***This 5-Star review is for the Starbucks in the Oracle Center of Reading, but it can probably be…read moregeneralized for those in the London-ish area.***
Okay, I thought Starbucks would be all the same because they are a ubiquitous global brand like McDonald's. I was so happy that I was wrong!
I had the fortune of staying in Reading for nearly two weeks for seminars. I was excited about the food but not about the prices; this was when 1.96 dollars equaled 1 quid, and virtually every restaurant (including McDonald's) seemed to cost twice as much as it did in the DC-area--that is, except Starbucks.
Fortunately for me, I was staying at the Novotel and this Starbucks was a quick dash from the hotel's lobby. For years before visiting Reading, the quality of food at Starbucks in the DC-area (the same options offered in other major U.S. cities as well) was diving from decent to painfully mediocre--not to mention way too expensive for tired, dry, and blah-nd food.
After savoring my first sandwich at the Reading Starbucks, I could not believe my taste buds that I was having a gourmet experience at a Starbucks for its food! Where do I start? The paninis and sandwiches would make the namesake earl proud: Canadian Bacon-Egg-Roasted Mushroom Panini, Havarti Egg Panini, NY Strip Steak with Cheese Panini, Pesto Chicken Spinach Panini, Chicken Bacon Club Sandwich, Chicken with Rocket and Lemon Vinaigrette, Smoked Salmon and Rocket Sandwich, and Egg Salad. All of them were good to outstanding. The paninis could be freshly pressed (excellent way to start the morning) or taken away to be eaten cold like the sandwiches.
Among pastries, the Pain au Raisin was like a delicate cinnamon roll, the Butter Croissant was tops, the Skinny Peach-Raspberry and Orange Muffins were sweet, tart, and matched the black coffees well, while the Wildflower Honey Yogurt Parfait was lightly zingy.
As for the beverages, the Ethiopian and Cafe Esteema coffees were excellent and the (locally) bottled smoothies provided a shot of floral-tangy-sweet-refreshing energy (Mango-Passion Fruit and Grape-Acai were my favorite). Unlike in the DC-area, the coffees were served in big mugs for dine-in customers. It is nice to know that I am saving a few trees while savoring a fresh, hot mug of Cafe Mocha.
The ambiance was cozy and hip, while the service gave me a glimpse into Reading's fun local flavour :)
All in all, I ate at this Starbucks nearly twice a day everyday (including takeaway for later lunch or dinner), which afforded me to save up for splurges (from the American dollar perspective) at London's truly exquisite restaurants (Mandarin Kitchen, Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, and Chez Bruce). With the exception of Panera, I cannot think of such outstanding sandwiches and pastries served at Reading's Starbucks.
The disparity in food quality between the Starbucks in the U.S. and the U.K. is vaster than the Atlantic. If only Howard Schultz and company realize this, I will be as frequent a customer for the food alone at SBUX as PNRA ;-)
