I want to drink my coffee in a clean space!

Advantages: Great tasting coffee
Disadvantages: Poor service and shop floor hygiene

...My home town has many different coffee shops and ones that cater to all tastes and all pockets. Costa Coffee is situated on our high street and I have been there twice in the past two weeks with friends during lunch breaks. The store: The seating area is a bit grubby in our local store and it looks like everything needs a good bleach and a steam clean to be honest. Trays are left on tables for an overly long time and rubbish was piling up on the floor, they clearly needed more staff to ensure that the dining/drinking area was kept looking lovely. The staff: The staff were friendly enough, but they were painfully slow. Today we asked for one iced coffee and one soya latte to drink in and it took 12 minutes to be ready....that is a heck of a long time when you are on a lunch break of one hour and do not have the luxury of a longer break...

excelsior81 31.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar

Cracking Costa Coffee!

Advantages: atmosphere
Disadvantages: price

...Costa Coffee have branches all over the UK. They serve a range of coffees teas and other drinks. Cafes are set out in a comfortable, modern style and the general feel is relaxed and casual. It is quite calming to be in a costa coffee shop and the smell is delicious. I really like the artwork they have on the walls - italian scenes - very funky and modern. They also have a range of plants making it feel quite homey. The tables, floor and toilets have always been clean and well stocked when ive been in - even at busy times. The staff have also been very friendly and efficient. Besides drinks they also serve cakes and snacks. These are also nice but sadly not homemade. Prices are in line with most other coffee shops but i still think they are a little expensive. Quality is probably slightly better than your average run...

johanna18 17.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar

Trendy Coffee Bar

Advantages: Good Coffee, Lovely Deserts, Great Service.
Disadvantages: Sometimes Very Crowded

...On a trip to the airport to drop my friend off, I decided to grab something to eat and since it was like 5am I decided to get myself a coffee too. I was about to use those vending machines when I noticed a nice looking coffee place called Costa coffee. I always walk past this place when I’m shopping in town but the place looked so much more appealing that day. Costa coffee is a really trendy coffee bar and there are a lot of new ones opening around the UK. The Italian décor is lovely and there is just such a great vibe in there. I decided to have a Latte, which cost me around £1.90, and it tasted so different to any other latte ive ever had. It tasted lovely, I was hooked on lattes anyway but this one was just so different and really nice. The cup was also quite big so I was pretty satisfied. They also served tea and some...

BabyGirl 10.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Boutique, Glasgow

Costa Coffee

Advantages: nice coffee, not too crowded, tasty sandwiches
Disadvantages: quite pricey, staff not always that good.

...Costa Coffee is much less well known than Starbucks. Their coffee is delicious and is made in 'true Italian style.? All the coffee is made from freshly ground beans and it?s nice to know that it is Fair-trade. They also serve tea and hot chocolate that is also fair-trade. History: Costa was developed by two Italian brothers in the 1970?s. The first shop opened in London in 1978 and there are now 300 stores. These are located in selected Ottakers and Waterstones bookstores, WHSmith and Homebase stores, the London Eye, the BBC, Marriott Hotels and Middlesex Hospital. Most recently Costa has opened coffee bars inside select branches of Abbey National-the first coffee bar in a bank! What they serve: They don?t have the huge selection of coffee that Starbucks have but they do have the standard cappuccino, latte and espresso that every...

Katieshaz 25.03.2004 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar, Cirencester Waterstones

I'd hate to see the large coffees

Advantages: Cosy,welcome after browsing loads of books,good coffee,lovely aroma in the shop,nice ambience
Disadvantages: Too small,can be long time waiting for table,bit pricey if you need a snack

...In the city Centre where I live there is a large Waterstones book shop. It is part of a redevelopement which was built on the site of the old local Daily Mail offices.The shops have been built in a sort of sympathetic style. They are along a paved area in quite a busy part of town The Waterstones consists of two floors with a central staircase, mahogany balustrade and red carpeted treads, which lead up to the second floor ,where the Costa Coffee Bar is situated. We have been there before but not frequently. The above advantages were posted from memory. However knowing I was going to do this review my husband and I (oohh that sounds posh ! ) paid it a visit , whilst christmas shopping today. We got the bulk of the shopping out the way and headed for Waterstone's. As we were already worn out we decided to do the coffee...

grafter123 13.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar, Waterstones

Costa Coffee review

Advantages: Delicious coffee and treats
Disadvantages: none

...The first thing you notice when you walk in to a Costa Coffee is the beautiful decor. A lot of though has gone into the rich 'coffee' and chocolate tones which make you feel warm and welcome from the moment you step in. There are also little facts up on the wall telling you more about the history and origins different coffee's. There are many different varieties of coffee's on offer for the consumer from the basic Americano to a more complex flavour of a Ristretto. You can alter any coffee on the menu exactly to your taste, even adding extra shots of expresso for the caffiene junkies amoung you. They currently have on offer a 'Costa Card' which can be used like a voucher, you can top up the card and spend it only at Costa. They also offer a selection of teas and other hot drinks. I highly recommend their hot chocolate which is...

purplefood 12.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar

Conscience Coffee

Advantages: Fairtrade, ethical business, reasonable product
Disadvantages: Bit bland, not full bodied as rivals or real ground coffee

...I really love the taste and smell of fresh ground coffee, especially from Colombia or Costa Rica. There is a richness and distinctive aroma as you open the pack which just sets the taste buds tingling???..Alas, all too often it is simply not practical or best use of time to indulge in real brewed coffee so instant must suffice. Unfortunately in this sector of the beverage market price is often indicative of quality, and premium brand instant coffees almost always taste better than the standard or economy offerings. Having experienced enjoyable cups of Percol Fresh Ground Colombian Coffee I had high expectations from the instant variety: even more so since it was on offer at just over £2 for a 100g jar making it very competitive against other premium brands. The packaging with it?s familiar green green hue and prominent Fairtrade...

suehome 22.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Percol Fairtrade Instant Colombian Coffee

They're here, there and everywhere

Advantages: Frescato and low-fat muffins
Disadvantages: Coffee doesn't always taste good

...My first encounter with Costa Coffee was the Portsmouth branch, upstairs in Ottakars (now Waterstones) bookshop. A cafe inside a bookshop seemed a great idea, especially as there were armchairs bordering the cafe area where you could sit and look at books while you enjoyed your drink. Needless to say, however, it was so popular that it was often impossible to find a table if you wanted one, especially around lunchtime. After moving to Havant a few years ago, I would quite often go shopping in Chichester and meet a friend for coffee at Costa. We would usually spend about an hour there, and I must say we were never made to feel that we should vacate our table before we were ready to. The problem, however, with the Chichester branch is that there is very little seating on the ground floor. You have to carry your tray up a narrow...

denella 04.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of Costa Coffee Bar

The Mighty Mars Bar

Advantages: Classic chocolate bar
Disadvantages: They changed the nougat filling

...This is perhaps the most classic chocolate bar from my childhood. It has long been my favourite as a kid and I sort of have to say it still is so as not to feel as if I have disowned it (sorry Mars Bar but I have found other favourites - I still love you though!). 'A Mars a day helps you work rest and play' - this was the little catchphrase that was associated with Mars Bar. Funny really; it's like saying a chocolate bar a day is good for you. The slogan has now changed to 'Pleasure you can't measure' which definitely seems more appropriate. A standard Mars bar comes at 58g, about 11cm long and 1.8cm high. You'll pay about 32p for this bar in supermarkets which is well below the norm of 50p. They used to be more expensive but in recent years, the classic nougat and caramel filling has obviously lost its appeal as new and more...

LaceyR26 07.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Mars Bar

Coffee with a Conscience?

Advantages: Good taste, cheap, sustainable development.
Disadvantages: Air miles?

...The particular Kenco instant coffee I am writing about is their 'Sustainable Development' variety. I could have asked Ciao to allow me to review this as a new product as this particular 'flavour' has not been reviewed, but as plenty of Kenco reviews exist I thought it would be okay (and less greedy) to simply review it in this category. I don't drink coffee much as I see it as a treat and I like my coffee strong enough for the spoon to stand up in, with (I use Elmlea light) cream. I also like it so hot it burns my lips, which is probably not too good for me, hence, the rare treat. Sustainability: I first tried this brand and type out about 6 months ago and was attracted to the fact that it boasts a 'Rainforest alliance' certificate and aids local farmers earn a fair deal. In fact the coffee comes from a cooperative in El Salvador...

paulhanton 08.04.2008 (09.04.2008) · Read review
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Review of Kenco Instant Coffee