Convenient For Meeting & Waiting

LocationVery near Tottenham Court Road underground station on the south side. Road crossing outside. Handy. Easy to find if you are meeting somebody.FoodBurgers.Ice creams. Apple pie.I asked about the millionaire shortbread but that seemed to be ice cream and in the end I decided to wait to order later.Hot DrinksI was pleasantly surprised by the choice of coffees, not just coffees but several types as listed on the paper cup shown in my picture. Coffee or tea. Plus espresso, caffe latte, macchiato, cappuccino or hot chocolate.The white sugar came wrapped. No brown sugar.The drink had a cap on it to stop it spilling when you carried it.SeatingUpstairs just two tables for two and backless bar stools. The majority of the tables are downstairs so you have to carry your drink or trays without a hand to hold the hand rail. Still, I made it, without dropping my drink, falling, nor crashing into anybody else.Chairs quite comfortable. You can move the tables for two together to make larger tables for four or six.Price£1.50 for a large latte. Not bad.ToiletsTwo cubicles in the Ladies. But designed so that when the outer door is open you can see the washbasin and straight into the cubicles as people enter or leave the cubicle, not very private. Hook for your bag.DecorMessages about Burger King products. Quite entertaining. The one upstairs by the door said hello or welcome in six languages.Nothing like as elegant as the one in Singapore's Orchard Road (equivalent of Oxford street) near Somerset station, where seating was indoors and outdoors. I wouldn't say I loved it. But I did prefer it to several alternatives in the area. I used to eat there regularly. One area in the middle had a large circular banquette. I recall lots of tropical potted plants. In Singapore somebody was sweeping up constantly. And carrying off your empty trays. In this branch somebody took away a leftover tray as I went to sit down - never worked out if it was a kind passing customer or member of staff.EntertainmentYou can pick up a copy of the Metro or London Lite at the station outside or get one thrust at you as you walk out of the station. Either staff or other diners had left a couple of copies of the free newspapers so that's good for people sitting alone or waiting for others.SpeedFood was served very fast.Sitting downstairs waiting for somebody else, with no staff, watching I felt I was able to sit as long as I liked with no pressure to leave. (Isn't that normal, some people might ask. No. In some restaurants and hotels you feel obliged to order more as servers keep coming round. Or other customers hang around watching you eat. In small coffee shops and in Singapore where schoolchildren take over some of the fast food places or coffee shops to do homework after school there are signs discouraging people from occupying tables for too long. So I felt that being undisturbed was good. SoundI sat for an hour from 5 to six pm without music. Then they turned on music, a little too loud, so I could not use my mobile phone.All in all, served its purpose. Only a few steps from the station I had a coffee and somewhere to read or write for an hour. In such a prime location, I'd like to see them making this store a flagship.

A User - 09/01/2009 | report this review