The service was mediocre and the food, doubly so. The coffee was tasteful but a bit too sharp for…read moremy liking, the cakes tasted mostly of gelatine and sugar, but the hot panini I ordered did actually taste pretty good. However it was served on a long and thin plate, which was 100% form over function as it clattered into the adjacent plates when I tried to eat from it. Regardless of my gripes, there did seem to be quite a lot of people around ingesting either food or liquid of some sort, so perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about. Or, which I think is probably more fitting, perhaps Costa was full, Starbucks was too far away, they didn't know about the other quiet little coffee & cake places (near the Council House entrance to Touchwood, for example) and, well, the money in their pocket was equal to or greater than the thing they wanted to put in their mouth, so they just sat down and did what they wanted to. The environment is noisy (it's slapped in the main junction of the two main arteries of Touchwood, so that's a given), the product is only slightly above average, and the service isn't anything to write home about. Why not leave this overpriced pinnacle of mediocrity and go and find something a bit more comfortable? (Bike parking is very close-by, near the revolving doors that take you to the Council House)

So I would't normally eat and drink my coffee in a shopping centre but I was in a mad rush. I am…read moreglad I did because this place was great. The coffee was fresh and nicely presented (not silky microfoam with beautiful latte art but far from the overly boild froth that we endure in most chains). Their speciality is all things chocolate and it looks amazing but I didn't partake knowing Christmas is just a few weeks away). I am a fussy so and so not liking mayo or cheese and all sorts of things. The staff were lovely and make things up fresh so I had a yummy pulled pork panini (not too sweet or vinegary) with slaw and crisps and salad plus my coffee for £4.95. My food arrived in under 5 minutes. Don't be fooled by the picture. There was a whole panini, I just couldn't wait and ate half instantly. I will most likely nip in here again next time I shop. Probably for wafflea and a belgian chocolate mocha when I am already fat from Christmas.

THIS PLACE IS SO GOOD everybody is so nice in general and the food is great and especially one man…read morewho worked there was so nice to me and my family when I went up he saw my shirt and it was a sloth he loved it and had a laugh and when my brother went up he got a sandwich but the man gave it to him for FREE and he also let him have a gingerbread man for free as well he was just the greatest

This place was a lifesaver during my 6 weeks training with Fit Body Bootcamp. As most of you will…read moreknow, I am out and about in the City every single day. As part of my nutrition plan for Bootcamp, I had to stick to a strict diet of healthy proteins, fats and carbs all day, every day. As much as I like to pack my own lunch, some days this just wasn't do able! No one wants to be that guy who takes their own food into someone else's venue (especially not me), so I was severely limited as to where I could go. If anyone has any "Birmingham Independent Salad Heroes", I would love to hear them. Most of the salads available in coffee shops and lunch spots have lots of crouton's and things on, taking them off the menu for a low carb diet. I was literally stuck and the only place I could think of going to get my lunch was Pret. Now, I don't really have a problem with Pret. I would always prefer to go independent venues as and when I can, but these guys are ethical with their food waste and offer a filter coffee for 99pm (which puts them at the top of my chains to visit). Two days in a row I ended up grabbing my lunch from here. Their salads are really good. I'm not normally one to spend £5 plus on a salad, but with a choice of avocado, prawns and tender stem broccoli (with a menu that changes daily), they top the list of delicious salad options on New Street. On both occasions I grabbed my lunch and sat in the large upstairs area to eat. The first time was around peak lunch hour, so I ended up sharing my table with someone else (about 1pm). The second visit was just after 2pm and was much more chilled and less busy. Again, I wouldn't say this place is a must-visit. It's the same old Pret food and service you are going to get at any of the stores in the chain, however, it's good food and a convenient location. You could do far worse!

Absolutely enamoured with Raha Cafe. It has recently opened, taking over from Hudson & Mortimer but…read morewe popped in to try it as it was open on Easter Sunday. The staff were amazingly polite and attentive, telling us how long the wait would be before ordering and the staff kept coming over to keep us updated and apologise for the wait when there was absolutely no need for apologies, but it was fantastic service, absolutely five star service. I've been to michelin rated restaurants and had much worse services! I bought two cappuccinos (sorry I have to correct myself here and say "cappuccini"!) and two of the small english breakfasts. At £1.49 per large Lavazza cappuccino and £3.20 per breakfast, this came to under a tenner on a Easter Sunday for two to eat out in a lovely cafe with a brilliant atmosphere - and free WiFi!? Unfortunately did not bring my phone to test this! The small breakfasts consisted of 2 slices of white buttered bread , bacon, sausage, tomato, fried egg, Heinz baked five beans and mushrooms. Unfortunately they ran out of mushrooms (I didn't even expect any!) so we were offered to double up another part of the breakfast as an alternative to mushrooms. As I don't eat beans, I asked if my partner could have my serving (And they did give him two gigantic servings of beans :0) and we both got extra egg in place of mushrooms! We were not rushed at all and really enjoyed our leisurely breakfast. For the price we're already planning to go back and this time try some of the freshly squeezed orange juice or milkshakes...!

I was wondering if they serve LavAzza cold brew coffee there. I have four cans of it at home and…read morewould like to know the best way to drink it. If anybody can help me with this, please let me know.

This is in a bit of a strange place but it's definitely nicer inside than it is outside. If you're…read morein the area and in need of a bite to eat for lunch, you could do far worse than sampling some food from here. I tend to get bored of the standard lunch options so it made a nice change to be able to add a chicken tikka masala to a jacket potato. It tasted good and was only £2.50. If you're looking for a place to grab some lunch and you're in the area, this will do nicely. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but walking by, it does the job.

This place sounds more like a psychiatrists than a coffee shop! Either way I was in need of…read morerefreshment after some retail therapy when I paid a visit. It's modern and funky and offers a large range of snacks. I had a ham and salad baguette which was generously filled. I had a large cappuccino to wash it down and pick me up. The place was clean and the service was friendly making it an decent place to stop off.

A new cafe arrives in Birmingham city centre. They are not new, they have had a restaurant in…read moreMoseley (https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/damascena-moseley) for a number of years now, but they have brought all the good things from there straight to the Colmore area of Birmingham. They have reasonable quality coffee, lovely cakes, and lunch that is great to take away. I went with a friend and his dog. Th very friendly staff welcomed us in, however the gave us discretion just the once as they have a no dogs allowed rule. This is a great shame, others such as 200º, Faculty, Yorks, 6/8, and Java all allow dogs.

I am really upset about how the manager treated me and my kids. She came to us after we finished…read moreour drinks and snacks mentioned that the table is reserved after 20 minutes ( no one informed us prior to that) moreover she kept repeating the same sentence 3 times like a robot!!! I feel the manager was untruthful and rudely pushed customers to turn over table. That experience spoiled my Sunday morning and never try this place again.

This is a nice clean place inside, tho' less attractive outside. The 5***** hygiene certificate is…read moreprominently displayed which is reassuring. I had 30 minutes to kill over lunch so ordered a chicken and bacon sandwich with a side of chips and a cup of tea. Service was OK. I'd have appreciated a bit more warmth as a stranger to the place. It would have scored an extra point had staff made more effort. Seems more like a 'regulars' kinda place. They seemed a bit overstaffed to me, so no excuse really. The sandwich was excellent really: nice, proper chicken breast sliced, along with decent non-fatty bacon pieces, soft white sliced bread and an OK, jar supplied Mayo - for the price it would be daft to expect own-made. I'd give it a 8/10 in context. It wasn't just a mix from a large tub bought at the wholesalers. The chips were just about OK too. They were the frozen style ones, not proper sliced potato, so very bland, and probably would have benefited from an extra few minutes in the fryer. The tea was fine, but I was in a bit of a rush by the time it had cooled down so only finished half of it. There were papers to read, which was a nice bonus. No one said goodbye when I left.

I have walked passed this coffee shop hundreds of times and never felt overly inclined to go in. As…read moreI have stated, we are spoiled for choice for Independent Coffee Shops in Birmingham and this particular one just feels a bit... at odds with itself. Let me explain... the signage is nice, glass and silver and the outdoor seating always looks quite welcoming in the summer. I think the problem is the champagne buckets and the empty bottles of wine in the window. Is it a wine bar or a coffee shop? So, anyway... I had a meeting yesterday and my companion suggested Cafe Costes as it was pretty local to us both and shouldn't be too busy at 1pm. Firstly, the place is a T.A.R.D.I.S! It's got a good range of seating available inside and can fit groups up to 5 on a table or smaller groups on comfy armchair style arrangements. I grabbed a salad (eat in £4) and ordered an Americano (can't remember the price of this). I was given a table number and located a table near the back of the venue to await my companions. As I had chosen a boxed salad, I was offered to have this in a bowl (as I was eating in). A small, but nice option which I agreed to. The coffee was perfectly pleasant... but was served with two cartons of UHT milk? Really? UHT? This is totally unacceptable for a place trying to be a coffee shop. It has consequently lost it a star. It was a shame really, as the salad was perfectly nice and the service was prompt and friendly. The venue was clean and has a disabled toilet and is wheelchair accessible. I wouldn't avoid Cafe Costes, but I'm still confused as to it's identity. I wouldn't use it a nightspot and obviously, wouldn't go for coffee. The food seemed to be fine... but what does that make it? I wouldn't put anyone off giving this a go. See what you think. My opinion is that there are better coffee and tea options just over the road and around the corner. As for it being a wine bar, I can't imagine it having much of an atmosphere in the evening - but that being said, I've never been before so can't judge.

Located near Snow Hill train station, Cafe Costes failed to overly impress me after my visit…read more A problem with a lot of cafe's around the Birmingham area is similarity. Too many small coffee houses are all heading down the same route with Cafe Costes no different. Despite this, m visit was still pleasant if brief. The interior was surprisingly spacious with low-lit lighting providing a perfect balance with the scorching sun outside. Costes offered a range of Sandwhiches alongside the usual variety of coffee. As with many cafes now, free Wi-Fi was added in what was an extremely comfy venue. Without being remarkable, Cafe Costes still did a job and with its friendly staff, the visit was worth it, if not life changing.

Landed at BHX and had the opportunity to see my nieces before I headed out…read more This was such a cute establishment. They sat us right away and served us in a very nice manner. Our drinks and meals came out in the right timing and the food was delicious. I loved how the ambiance inside was nice than a Starbucks!

The eggs royale was my fav. Tasty and filling. The servers were great too. Super friendly and very…read moreaccommodating. The vibe is relaxed, great for groups.