After visiting Costa in Valley Road Retail Park Bradford I felt I had to let you know how helpful and polite the staff was and as usual the coffee was just right. I love the Christmas extras. Its just what was needed in the midst of Christmas shopping.

This is a review of the West Hampstead branch which I tend to visit up to 3 times a week - I would go more often but it is on the pricey side! Despite being right next door to a Starbucks and a Nero just up the road, I always pick Costa. This is for a few reasons, unlike Starbucks, it's light and cosy looking inside. They always seem to have seats available and the service is really good, fast and friendly. Sometimes first thing in the morning they have a queue reaching the door as they're right next to a train station, but they serve people very quickly and I don't think I've ever waited more than 10 minutes. The coffee and cakes in this branch are pretty good and they also have a small section of sandwiches, yoghurts and crisps available if you want to grab your lunch there. I also think Costa has a much better customer loyalty card than Starbucks. With Costa you get points every time you make a purchase and this will quickly build up enough to entitle you to a free drink. This helps to soften the price - Costa is expensive, all these chains are and I'm not even going to try to justify it!

First let me say that there is no excusing the price American style coffee shops charge. Why we are happy to pay £3 for a coffee which costs them buttons to produce is completely beyond me - but when you're going up and down the country, the choice is limited and the company is picking up the tab, Costa is the best of the lot. Coffee The coffee at Costa has a rich (not too smoky and not too bitter) flavour. Unlike many other chains who can make a reason Americano, but have latte's that taste like bitter milk the Costa coffee packs a punch that means most of the coffee based drinks taste pretty good - I'm sure I've read somewhere that surveys bear this out too. Other drinks Costa offer the usual water, juice etc, but they also offer (in summer) a range of ice drinks that are great (albeit tooth hurtingly sugary). Food Like all coffee chain the food it not great. They have a passable range of sandwiches and panini - although it is normally a case of "find the chicken" in a chicken panini. The crisps they stock are pricy, but yummy - the root vegetable ones are delicious. Would I recommended them? Well, I've said "yes" but it really comes down to the choice available. If I had to pick between Costa and Starbucks I'd be going Costa (unless it was Christmas, when Starbuck do awesome Christmas drinks). But in an ideal world I'd find an independent coffee shop with real character - unfortunately there are fewer and fewer of them!

We go to Costa weekly sometimes as a couple sometimes with the kids. In general we are happy with the service and product but like all services it depends on the venue and the person serving. In our experience if you go to a Costa that is in a Tesco or at a motorway services then don't expect much, I don't no why but they nearly never quite make the cut. If you go to a Costa that is on its own the service is mostly good unless you are unlucky enough to get the trainee, but we all need to start somewhere. The main reason we go to Costa is that as soya milk drinkers its no extra where as most places charge. As for other coffee shops like Costa I think they are all much the same the main difference is personal tast. The only way you will get better coffee with equally good service is either buy pure luck or going to a small independent coffee shop that have put in the time and effort to make there shop a successes witch you will not always get from a bigger company. The only problem with that is finding one, which certainly is not a problem with Costa. Price average to high. Like anything if you don't want to pay it there are plenty of other choises no one is forcing you to pay. This is something I find really annoying when I'm at work customers complaining about the bill, you can go elsewhere it's up to you. Product high to average. Mostly good but not always consistency needs some work. Service average to high. Again mostly good and compared to some places I've been a breath of fresh air.

Costa is my preferred choice when it comes to coffee. I love the various flavours that they offer. I also like the ambience of the place. It has a soothing effect on me. It helps me unwind and restore my batteries.