Starbucks

Disappointing Starbucks location.
On a gorgeous London afternoon when it wasn’t raining, I decided to stop in for a bit to grab a drink and use their restroom. Upon entry, there was only one employee there, taking orders at a normal pace and making drinks with no sense of urgency –despite the fact that the queue was growing longer by the minute.
When it came my turn to order, I also asked for the bathroom. The barista replied «it’s broken».
Oh… Alright.
Well, that stinks. No bathroom. Ok, well after getting my Java Chip, I decided to sit down and use their wifi. After cleaning off my dirty table (they were all dirty), I notice a young Spanish gal coming off a break and talking to the other barista about concerts. So you mean to tell me that she actually took a break while the other guy was doing everything AND the place was filthy?
Yup.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the wifi sucked as well. No reception or connection. Forced me back to my 3G for 20 minutes before having to head out and look for another bathroom elsewhere. This is one of the more lousy Starbucks locations that I’ve ever been to. Too bad it had to happen in such a great city and location.
Get it together guys!

Wow, so many negative reviews.
I’d normally be okay with that. Afterall it’s a STARBUCKS, so who cares? But this is a gem of a Starbucks. The atmosphere is wondrous! And it’s the perfect London place to get some work done, especially upstairs. Try it. Ignore the bad reviews.

I won’t lie: I have a Starbucks card, I don’t mind their iced coffee, and some locations are comfortable and relaxing.
This is not one of them.
It’s generally dirty, with a poor layout, annoying crowds, and non-​functional WiFi. No redeeming value other than name recognition. If you really need a Starbucks fix, there are better ones around.

I came in one afternoon when it wasn’t busy. The male associate asks me what I want and I wasn’t quite sure, so I said I’d let him know shortly. But this douche bag answers with «That’s fine, we are open until 10». Another male associate laughs and retorts, «No we close at 5.» It wasn’t given as a cheeky response, but a bitchy tone for not immediately having my order ready. It wasn’t like there was anyone behind me at the moment and I was also looking at the sandwiches. While I waiting for my sandwich to heat up, I hear these same two dorks give the same asshole remark to the girl who came after me. Obviously they deliver the same bitter remark to everyone. Note, the ladies working there were fine and pleasant. It seems just the guys are asses, especially the one with the Italianish accent. I was very close to telling him to fuck off. Avoid!

as above, minus a point for cheerless and rude staff, minus two more for being a filthy rathole. On taking a half-​empty cappucino back for more, my friend’s complaint met with a quite charmless response from a doleful barista; «oh, it came out like that». Came out? Like Will Young? A débutante? Came out of what?
Boycott this Starbucks. I am.

As I sit here sipping my latte, waiting for it to cool down, and eat my chocolate chip shortbread, not long from the freezer to fridge, I can’t help but hearken back to the utter bliss of Dose. This is chalk and cheese now and it’s hard to suffer through.
The queues here are always long and the staff work admirably hard at getting the people through as quickly as possible. In fact, if there is one thing which stands out among the stained chairs, mucky carpets and tired interior with its chipped paint and single bathroom with inevitable queue, it is the staff. Smiling and friendly in the face of a never-​ending stream of people who seem at times downright hostile, the staff at this Starbucks remain unflappable at all times.
This coffee shop is close to all the shops at Tottenham Court Road and it is for this very reason that most of my fellow diners are here. I await my husband back from his technology shopping while I wait for my coffee to cool and write this review. It has been my haunt for many years on a weekend well before I was working in London and as such it has a special place in my heart.
Thankfully this Starbucks sprawls over 2 floors with plenty of chairs, table space and single seats at a bar along the window. People seem to move through here quickly and yet stay awhile. With the number of people and coffee making you would expect a terrible din but the noise if muted, as is the Jazz softly playing in the background.
I may only give this place 3 stars because to me, a food chain should keep itself clean but I give it three because it excels in so many other ways.

Depending on time of day, the quality of this starbucks decreases/​increases.
During the quiet hours, this starbucks is really quite good, the staff deal with so many customers (its a huge starbucks) that they are good at making the drinks. AND they serve it quickly too.
On the other hand though, if you show up during busier periods (ie Lunchtime) its not so good. Its full of people, noisy and because the baristas are serving so many at once, the quality of the drinks go down, and it takes longer foe them to serv you.
It is rather spacious, but it will still get filled up during busier hours, and the bathroom is decent, and they don’t mind you using it without being a customer, but there does tend to be a queue!
All in all, an odd starbucks, but it is decent when its quiet, and hell during lunch!