Fortunately for Starbucks lovers, Starbucks isn’t a rarity in London. It might not be as intensely distributed as it is in NYC, but it’s common to pass by at least 2 Starbucks within a 10 minute walk. So is there a difference between Starbucks in America and Starbucks in London? Absolutely.
I was so disappointed at the menu. Besides the cost factor (basically a little bit less than twice as much as in the US), they offered half of the items that I’m used to. They actually don’t offer freshly brewed coffee! I thought the point of Starbucks was to serve coffee… Anyway, if you want coffee, your best bet is to get an Americano which was around 2.70 pounds. I found that adding a good amount of whole milk and a ton of sugar on an Iced Americano made a great latte-like drink. They also don’t have the Green Tea Frap nor the Strawberries and Cream Frap. And worst of all, they don’t have their iced tea or iced tea lemonade.
The second most obvious difference for me was the shape and size of their scones. At home, the scones are triangular and baked with a sugary glaze/crust on top. In London, the scones are circular and huge! Even though they do have a sugar coat on top, the scone as a whole isn’t as sweet. I didn’t realize it was a scone until I read the tag.
I can’t say that the coffee was better in London. I normally add so much milk and sugar to Starbucks coffee that it all tastes the same. Another thing I found intriguingly different was the outlet plugs. Back at home, the walls are equipped with enough plugs to connect every other table in the shop. In London, it was extremely difficult to find a plug at Starbucks. Looks like they skimp on electricity…
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