Costa vs Starbucks Coffee? Your opinions.

Hi guys, I'm pretty curious to see what TSR's perception is of coffee and which coffee shop you prefer. The two big players are Costa and Starbucks, but can anyone give an informative opinion on which coffee tastes better and also feel free to name another coffee chain if you wish.

Also, which beverage do you order?

I prefer espresso shots as they wake me up real good, however for a nice long chat with a friend, I would have a coffee/mocha.

I'm not a coffee shop regular

In my opinion both Costa and Starbucks are great coffee shops and I'll alternate between the two but I do think there are some clear distinctions.

1) The Atmosphere - Starbucks has a slightly more relaxed feel to it, the one in our town has several large sofas which is really comforting (although you're lucky if you actually get to claim a sofa since they are very popular!). In terms of customers, from my observations, there seem to be quite a few business people who take laptops into Starbucks and work independently. Costa is a more bubbly atmosphere I feel, popular with families, couples and friends and is generally quite social.

2) The Service - When there is enough staff on hand, Costa is usually very quick at serving you drinks which is always nice - especially if you're in a rush. Starbucks on the other hand tends consist of longer queues and it can be frustrating to wait (unless you happen to be waiting for a sofa to come available, then queuing can buy you extra time...)

3) The Food - personally I think Costa wins with its cake selection. Everything always looks fresh and perhaps more importantly, tastes fresh. If you haven't tried the Raspberry and White Chocolate muffin, I'd definitely recommend it! I can't comment as much on the food at Starbucks apart from the fact it seems quite expensive (over £3 for a panini). Although I once had a cinnabon from there. Bad memory. It was very dense and 'heavy' so in hindsight I wish I had gone to Costa and had another favourite of mine - the chocolate tiffin.

4) The Drinks - OK so this is the most important one. I'm a big fan of hot chocolates and personally I think they are equally as good from both coffee shops, however, Costa's hot chocolates do seem to have a smoother taste so if I had a choice, I would choose Costa if I wanted a hot chocolate.
Lattes from both Costa and Starbucks are very nice, but again, I think Costa has the edge. Starbucks have recently publicised a new drink - the Macchiato - has anyone tried it? It's basically a cross between a normal coffee and a latte but it is so nice. There are three syrup flavours: caramel, hazelnut and vanilla - I've tried caramel (it is seriously like being in heaven) but have yet to try the other two because they keep selling out! To try and give an incentive to customers, Starbucks give you a card and once you collect 3 stamps, you get a free Macchiato, in ANY size! (So of course, when I completed my card the other day, I asked for the largest size possible!!). If you're looking for a special and interesting drink, everyone should try the Macchiato. Don't know if anyone tried Costa's themed Christmas drinks but they were very special also. Finally, one thing I do prefer at Starbucks is that you get to put your own cinnamon/chocolate sprinkles on your coffee - which I might point out, is unlimited... Whereas in Costa, they seem to hide their sprinkles as though they are an item to be rationed.

But which do I prefer?

As a whole, I personally prefer Costa to Starbucks because a) it's cheaper, b) the drinks taste slightly better and the food is of a higher quality, and c) you can guarantee a good social atmosphere.
However, if you're looking for a more relaxed environment to wind-down and want to perhaps try a different drink to your usual coffee, head to Starbucks.

Excellent review, very well informed

I'll rep you tomorrow (currently outta rep)

There wasn't then but is now. There's one in Harrow (Gtr London) where I'm from. It's the only one in Europe!

There Dunkin Donuts in Germany! I remember taking a "Captain America" drink.

I think Costa is way nicer than Starbucks. Starbucks is too noisy, too expensive... The iced latte at Costa are gRRReat!