Costa Coffee at Waterstones

Published on: 30 May, 2012
Updated on: 30 May, 2012

Costa Coffee at Waterstones in Guildford.

A good cup of coffee and a good book always go well together, so to have a cafe in a bookshop makes perfect sense.

Book retailer Waterstones has realised this for some time, and its Guildford High Street store is no exception. Here, the Costa Coffee shop is not tucked away at the back or in some out of the way corner, but upstairs at the front of the building.

What’s more interesting is that to get to it you have to go along a short walkway – the coffee shop is literally suspended above the part of the bookshop that is below.

It’s an interesting space, and if you can, bag a table with a window view looking out over the High Street.

The coffee tasted good and came in a large cup. We enjoyed the cakes, especially the Bakewell slice.

Subject	Comments	Score
*Costa Coffee at Waterstones in Guildford*
Coffee	Good taste. £1.95 for a generous filter coffee.	2.5
Cakes	Good selection of cakes – especially the Bakewell slice.	3
Menu range	Usual Costa fare – fairly wide ranging.	2.5
Interior	Typical Costa with brown colour scheme, quite cosy with a lot of natural light. Window seats and comfortable sofas.	3
Atmosphere	Nice atmosphere – no piped music!	3
Access	Escalator, stairs lift and ramp.	3
Service	Self service including sugar etc, but counter staff helpful and friendly efficient.	2.5
Information	Menu behind the counter, newspapers and open wifi.	3
Value for money	Average value for money.	2.5
Opening hours	Monday, Wednesday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Tuesday, 9.30am to 6pm. Sunday 10.30am to 5pm
Address	Waterstones, 71-73 High Street, Guildford GU1 3DY

What they say about themselves:

Walk into a Costa and you’ll notice it’s a little different to other coffee shops. Firstly, there’s the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Then there’s the carefully chosen food and authentic coffee drinks. Next the Ferrari of coffee machines. And finally, the most passionate and well trained baristas around. That’s why we’re the nation’s coffee shop of choice.

We’re committed to looking after our coffee-growers. That’s why we have donated funds to the Charities Trust – a registered charity. Those funds have improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities in countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda and Vietnam.

So far, with the help of you, our loyal customers those funds have funded the building of 22 schools – and made a very real difference to thousands of children.

In fact, as we speak, your donations are helping to lay the building blocks of prosperity (often literally) across the continents.

To help put our support for coffee-growing communities on a longer term basis, Costa is in the process of setting up a new registered charity called The Costa Foundation.

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