Starbucks opened its largest cafe in the world in Shanghai on Wednesday as the US-based beverage giant bets big on the burgeoning coffee culture of a country traditionally known for tea-drinking.

The opening of the sprawling, two-storey outlet in a busy central shopping district was thronged by hundreds of customers, some waiting more than an hour in long lines stretching outside for a block in scenes reminiscent of a hyped-up new iPhone release.

The cafe spans 2,700 square metres (30,000 square feet) -- nearly half the area of a soccer field -- and is the company's second Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a larger type of store featuring premium coffees, teas, and coffee-infused beer along with a personalised barista service.