crew, who took pains to make sure we were comfortable. Be it questions about Indonesian Alur Badak or Ethiopian Yirgacheff, the sweets or the shop, they were always answered with utmost sincerity and a genuine smile. Also not forgetting Riku-san tirelessly checking in on our table with water top-ups; Hiroki-san obliging me with a photo op amidst a busy service (I am such a terrible customer!).

To our new friends…恐れ入ります.

A parting note – do try their New York Ring, a croissant-donut cross (or CroNut some say) popularised by Chef Dominique Ansel in New York City and that has taken the US by storm this year. I think it’s the perfect treat with a good cup of coffee. We had double serves.