This is my favorite expresso cafe in London. I only went to Cafe Nero more often because it was cheaper, but this place is hands down the best. Right when you walk in, the smell of roasted expresso beans hits your right in the nose. You get the whole barista experience, from watching them grind the beans to them pouring the drink into your engraved Costa cup.
Not only is the expresso stronger than any other place that I’ve been to, but the cup sizes are bigger too! Even though at Nero, a “tall” cup of Americano is 1.65 pounds and at Costa it’s 2 pounds, there’s an apparent difference in size. So you’re paying extra for the quality and the quantity.
If you’re clueless about what to get, I’d recommend the Cafe Latte. It’s just expresso and milk. You can’t go wrong with it. Plus, it comes in a tall glass. How can you go wrong with that? It costs around 2.05 pounds. If you’re cheap like me and don’t want to fork over the extra 10 cents, just get the Americano (their version of regular coffee) which is just expresso and hot water. Ask for milk and you’ll be good. Of course, my favorite is their cappuccino. I think it’s the extra sprinkle of chocolate powder on top that does it for me.
Many people don’t realize that Costa has a loyalty card system; you just have to ask. I didn’t find out until it was too late. Of everything that I’ll miss in London, I’ll probably miss Costa coffee the most.
You should also check out:
- Cafe Nero
- Starbucks: A Comparison
- Think Coffee
- Great Bagel and Coffee Company
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
