I am a blatant and self confessed chocoholic, always keen to try anything chocolatey and especially…read moreif it looks pretty too! Having seen several of these Hotel Chocolat stores, i ventured into the Basingstoke store, as it felt less intimidating than some others, perhaps because it felt light and airy and yet I still had somewhere to hide behind a fixture while i viewed my potential puchases! The staff vary dramatically in how helpful they are, personallly i have found the younger staff more helpful (even though i feel rude interupting their conversations about what they did last night..) they are genuinely enthusiastic and don't try to push me into buying a box of chilli flavoured chocolate - instead they thrust caramel chocolate buttons into my hand in a cute mini paper cup style packaging decorated with spots, and i melt immediately adding them to my purchase. So what are Hotel Chocolat good for? Days when you need a pick me up, gifts (great new mum gift set which i think any new mum would love especially at 2am..) and even wedding favours! They seem to offer alot of corporate gifts, although i have had not experience of these! What to buy..they do a seasonal box which i think changes every month, it is fairly pricey but the quality of chocolate is divine! Worth a try if you like me fancy something a bit nicer than you average chocolate box once in a while! Other recommendations.. the chocolate buttons, caramel buttons, rocky road giant slab, and of course the chocolate labrador - cute toy and yummy chocolate bones!

Yum yum yum. This is my favourite chocolate shop. There and loads of different varieties of…read morechocolate here. The prices are fairly high, but worth it in my opinion as this is a real treat. The staff are pleasant and often give out free samples.

Stopped by this cafe in while waiting for our bus to leave Windsor…read more For a small and tastefully furnished coffeehouse, they had quiet a variety of F&D. We got a cortado and avocado cake. Both were really good, with special mention to the avocado cake as you could actually taste the avocado within. The baristas were friendly and accommodating. The warm covered patio at the back seemed a comfortable option than the in-cafe and at the front seats. Oh, the clean public toilets are located by the patio also. Shops and restaurants are also inside the roofed Windsor Royal Shopping Center which made for a better shopping experience as it was raining. Can't say no to complimentary WIFI when traveling.

There was an absolutely delightful smell in this cafe, and methinks that it was cinnamon, which…read moreprobably should surprise anybody considering the name. However, I've never experience a cafe before where they actually have a signiture smell, so I guess there is that. I basically came here for a coffee, and was probably one of the first here, though I noticed that a number of cyclists had also turned up. Anyway, this was quite a nice cafe, and they made a pretty decent coffee as well.

Another cup of great coffee and a very fresh pain au chocolate ("chocolate croissant" in American)…read more There are eight tubs of beans to choose from (Columbian, Kenyan, etc.) and once you've chosen, they are ground right then and placed into a one-cup filter and hand-watered into your coffee cup. It takes a little longer, but it's worth it for a great cup of coffee. Ten times better than anything they've ever had at Starbucks and is even better than (heresy!) Dunkin Donuts. They are also able to make espresso drinks and I saw a milk-art latte that was pretty spectacular. The sandwiches and cakes are all locally made, including the most amazing lemon cheesecake. Yummy! One star off for not having wi-fi, but as I said in my review of the other Workhouse Coffee in central Reading, that's not the demographic they're trying to reach.

The Workhouse Coffee Shop (WHC) makes, without doubt, the best coffee in Reading. No arguements, no…read morecontest. Great coffee, great staff and great atmosphere and it is was the first place outside of Australia I have found that makes a Flat White (well it was the first place but have since found a second. Go there and you will never want for a chain coffee e again. You can then also repeat the taste at home with the bags of freshly ground coffee you can buy on the premises.

Good place for gifts - they sell all sorts of random things from picnic related paraphenalia to…read moretea/coffee cups and pots. Not my sort of thing, but suited to people who are big coffee fans - they do all sorts of coffee beans which you can choose and buy by weight.

Whittards is often a good stop for gifts for people, particularly their collections of different…read morecoffees or hot chocolates, a great small present for anyone. however, this store is slight odd in as much as it looks a little more like a market stall than a proper shop. I suppose this is the way that the Oracle has built it, but it feels a little messy and if there are a few people in there it can be difficult to look closely at anything.

Located in North Street this is one if my fav coffee shops as it is always clean and the staff are…read morefriendly and helpful. I must be lucky as each time I want to stay in there are always tables available which is a good think

I gave this place several chances because of its great location & quiet space upstairs but…read moreunfortunately every visit ends up been more and more disappointing. At best the staff is not attentive & the espresso based drinks tend to either be too bitter or they have a burned peanut aftertaste which is a sign of poor preparation. I had one decent hot chocolate drink from here but the rest of the time the ones i had were completely watered down. I guess the only safe option is the tea which is nothing special and no matter the type it is always served at the same temperature. It is also worth noting that the second floor closes up a couple of hours before the actual closing time....

Chocolate, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Actually, it's more that my wife loves it…read morethan I do. So for a recent trip back to the States, I had to make a stop at Thornton's to pick up a box or two. Good service, they will help you figure out the right thing to purchase if you don't know what to get. Though it's kinda hard to go wrong with chocolate of any type!

I love thorntons Everything especialy their toffee!! This is a small shop, in the Oracle Shopping…read moreCentre in reading but They do stock a really good selction of all the favorites. The store is kept clean and tidy and always looks well presented whenever i call in. The staff were very polite, helpful and friendly. I always think its worth paying the extra money you spend in here as everything they do is just so yummy. They had some lovely Christmas stock in, and great stocking fillers which I bought while there, unfortunately the temptation was too much that they didn't make it back home with me.

Without a doubt, one of the best cups of coffee I've had since arriving in Reading (other than my…read moreown at home, of course), Workhorse is truly all about the coffee. Technically a chain (because there are now two of them), this is a very small independent player, competing on Reading's "coffee corner" with six other shops within 100 yards (Starbucks, Costa, Coffee Republic, West Cornwall Pasty, Pret and the one-off independent Picnic). This location of Workhorse (the other is in West Reading) is in the historic King George Hotel, believed to be one of the very oldest buildings in Reading and dates back to 1423. The shop is a completely unique split-level and since they only opened recently, is still quaintly hand finished. Certainly a nicer character than the cookie cutter Starbucks. If the competition is only about the coffee and the service, Workhorse wins hands down. Choosing my beans (eight little tubs of Guatemalan, Ethiopian, Kenyan and more I can't recall), they were ground right then and there, put into a one-off drip filter and hand watered into my coffee cup. Talk about fresh! And the food choices are all local, which made my ham, chorizo and cheese ciabatta completely guilt-free. The guy serving me was happy to talk coffee. He was particularly engaging regarding their style of coffee making as well as my thoughts on french press. He didn't get drawn into comparisons with "the other guys" across the street. (Literally, across the street - you can see their bright green banner in the window in my picture!) All of that would be worth five stars, but I have to take one back because sadly, there is no free wireless available in the shop. As I read online, that's not the demographic of customer they want to reach. That's okay. Since that's the market I'm in, I'll pop in for great coffee but it won't be my hangout.

Sunday morning find here in Reading in a quaint spot located at The George Hotel. Ordered an…read moreAmericano with cream. Wow, flush with flavour and taste, just the right amount of bitterness. The coffee bean selection looks exceptional and looking forward to repeated visits.

Costa, like some other coffee chains, has a formula. This one is right on target with the others,…read morethough I suppose that since it is located inside a Waitrose supermarket has slightly less of the items where they compete. Good coffee. Very smooth and not even slightly burned like at another chain I won't mention but it rhymes with Barshmucks. I also enjoyed their banana breakfast sweet bread with the coffee. Stars deducted because this location has neither power outlets or a wireless network. That said, it was comfortable and it did give me the opportunity to catch my breath before starting the shopping.

Amazing place,Everyone enjoys!!! - Good food…read more- Good service -homey feeling Costa Best place to go to for food or meeting up with friends or family