Starbucks by the River - Kyoto

I've gotten into the habit of trying limited seasonal drinks from Starbucks every time I'm in Japan. In the past, I've tried the yuzu green tea frap, the coffee jelly frap, and the mango passion tea (with mango pudding, yum) frap. I haven't been disappointed with any of them so far, so I was excited to try out new drinks during my trip. On my last day of my hectic trip in Kyoto, I managed to put away an hour's worth of time to check out the Starbucks near Sanjo bridge. I learned of this location through a Rocketnewsarticle a while back, and was surprised that I've never gotten around to visiting during my ten week Quarter Abroad program in Kyoto. This location sits on the side of Kamogama River (one of my favorite places to walk around in Kyoto, especially during cherry blossom season), and it features a veranda that overlooks the river.

Walking along the river to Starbucks:

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Unfortunately, the weather was less than ideal. It was only 8:30 in the morning when I left the hostel to walk to Starbucks, and the humidity was sapping at my energy. It was even more unfortunate to arrive and find out that the veranda was closed due to inclement weather from the night before, but I managed to snag a seat by the window after ordering one of their seasonal specials -- the Fruits on top Yogurt frap, for 640 yen. It was a bit pricey for what it was: yogurt base with almonds with a variety of fruit toppings and whipped cream, but I was committed to trying something new. My travelmates, also wanting to try something new, ordered the Crunchy Cookie frap, which tasted exactly like what it was -- blended cookies. They enjoyed it.

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My Fruits on Top Yogurt frap tasted, unsurprisingly, like a breakfast parfait. Out of all the seasonal drinks I've tried so far, this might have been the least satisfying albeit delicious. Regardless, it was worth the half an hour walk from the hostel, because this location was definitely one of the better Starbucks I've been to in Japan, despite the gloomy weather. I hope to come back again to try more drinks on the veranda.

Address and hours: Kyoto Sanjo Ohashi / スターバックス・コーヒー 京都三条大橋店 Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Sanjo-dori, Kawaramachi Higashi Iri Nakajimacho Omiya Building 京都府京都市中京区三条通河原町東入中島町113番 近江屋ビル Open 8 a.m.-11 p.m.