Blue Bottle Studio — Cafe Review

For those who believe coffee is as much ritual as refreshment, Blue Bottle Studio in Kyoto is a true delight. Open only in spring and autumn, this upstairs sanctuary sits above the Blue Bottle Kyoto Café Hanare in a century-old machiya townhouse. Step past an indigo-dyed noren curtain and into architect Jo Nagasaka’s tranquil interior, where tatami mats, earthen tsuchikabe walls, and handmade wood furnishings create an elegant, understated ambiance. A maximum of four guests take part in a 90-minute tasting, guided by baristas in linen uniforms with the reverence of a tea ceremony. The experience unfolds like a kaiseki meal: a progression of rare single-origin coffees—perhaps a prized Geisha or Yemenia—brewed with meticulous technique and paired with artful, seasonal confections. Music, curated by Blue Bottle’s founder James Freeman, underscores the experience with jazz records spinning on the turntable.