Best Service & Coffee of all Sandwich Chains (Pret a Manger)

Member Name: mendes

Product:	Pret a Manger
Date:	01/05/02 (216 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: best service, great coffee, good food

Disadvantages: only in central london

Pret has 2 very good things which differentiate it from other sandwich chains (in London anyhow). It really has excellent service. I go there around 7 times per week, and they are truly professional when it comes to service. The staff look happy and seem to enjoy working there. They also don't seem to have been taught to adopt a fake over-exuberant style which you see at some other places (eg: the newish "Eat" chain). Whenever there are more than 2 or 3 people waiting, the serving staff ring a bell, and people appear as if by magic from the kitchens to help serving until the queue goes.

The second thing they do which makes them better than other chains is to serve good no-nonsense coffees from a very short menu which doesn't get more exotic than cappuccino or latte. No choice of sizes or syrups - just good strongish hot coffee. Not too milky, and it is made quickly. No queueing up twice like in Starbucks. It's also reasonably priced - around £1.10 for a cup I think.

Their food is also very good, although this review won't cover that in depth, as the 2 things I care about most in life are service and coffee!

UPDATE 8TH MAY 2002
Well, for all those of you who asked for some info about the food & drink. Here goes. On my list are:

Cappuccino - good strongish but not bitter-tasting, one size only, no nonsense syrups and stuff.

Salads - Nicoise is fresh and tasty. In the summer they do a great mozzarella, spinach, olive and tomato - with really good quality buffallo mozzarella balls.

French sticks - cruncy, fresh bread. A simple brie & tomato filling is my favourite.

Sandwiches - I'm not a great lover of lots of gooey mayo, so some of their sarnies are too rich for me. I tend not to buy these.

Desserts - overpriced and fairly uninteresting fruit salad. Overly sweet "Pret Pots" which are moussey things in toffee or lemon flavours. Ditto th
eir new cupcakes which are sickly. Desserts aren't their strength.

Soups - they started these as a trial, and they were good but for some reason didn't last.

Breakfast - definitely a winner. Two great (small) french sticks filled with smoked salmon/egg or egg/roasted tomatoes. Also gorgeous Danish pastries - cinnamon & vanilla custard flavoured - (baked in front of you), and pretty close to those found in Denmark. (By the way did you know that in Denmark these are called "Vienna" pastries - as far as the Danes are concerned, there's nothing Danish about them.)

Okay - I'm done. Hope you found the update useful.

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