For All My Basic Starbies Bishes…
Note: This post will be updated as I live/experience life around the world. So buckle-up buttercup…
Or should I say Butter Bliss Frappuccino… cup? Last Updated: April 15, 2025
If you know me, you know that I am unapologetically a Basic Starbies Bish, although not because I’m a sucker for the brand or align with all of their corporate policies and procedures. Rather, I’ve been drinking their iced and frozen delights since high school (for reference, I’m an #OGMillennial, so you do the math), and as such, its just become part of my weekly and travel routines.
To be clear: I am NOT a coffee aficionado, nor do I claim to be. I only drink Iced Coffee and Cold Brew. I NEVER drink hot coffee. Like, you can’t pay me to drink it. In the last few years I’ve realized I don’t like a lot of milk or sugars or syrups added to my coffee, nor do I need something over the top or complicated (you’ll never hear me order a venti iced caramel macchiato with light ice, extra shot of espresso and oat milk, 3 pumps vanilla, 2 pumps white mocha, extra caramel drizzle, double-blended, upside-down). I don’t go to Starbucks because I think it’s the best in the world, I go because they know how to make decent cold coffee (sorry, but a glass of ice and a cappuccino does not an ice coffee make), and are typically a good place to knock out some work. And honestly, when you’re away from “home” for an extended time, they’re simply… comfortable.
As for the list below, I’ve included information on the international Starbucks I’ve visited since Summer 2023, which I’ll continue to update as I visit new countries. Oh… and don’t expect the same menu and drink options you get in the States. Each country, sometimes even region, has a menu specifically curated for the local area and palettes.
Sissy + 100 Degree Weather + My Passenger Princess Aspirations = She’s Over My Shit 😀
The infamous Asian Plastic-Wrapped Fruit
Literally the best sammie of my life (and I don’t even like sammies). Discovered my last week in Barcelona. 🙁
The Best (So Far):
South Korea: Starbucks is taken VERY SERIOUSLY in South Korea. I’ve only been to a few Starbies (one is by far my fave) since arriving and fell in love with them immediately. The facilities are clean, have plenty of varied seating (chairs, booths, work tables, loungers, etc), and offer a wide variety of CHEAP (like you can get a full meal for less than 10 bucks cheap) food and drink options.
Not that I’m advising this, but I saw people time and time again walk away from their purses, computers, and belongings to take calls, order food, and go to the restroom. Nobody touched anything. Now, my American… Sensibilities? Traumas? …wouldn’t initially allow me to do the same, but once I did, it was actually FREEING to be able to know your stuff (and yourself) are safe. I will say however, if I were in Seoul, or another area of the country that was a lot busier and/or had more tourists, I don’t know that I would do the same. Again, not advising anyone to do the same, just sharing my personal experiences.
Also, the food choices are rich, decadent, and very different from what we have in the States. They have a ton of protein-rich and healthy options (but not many that are vegan/vegetarian-friendly). If you’re trying to be at least somewhat healthy, I would not recommend entering on an empty stomach as their pastry/cake/dessert options are more plentiful and varied than in any other country I’ve been to.
As I’ve been here longer, I’ve also noticed how “social” the Starbucks in South Korea are. While Starbies is typically used for work or study sessions and the occasional meeting in the States, they are a full on community and dining experience in SK. On weekends especially, between lunch and dinner, my fave location is packed with families, ladies or lunch, and mixed groups of people working, eating, laughing, and, well, just enjoying life. While the noise level can be less than ideal for workers like me, who can really get mad with people taking time out of their day to sit with friends and loved ones? Isn’t that the ultimate goal for most us?
Ok, time for my final (I think) piece of info for Starbies, SK… they take dining in seriously. Not only do they have real dishes, trays and cups for those who choose to eat at the store (Barcelona also did this), they actually won’t let you sit in the cafe with to-go ware. In fact, the one time I re-entered Starbucks after getting a to go coffee while I headed to an appointment, the barista (nicely, of course) made me transfer the remainder of my drink to “for here serve ware” before I sat down. Just FYI.
Barcelona Standards: Chocolate Croissant, Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso and a Token Travel cup, of course.
The Crème Brûlée cold brew was a special release (and winner) in Barcelona.
The Worst (So Far):
Barcelona: Believe it or not… Barcelona has had the worst Starbucks to this point… BY FAR, but not because of the quality or taste of the food and drinks, que son muy buenos. Also, one nice thing about their premade food selection: Vegan and Vegetarian options always had green labels, making them easy to spot, and they had a variety of relevant options.
The facilities were nice, relatively large and open, and had various seating options. However, it seemed to be a running trend at most restaurants in Barcelona, fast casual and fast food included, that at least 85% of patrons do not clean up after themselves. Add to that how busy they were at almost all times, if you’re lucky enough to find a table, you’ll probably have to clean it first.
Additionally, in the two months I lived there I could not get my computer or phone to connect to Starbucks WiFi, no matter which one I visited. Not even once. Also, Barcelona s known as a pick-pocketer’s Mecca, so I rarely if ever saw anyone leave their items for even a second. The only exception being if they asked a patron/neighbor to watch their items, but even this was rare.
Finally, and the biggest reason I’ve placed Barcelona in this spot, the bathroom situation is abysmal. No matter which Starbucks I visited, there was rarely toilet paper, the stalls were small and cramped, they were always dirty, and there was always a line out the door.
In all honesty, as much as I love Starbies, had I found another coffee shop that made a true iced coffee or cold brew, I would’ve abandoned them in Barcelona altogether.
I saw people time and time again walk away from their purses, computers, and belongings to take calls, order food and go to the restroom. Nobody touched anything.
The Rest (Updated Chronologically):
Bangkok: Guess what bishes!?! Cheapie Starbies is back. While I’ve only been to one location thus far, the Starbucks in Bangkok reminds me a lot of those in South Korea. There are a variety of drink and food options that we don’t have in the States, and while the prices aren’t quite as cheap as SK, the difference is minuscule. Like SK and Barbados, people have no problem walking away from their personal items to order food, take calls, etc. The work spaces are large, open and comfortable, other than the AC that they have no problem BLASTING.
Thailand also appears to have a very robust rewards program, but you need to have a Thai phone number to access it on the App Store. If you’re not able, or don’t want to download the full app, connect with Starbucks Thailand on the Line App (similar to WhatsApp) for regular promotions and coupons. Also, another advantage of joining the rewards program (which can be done on the website), even if non-Thai folks can’t access the full app, is the ability to access wifi on more than one device at a time.
As usual, I’ll keep updating this as I wander through the world, but my final thought for now… most of the locations in Thailand appear to be cashless, but at least take Apple Pay, in addition to regular debit and credit cards.
A little light reading and Iced Chai while on layover in Istanbul.
My first taste of Starbies Bangkok – An Egg Tart, Mango Yogurt Cake and Espresso Cold Brew.
The Rest (2024 and Prior):
Barbados: Gone on the days of being able to sit at Starbies for 8+ hours while spending less than $25 on two full meals… (*le tear* thanks SK for spoiling me). Prices are on par, if not slightly more expensive, than what we’re used to in the States. The locations I’ve visited thus far have predominantly the same look, feel and food options as the States (save the addition of Beef or Chicken Patties… if you know, you know!). The service can be slow, but that could just be a reflection of the typical laid-back, mellow, and friendly atmosphere that comes with living in the Caribbean. Given the cost, I only visit a few times a week, as it’s still the best place I’ve found to sit for an extended period to achieve a focused and productive work day. Finally, like in South Korea, it’s relatively common to walk away from your valuables, whether to take a phone call, order more food, or go to the bathroom, and not have any issues with people messing with your stuff.
England: Not much to report here. Just like the Starbucks in ‘Murica. Some are great, some not so much. But overall they are generally clean and accommodating. Side note: you’ll find the infamous sous vide egg bites in the refrigerator section in front of the main counter.
Morocco: The Starbucks here are few and far between, so if you’re a basic starbies bish like me, take advantage when you can. You’ll likely have to be in a major train station/airport to find them. From what I remember (I was there July 2023), they were pretty standard in offerings, service and cleanliness, but the ones I visited were smaller in size than what we typically have in the State
Rewards:
If you’re an American Starbies rewards member, don’t expect to be able to use the app abroad. The only country I’ve been to that has accepted my app for payment is England, however, I didn’t get credit/stars for any purchases. The app doesn’t work at all in any of the other countries I’ve visited, although some, like Spain and South Korea, now offer their own, country-specific apps. However, given the little bit I was able to translate, South Korea’s reward program and merch offerings (also included in the reward program) are far superior to what we have in the states.
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[…] I only offer this insight for my digital nomads who like using SB as an office, and for all the Basic Starbies Bishes like myself, who just like the cold brew or shaken espresso and aren’t coffee […]