
Sit, sip, and be soothed by tabby cats and tapioca tea.
Two things high up on the “guaranteed serotonin boost” list: a fun drink at a cute café and giving a small, fuzzy animal a pet on the head. Too long have these wonderful comforts lain separate! Tapioca tea chain Tapista and cat café Mocha are teaming up to bring the people of Kyoto a dynamic mix of both cats and caffeine.
The new café, named Neko Tapi, opens its doors on February 26 in the Shinkyogoku shopping district, an area known for its vibrant stores, food stalls and arcades that cohabit seamlessly with old, historied shrines and structures. It’s also usually packed with tourists, much like the rest of Kyoto, so Neko Tapi should be in high demand.
The proposed décor uses a gentle mint green to cosset your senses, and the geometric flair of the furniture paired with gamboling cats will make for prime Instagram fodder.
You’ll want to keep your beverages well away from curious paws, especially as the drinks on sale are specially crafted luxury teas from Tapista. Their drinks use a rich and flavorful black Assam tea as the base, with variations such as “Hand-Selected Kuromitsu Milk” and “Uji Matcha Latte” available. There’s plenty to enjoy even if you opt out of their “Brown Sugar Fresh Tapioca”; other toppings include “Chunky Melt-in-the-Mouth Apricot Kernel” and “Strawberry Foam”.
With soft kittens to pet and an array of fun flavors to taste, Neko Tapi promises to be a treat for all the senses. The café’s press release promises that a lot of the cats in-store will be very small, so you’ll be able to seat a few of them on your knees or enjoy them frolicking around in packs as you sip your drink.
▼ If they’re all as cute as this one, it might be hard to leave…
Lastly, Neko Tapi is running a special campaign in its opening two days. Follow and retweet the official Tapista social media accounts to earn a fifty-percent discount on any drink or topping!
While people are quick to announce the tapioca boom is already on its way out, there’s no way to go wrong with a selection of exciting flavored teas while in the company of fluffy felines. Make sure to drop by if you’re in Kyoto!
Café Location
Neko Tapi Kyoto Shinkyogoku Branch / ねこタピ 京都新京極店
Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Shinkyogoku-doori Sanjo Kudaru Sakuranocho 407-1 1st floor
京都市中京区新京極通三条下ル桜之町407-1 1F
Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (last café orders at 7:30 p.m.)
Entrance fee: 200 yen (US$1.78) per 10 minutes plus tax, maximum fee 2,400 yen (1,200 for high school students and younger)
Each guest must order at least one drink (300 yen and up). Children under six cannot enter unaccompanied.
Source, images: PR Times
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