When you Gotta Check Off that “Must-Do” Tourist Spots
Only the most touristy things demand you visit and makes no promises on what you get. After all, the masses head to these places for a reason. You want to go and see what makes it so popular and get a picture (or a few) out of it. This will be the first in a monthly series, Only the Most Touristy, as I indulge in the things locals roll their eyes over (got to try it at least once!). Starting in my hometown of Chicago, Starbucks Reserve is on many lists with the lines just to enter to prove it. But what do you get?
You’re already aware of and visited Starbucks. Its sleek interior design is clean, modern, and comfortable. But at the end of the day, it’s a coffee place. So, what’s so special about Starbucks Reserve? To start, there are only six locations worldwide with three in the US: Seattle, New York City, and Chicago.
The reserve in its name is referencing a high-quality standard for beans, single-source origin (non-blends, from a single harvest, farm, region, or country), rare varieties, and unique flavor profiles. We’ll see more of this during my espresso flight. But as I usually like to do when visiting a new place, I like to take a look around. The building is located on Michigan Avenue, also penned as the “Magnificent Mile” due to luxury shops lining the street.
This building, and the street for that matter, come alive at night with the lighting. Highly recommended to do some window shopping during the holiday season if you’re ever in Chicago. Unexpectedly, I made my way to the Magnificent Mile looking for a Lush store for some gift shopping after work. At the time, I was working in downtown. Given the cold season, the sun was coming down by the time I left work. Imagine my glee at seeing all the lights. The Burberry building stood from the pack.
Even during the day, the building stands out. Anything that isn’t a window is black and reflective. There’s also a crisscrossing element in the design, it makes me think of stitching. At night it has backlighting in the crisscross sections. So even at night, the black stands out.
Upon entering, there’s a beam that acts as a sign explaining the 5-floor layout. The first floor is listed as the reserve bar, but this is also works as a gift shop. There are also general Chicago themed souvenirs. The aesthetic is fun since there’s lots of bags of coffee beans around. You can buy beans for the specialty varieties they offer on this floor.
Running through all floors, you’ll notice a massive bronze coffee cask in the center of the building. This is a 56-foot tall, steel and aluminum structure. Yes, you’ll be taking pictures of this on multiple floors if you visit in person. I recommend taking a stroll through the floors before you start getting anything and sitting down. There are spiral escalators running throughout the floors, a staircase on one side of the building, and I spotted elevators.
You need to take the stairs or elevator for the top floor, featuring a small terrace. I visited in November so there were heat lamps. I recommend going to the terrace for a quick look at the view of Michigan Avenue. You can spot the Burberry building since it’s so close. In warmer weather, it would be worth it to sit outside. This location can be super busy, especially on weekends. I’d send someone just to save a table if there’s nice weather.
From the stairwell and elevator spot, you can get a bird’s eye view of the bar below from a window. Make sure to check it out when going to the terrace.
It’s not unusual to see lines to enter Starbucks, although I went on a weekday morning, so it wasn’t busy when it opened. However, after looking around on different floors and heading to the terrace, I went back down for breakfast.
The café is on the second floor, and I grabbed a drink and chocolate cornetto (croissant). My friend got a raspberry croissant, which was better. We snagged a spot by the window. The great thing about the seating, it’s very flexible. The tables are small but there also other secondary small tabletops on pedestals. So even if you’re sharing with strangers, you can still have plenty of space. Have your food on the main table and then the higher tabletop for your drink.
When you get a drink, the reserve branding is fun to see. It’s even on the napkins. Close to finishing my drink, I saw the line on the second floor for the café to pack up a bit. So even a weekday morning, things do get a bit crowded. Keep in mind, perhaps going right when it’s opened is to best to look at everything and still beat the mid-morning rush.
On a separate visit, I headed to the third floor for an origin flight, featuring beans from Ethiopia and Guatemala. There is a third but didn’t capture that one. These flights change so there will be different options. Although I wished we saved room for affogato. Live and you learn.
On this floor, I found this decorative wall display. It looked like a sunburst or a star with lots of lines going from the center out in all directions. But if you get closer, you can find different flavor profiles. Even see where individual flavors get grouped under. It’s fun to look at and figure out what flavors you notice from your own drink.
This floor is experimental coffee bar will have beaker looking things that reminded me of science class. But for the most part, we mostly hung back and enjoyed our flight and croissants. This is a great first stop if you’re visiting and then moving on to the museum or Millennium Park.
Starbucks Reserve Chicago is a simple must for a quick stroll around the building, learning about different coffees and an enjoying a few sips and treats. A great start to any Chicago visit, and easy check off in that silly Only the Most Touristy things list you made.
