Starbucks at Sainsburys

[bon3yard]

Your right, I've never been impressed with Starbucks...lukewarm and burnt coffee isnt my idea of fun. If you want to us a chain use Cafe Nero, far superior. Although the 70p mug of (fresh)coffee in the Dulwich Cafe is hard to beat for quality and price.

[Slim]

bon3yard Wrote:

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> 1999-2000??? Surely it was early this year after

> the store was renovated...it just seems like its

> been there forever.

No, it definitely appeared there in or before 2000.

[????]

I remember when Sainsbury's fish counter was Dulwich Hamlet's centre circle:'(

[Slim]

Louisa Wrote:

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> The space now occupied by rip off merchants

> Stabucks used to be Boots the chemist until 1998.

> So it's been a stabucks for a good 9 to 10 years

> now.

Ah yes, I remember Boots in Sainsburys. That was there when I moved to ED

in 1995, I think; it was certainly there in the Summer of '96.

But I reckon Starbucks probably only turned up there in 2000.

[Brendan]

Surely the worst thing about Starbucks at Sainsbury?s is the fact that the door doesn?t open automatically. This is positively undoorlike behaviour for the egress from a modern day supermarket. It has foxed me on a number of occasions. I have had to stand around pillock like for up to 30 seconds whilst my grey matter reassess it?s current place in the universe and subsequent purpose and then sets itself about the task of sending door opening instructions to the relevant muscles.

Ludicrous!

[ASR]

Lol. Thankfully I have never given that a try but its a good warning for those who are considering it

[Guest]

I think it's intended to stop people from wheeling their trolleys straight through the middle as a short cut. Doesn't work, obviously, but you can see the logic.

[ASR]

Yeah your right; I guess that is the main reason why but i think they should have come up with something a bit more efficient. I remember being in Starbucks last year, just a week or so after re-opening from refurbishment and the staff spent forever trying to tell people not to use the door as a shortcut but nobody bothered to take any notice.

[dulwichmum]

I adore Starbucks in Dog Kennel Hill. There is nothing nicer than a vente latte and a slice of blueberry cheesecake. Yum.

I much preferred the old Starbucks at Saino's though. It was darker and less public. I could sit and read my copy of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine in private while my housekeeper wafted about the supermarket, purchasing all manner of rice cakes and organic raisins. Being a mother really is frightfully stressful (sigh). That sweet little St Francis park thingy was always great to occupy the kids (I have never been in there myself, but my au pairs always seem to enjoy taking the poppets in to the swings). I don't know how I could cope without my Audi Q7, supermarket shopping really was a family affair before I returned to work, now I shop on Ocado, clearly.

[SimonM]

I find their cheescake stodgy and suspiciously SaraLeeish....

I suppose the place is OK if you're pressed for time and/or it is cats'n'dogs outside...but honestly I think Tarbuck's (don't you hate these Scouser chains eh?!) would barely scrape into the Top 10 ED coffee places...

[ASR]

I totally agree with Dulwichmum. Starbucks in ED is awesome, especially when you just need to chill out after a hectic gym workout or when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of a mad house and read the paper or the latest novel which you bought the other day. mmmm....blueberry cheesecake and a venti latte! although the apple and cinnamon muffin is good on occasions... some of the finer things in life! ED & Sainsburys wouldn't be the same without it.

Understandably Starbucks has its critics who are not fans of chains and the prices attached but everyone to their own.

On the subject of coffee places in Dulwich, what are your top 10 SimonM? And what are your coffee habits?

[SimonM]

>> what are your top 10 SimonM? And what are your coffee habits?<<

1 Cafe 2050

2 Blackbird

3 Peckham Rye cafe

4 Jacks

5 Petit Chou

6 Blue Mountain

7 Green & Blue

8 Au Ciel

9 Picture Gallery cafe

10 Dulwich Village Deli

11 Caffe Nero

12 Horniman cafe

13 Drum

&

14 Starbucks! :))

In practice it is almost always one of the 1st three

[SeanMacGabhann]

Last time I had a coffee in Dulwich Cafe (next to Palmerston), it was the best coffee I had had in years...

[dulwichmum]

I don't know why everyone raves on about Petit Chou. Yes the staff are friendly, but it is about as comfortable as sitting at the breakfast bar in my mothers kitchen but without the holy pictures.

Caffe Nero is a pleasant place to hide on my munchkins, and they make nice coffee and hot chocolate. I must admit that I can't stand "paninis" - they are about as digestable as polystyrine egg cartons and far less apetising. There are good places to hide and chairs to sink into.

The Dulwich Picture Gallery is super smart but not great if you are wanting to enjoy the paper and simply have a quiet coffee.

Blue Mountain is pretty hit and miss in my experience, and the staff at The Horniman are lovely but it is really chaotic in there at the weekend.

I hear that the East Dulwich Deli stocks Konditor and Cook cakes (OHMYGOD), maybe the answer is to buy a cake in there and lock my self in the utility room with a take out coffee from Starbucks?

Thanks for the list above, I shall take pleasure in trying them all out.

[ASR]

Thanks for the list SimonM; I will definitely check them out. It seems the place on Forest Hill Road is a start.

I have to say from my first and last experience @ Petit Chou I wasn't impressed. The staff weren't friendly and it seemed like they just wanted to get rid of you, but that was a while ago. It maybe different now.

As for cafe Nero, I was over the moon when it arrived in Dulwich at the beginning of 2006. At that time the Starbucks wasn't to impressive but i soon stopped going to nero after they served latte's on several occasions which were stone cold. Ever since then i converted back to Starbucks and have been going there ever since.

The Dulwich picture gallery cafe is very chic, elegant and contemporary but the quality of your visit depends on the time you go. It is often very busy, especially with the oldies who are out for the day and can become noisy and crowded with occasional sloppy service.

Blue Mountain has been there for some time and the last time i was there i was satisfied but not overwhelmed as you kind of know what to expect; but in my opinion its not a place to gloat about. [They have another branch in Sydenham aswell]

Konditor & Cook eh dulwichmum? thank god somebody knows about proper cakes lol. The Idea of a takeout, magazine/paper/book and a piece of coffee walnut sounds great, but try avoiding the utility room; can get a bit noisy, smelly and stuffy. How about the cupboard under the stairs or the walk in wardrobe? Or you could try the hubby's office?

[dulwichmum]

I think that we need a coffee shop in ED with great cake and deep sofas. It should have lots of nooks and crannies to hide in so that no-one can find us reading our books - OHMYGOD! I shall park my Audi Q7 on Melbourne Grove in 20 minutes - I bet I start a roaring trade!

[macroban]

> especially with the oldies who are out for the day

So sorry.

I'll try to stay indoors more often.

[ASR]

I couldn't agree more! that's exactly what we need and we need it now lol.

Audi Q7 on Melbourne grove? which side? Well it depends if you can get parking in the first place nowadays even a mini is proving a problem.

Apologies macroban; no offense intended to anyone old or feeling old. Was just a mere comment and i certainly don't have anything against older people.

[SimonM]

Well my list was based primarily on the quality of the double espresso and associated snacks/nibbles/cakes. Obviously chic people with super-chic kids in tow will employ different criteria :)) I agree absolutely that timing is key with both the Picture Gallery and the Horniman, but one soon learns which days or times to avoid. And I included 1 or 2 places which served me well in the past but are now somewhat tired and jaded...(no names, no packdrill!)

[Guest]

If you want a sofa, tea and cake, there's always Le Chandelier, who understand that tea tastes best when served in bone china. I went there this afternoon and it wasn't very busy despite being around teatime. And before anyone says anything about service, the two girls serving seemed perfectly pleasant to me. Much nicer than Starbucks and its beastly factory-made cakes.

BTW, has no one made the connection between the bucket-size latte servings and the rise of obesity?

[ASR]

I would probably follow the same criteria along with quality of service, facilities and atmosphere. Of course you do learn where and when to go and not to go after having gone to some places often enough. Fair play for not giving any names, as always its down to personal preference.

Remind me where is Le Chandelier? thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to add that to my list along with SimonM's top 10.

Interesting point about the link between the venti lattes' and obesity and actually it had struck me before but since i overhauled my diet a year ago and regularly workout, it doesn't bother me so much and I always go for a skinny venti latte/cappucino etc but treat myself to a normal one every few months. Nevertheless, i honestly don't think the obese population / increase in obesity is directly linked in any way to Starbucks and its large sized beverages, as it generally known to be down the quantity of food consumed on an average day and most importantly the actual products consumed As they say, its not just about how much but about what you eat.

[Guest]

Le Chandelier is on LL close to the Police Station (or M&S as we're soon to be calling it apparently).

I'm not singling out Starbucks as single-handedly responsible for the rise in obesity but I think they're a good example of profit based on quantity over quality.

[ASR]

Ok thanks for that. Yes i see where you're coming from, it depends which way you look at it but its a valid point.

[dulwichmum]

Oh I know that Starbucks probably make their cakes in an enormous factory, but it doesn't make me dislike the taste. I love good coffee too, and pride myself on my super coffee machine, but I love Starbucks latte.

I also like Knorr chicken noodle soup, Frys Chocolate Cream, pate de foie gras on toasted brioche, anything baked by Konditor and Cook and Krug.

It takes all sorts to make a world, and taste is taste.

I am not obese either, I am fabulous and physically perfect (sigh).

[ASR]

I agree. A starbucks Latte and muffin along with anything else they have is unique. Although I may not like their production methods, the taste of it is damn good.

Nevertheless this also goes for the majority of stuff we all buy in the supermarket.

All batch produced in a huge factory with added nonsense to enhance the flavour. I try to stick to organics where possible but these days its just a fact of life.

Super coffee machine eh dulwichmum? Gaggia is it?

I am not too keen on the knorr chicken noodle soup but I do have to say that anyone passionate about cake has to have konditor and cook and when it comes to champagne, what happened to louis roederer? I suppose krug is as good as though. And oh yeah what happened to the Charbonnel chocolates?!?