Starbucks (London)

Advantages: Comfy seats, good selection, non-smoking
Disadvantages: Quality of coffee, prices

...Starbucks*** I remember when Starbucks was a relatively new thing. I just loved the place! Whenever somebody suggested grabbing a coffee at Starbucks, I would get all excited about the special treat that would await me. My personal special treat would be a Grande Caramel Macchiato. Pricey, but it used to be worth it for sure. The bigger Starbucks got, the more the quality seemed to be dropping. I remember buying my expensive treat from time to ...
...is, I stopped going to Starbucks altogether. Over the last week, however, having arrived at for various inductions too early, I have been semi-forced into a Starbucks opposite of work. This morning, sitting in a comfy chair, my eye caught the following sign on the wall: "To protect the quality of our coffee, we ask you not to smoke" As a non-smoker I was really touched by these words. Whilst Caffe Nero, my favorite coffeehouse, serves the best ... Read review

Advantages: Competitive priced Coffee
Disadvantages: Taste and Priced not as good as Caffee Nero

Starbucks is a well known, almost global coffee brand. This chain of coffee shops are fully company owned. The price of coffee per metric tonne is approximately £883 a tonne. So for coffee shop stores there is a very high profit margin to be made. I was travelling on my way to Crawley and as i was in London Victoria i noticed a burger type van advertising Starbucks. I thought to myself i have been to Starbucks before lets see how they fare. Firstly ...
...was in a take away Starbucks plastic cup. Anyway, the coffee was served nice and warm. What i did not like about the coffee is that nearly 10% of the coffee served was of unecessary froth. Certainly unhealthy. Despite my health concerns of coffee as a mainstream and widespread coffee available in fast moving restaurants and brand outlets and also supermarkets. The price of the coffee sold is another important factor. I paid £2.40 here from Starbucks ... Read review

Advantages: Nice looking place
Disadvantages: the prives

...can really do this at Starbucks because the seats are so comfy! It was one of the main reasons why I had to go and check this place out. People were talking about how comfy the seats were for a café, and how relaxed the atmosphere is in there. As soon as I walked in I could tell it was slightly more classy than the other café’s in my town (not hard though). It was modern, had a nice seating area downstairs with a fair bit of room, and upstairs ...
...comes cost. This applies to Starbucks on quite a shocking scale. This is when I tell you that I have only been there a couple of times because of the costs. The surroundings in Starbucks must have cost a lot of money, and to get this money back, their products are sold at high prices. I do not remember exact prices as it a while ago since I went in, but I do remember that I did not get any change from a fiver for buying two coffees and a chocolate ... Read review

Advantages: Plentiful
Disadvantages: The More you ignore me the closer I get

...you do not go into Starbucks for the Coffee and definately not the food - over priced and by most means underflavoured - but for the variety of Insurance workers that populate Starbucks-CGNU during their lunchtime. In Norwich we have the chess players, a game for those that have never forgotten the abysmal cartoon 'Dungeons & Dragons' but keep some vigil for Star Trek Next Generation bollocks, one has dark hair and looks Polish and the other dresses ...
...most beautiful of them all is the propensity to sing Macy Grey numbers, but at least not Travis. Maybe I should talk about the coffee, but then this is Starbucks and as I said earlier you do not go there for the coffee. It is not very Loud. ... Read review

Advantages: Heavenly taste, huge range of coffee (incl. soya milk varieties) and an atmosphere that oozes cool and sophistication
Disadvantages: Can get packed in there, the foreign staff sometimes have a hard time conversing, and you need to be a millionaire to go regularly

...Republic became well-known. Starbucks is the epitomy of cool, with comfortable seats, soft music and an incredibly classy atmosphere despite the commercialisation of the chain as a whole. I adore this place, with one huge exception - the prices. Even in an expensive city like London, they are astronomical. A 340ml latte costs £1.75.. but admittedly, the taste is out of this world, and the mocha frappachinos are like nothing you have ever tasted ... Read review

Advantages: Better and cheaper than Starbucks
Disadvantages: Less outlets than Starbucks, not as good as Nero.

...I found their coffee to be superior in taste and value for money than all the Starbucks I hace tried, over here and in the US. It hass more substance (if you know what I mean - no "air" just milk) than froth which Starbucks suffers from - which is Starbuck's achille's heel in my humble opinion. Pricing is very competitive for this part of London (Mayfair) and the store is in a very convient and pleasant environment (in fact very near to two Starbucks and a Nero!). However Nero taste is better but value is not, as they are similar price to Starbucks. Good selection of lunch foods, including sandwiches, baguettes, wraps, salads, deserts, fruit and more. Some novel seasonal sandwiches, especially the smoked venison at Christmas time! Overall, Pret are the safest (more consistent product) middle ground and recommended.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Caffiene
Disadvantages: Nothing special, poor food

...Aroma is one of the wave of coffee shops that has invaded London and other cities, riding on Starbucks coat tails. Aroma seems to have added nothing new to the party. Its’ coffee is average at best, and the food it serves tastes like it was prepared in a factory three days ago, before being shipped out to stores. It does offer Frappuccino clones, and the standard range of cappuccino, espresso, and latte coffees along with tea and juices. Some outlets serve wine and beer by the 330ml bottle. Prices are not significantly cheaper than better quality coffee shops, and if you do have the choice I recommend that you keep walking to the next outlet.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Very comfortable environment lots of blends to choose from
Disadvantages: the price

...Starbucks - Oxford Street - LONDON UK CIAO Review - 21-08-08 Titled ' Rich for the star' - The coffee culture has created a frenzy amongst normally sane people who would of got up earlier and made themselves a coffee at home. Instead we troll through heavy morning traffic. Stumble in to Starbucks and ask for a hourly fix latte before going to work. Yep, the coffee culture has taken a grip and it is our wallets and purses that really need the fix. Oxford Street is no different to any other caffeine source fixes across all towns and cities.. There people escalator system works well and I can't complain.. and you would if you could if your like me.. while waiting for your morning infusion. I do laugh, when I see business executives twitching at the coffee bar waiting for his extra hot latte with an extra shot. The queues can get... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful