... 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. ... Read review
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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
...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 ... ...COSTA COFFEE BAR IN WATERSTONE'S
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Approaching Costas Coffee bar from the staircase there was not the usual pleasant aroma drifting across. We found a table and got settled. It was fairly empty which usually is not the case.
You order from the counter and pay straight away . The waitress then brings your order when it is ready. So I went over to the counter to order . On ... more
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 thing before browsing the books.
COSTA COFFEE BAR IN WATERSTONE'S ************************************************ Approaching Costas Coffee bar from the staircase there was not the usual pleasant aroma drifting across. We found a table and got settled. It was fairly empty which usually is not the case.
You order from the counter and pay straight away . The waitress then brings your order when it is ready. So I went over to the counter to order . On doing so I saw a notice on it stating " sorry, please accept our apologies, as due to low staffing levels today ,service may be a bit slow "( or words to that effect ).
Oh Oh this looks promising was my initial reaction but we'll give it a go anyway. There was a guy collecting the orders and payments and a very pleasant lady getting the orders ready and serving the tables.
There didn't seem to be much on offer and my hubby had decided he did not want anything sweet to eat. He was consequently out of luck.
I ordered a mince pie for £1.65, which I thought he may share , a medio sized latte for me , and a medio size cappucino for him. The coffees were £2.20 each. A small coffeee was £2 and I think the large was £2.40 (this was for the cappucino or latte )
I returned to my seat after paying the £6.05. You may not think that's excessive but for me I thought that was a bit pricey. I sat down and had a look round whilst waiting.
The cafe has about 20 / 21 tables made of a rich dark wood. Each table seats either 2 or 4 people with either club or dining chairs. We sat in the club chairs and these were really comfortable. These too were in a nice , dark , rich wood with a soft warm coloured upholstery. There were also two , two seater leather sofas at a table in one corner. I 'm sure I saw a high chair also
There was some unobtrusive music playing quietly in the background. You can bring books from the shop into the cafe area to peruse and in a way the whole shop and cafe has a library feel to it. You seem to want to whisper !
The counter has a till and the coffee making equipment at one end. There are some food cabinets along the front and round to the side there is a chill cabinet with lemonades etc.
Now the service , despite the notice was really quite quick but there again it was not full and we had not ordered a great deal. However by now there were a fair few more customers and no-one seemed to be waiting too long. Plus the aroma had definitely improved as more things were being prepared.
THE COFFEE ******************
Neither myself or my husband are coffee buffs. Myself ,in particular , much prefer tea.
When the coffee came the first surprise was the size ot the cup and glass. Remember these were only the medium size. My husbands cappucino came in a huge breakfast mug and as a christmassy extra the chocolate powder had been sprinkled in a large star pattern. My Latte came in a tall handled glass a good 10 inches high. We did not add any sugar. Sometimes with coffee I do find I need to but it was sweet enough.
These were really good value for the £2.20 each as they were a lovely warm, creamy coffee drink that was tasty and quite large. Hubby as usual thought this pricey but due to quality and size I'd have to disagree.
On the menu there was also tea, hot chocolate or a couple of different coffees. There were about three different types of hot chocolate drinks.There were some christmas coffee drinks. One had tiramisu, one ginger and one chocolate.
THE FOOD **************
Well all we had was the mince pie , which at £ 1.65 was expensive. It was made I think of wholemeal flour ,was really nice and very flaky. It had a tang to it and was not too sweet. My hubby did try some and agreed it was lovely. He would have fainted if I'd told him the price.
It was larger than a normal mince pie but flat, more like a tart , and had a pastry star on the top. I thought it would be warm and it probably would have been even nicer if it was , but it was stone cold.
All the china and cutlery was scrupulously clean and in very good condition. Paper serviettes were supplied.
The only other fresh looking food was some almond croissants, some christmas cake slices, carrott cake or muffins. There were also packaged muffins.
THE STAFF ***************
The two members of staff on duty were very professional and the female member of staff was a bit of a comedian. We did not however see it packed so don't know what they're like under pressure.
PREVIOUS VISITS ************************
When we have been before it is usually a Saturday and you have to queue to get a seat. Then the service can be a bit slow. As long as your not in a rush and are in chill mode it's fine. It is a pleasant place to chill with a drink.
CONCLUSION ******************
A good drink of coffee in comfortable, clean and interesting surroundings. Fairly decent food and very comfy furniture. But do not visit when you are short of cash
thanks for reading.................eiley
ps the photo is a bit blurry beacuse I didn't like to ask ,so did it a bit sneakily ! Also posted on Dooyoo eiley123 copyright
Advantages: Coffeeeeee of course Disadvantages: Not enough
...bookstore coffee houses. Costa seems to be disappearing in Birmingham for some reason. The coffee in Costa is very smooth and rich. Their cappuccinos are frothy and rich in taste. They have all the different varieties of coffees with all the different combinations (decaf with whip tall or Grande or you can go extra large with a double, its like going in to hyper drive) However, I can usually judge a great coffee house if they can make my favourite ... ...republic.
The prices at Costa begin from £1.50 for your normal coffee and they get more expensive when you want to get a fancy coffee. Costa also offers sandwiches and assortment of cakes.
So if you want a nice coffee to relax to. Costa is worth visiting, but if you want a real Mocha look elsewhere!!!!! ...
wackjob 22.12.2002 (28.12.2002)
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Advantages: nice coffee, not too crowded, tasty sandwiches Disadvantages: quite pricey, staff not always that good.
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