This Starbucks in Korea Has an Ocean View — and a Table You Won't Find Anywhere Else

You probably didn't travel all the way to Korea just to visit Starbucks.

After all, Starbucks is everywhere.

But some Starbucks stores in Korea are a little different.

On a trip to Yeosu, a coastal city in southern Korea, we stopped at Starbucks The Yeosu Dolsan DT.

And this isn't just a regular Starbucks with a nice view.

It's one of Starbucks Korea's special “THE” stores, designed to reflect the character of the place where it's located.

1. First, look at the view

The store is located on Dolsan in Yeosu, overlooking the sea and the city.

From outside the café, you can see the blue water, mountains and parts of Yeosu across the bay.

Yeosu is famous in Korea for its coastline and night views, so the location already feels very different from a Starbucks in the middle of a city.

On a clear day, it's the kind of place where you might spend more time looking outside than looking at your coffee.

2. The inside doesn't look like a normal Starbucks either

Walk inside and one of the first things you'll notice is the scale of the space.

Large windows bring the surrounding scenery into the café, while a huge hanging installation fills the center of the interior.

But look underneath it.

There's something even more unusual.

3. That long table is actually a digital display

The long table running through the center isn't just furniture.

According to Starbucks Korea, it's an approximately 8-meter-long digital display table made with 12 transparent panels.

When the store opened, Starbucks described it as the first installation of its kind among Starbucks stores worldwide.

Sensors can detect when a cup is placed on the table, creating visual effects on the display underneath.

It's a small detail, but it's also a good example of why some Starbucks stores in Korea feel more like destinations than ordinary coffee shops.

4. Even the store was designed around Yeosu

The location wasn't designed as a generic Starbucks that happened to have an ocean view.

Elements of Yeosu — including the sea, camellia flowers and local landmarks — were incorporated into the design of the store.

The store has also featured drinks and food inspired by Yeosu, adding another local touch to the experience.

We stopped for drinks and sat outside for a while.

And honestly, when the weather looks like this, the coffee almost becomes secondary.

5. So, is it worth visiting a Starbucks while traveling in Korea?

Normally, I wouldn't tell someone visiting Korea that Starbucks should be high on their travel list.

There are far too many independent Korean cafés worth trying.

But stores like this are a little different.

Starbucks Korea has created several distinctive locations around the country, and some are designed around their surroundings rather than simply being places to grab coffee.

The Yeosu location is a good example.

You get the café, the unusual interior and one of Yeosu's coastal views in the same stop.

So if you're already traveling around Yeosu, this might be one Starbucks that's actually worth putting on your itinerary.

Sometimes even a familiar place can feel completely different when you find it in Korea.