Your home from home (Starbucks)

Member Name: byrnehel

Product:	Starbucks
Date:	14/05/01 (546 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Luvverly Coffee

Disadvantages: It is expensive

Only the Americans could have invented twenty different types of coffee, but you have to hand it to them, they have done it in style. Starbucks is an American chain of coffee houses along the same lines as Costa Coffee, Coffee Republic, Nero etc. If there isn't one already then there could be one coming to a high street near you as they are currently taking over in true American style.

You will recognise the green and black logo from Hollywood films such as Austin Powers - the spy who sh***ed me, Miss Congeniality and What Women Want - as well as countless others that the coffee house has made an appearance in. Don't expect them to disappear any time soon either because they have a habit of buying out the smaller coffee shops in their quest for world domination.

When you enter Starbucks, it is like entering another world with a whole new language. As well as your usual cappuccino, latte, espresso and hot chocolate you can also ask for your drink;

With whip - Whipped cream
Skinny - made with Skimmed milk
Wet - no milky foam on top
Dry - lots of milky foam on top
Decaf- speaks for itself
Tall - confusingly the smallest size!
Grande - the medium one
Verdi - the big one - only for the super thirsty/tired

You can have flavoured syrups added to your drink ranging from Irish coffee flavour to vanilla. You can add coca powder, cinnamon powder or nutmeg to the top of your drink and in the summer they do a lovely range of frappucinos - iced coffee, mocha, caramel, vanilla or chocolate that taste just like milk shakes.

You can drink in or take out, but if you have the time I advise you to drink in. Most branches (certainly the four or five different ones that I have been to) have THE most comfortable arm chairs that I have ever sat on. There are the days papers there for you to read and you could sit there all day without the staff blinking an eyelid, in fact, they positively enc
ourage it. There is nothing that I like better on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than to sit there with a delicious coffee and a good book/good company.

The coffee, needless to say, is first class, and nothing is too much of a problem for the staff (they are called Barista's). If you just want a plain and simple black coffee with none of the frills just ask for the Americano (there is a milk jug available for customers to use if you change you mind as well).

As usual the Americans have thought of everything (they even sell a very British cup of tea for the non coffee fanatics out there). Prices are not cheap (my regular which is at the moment a Grande Frappucino costs £3.05) but it is well worth it for an afternoons entertainment (just think what you would spend in a pub).

Make mine a tall, decaf, skinny wet latte to go!

Summary: