Starbuck's - Portsmouth

I was disappointed that we had to drink our drinks out of takeaway cups instead of proper cups at this Starbucks location. The taste of the cups takes away from the flavor of the Caramel Macchiato and black coffee that we ordered. I would prefer to taste the beverage, not the cup it is served in. I hope Starbucks considers allowing customers to choose their preferred cup option in the future.

The staff at this restaurant is so attentive and kind. It's always a pleasure to visit. They noticed that it was my birthday and wrote "happy birthday" on my takeaway cup without me even realizing. Such a sweet gesture.

Whilst walking past Starbucks, I noticed it was their first day so I expected it to be busy. Usually, I’d think, maybe another day due to the expected business but I saw there was no line. Although, there were plenty of people, the staff tackled them respectfully, quickly and politely. Really refreshing to see. Although it is abit out of my way, I’m happy to go the distance for this Starbucks due to their customer service!

Similar to other locations in the chain, this restaurant provides the expected experience. However, this specific branch offers a larger seating area and is quite popular, especially among students who can be seen working on their laptops while enjoying their coffee. The drinks are enjoyable, but they are the same as what you would find in any Starbucks store. Despite the spaciousness of this particular store, it may not be the best choice for meeting friends for coffee as finding a seat can be difficult.

I use this Starbucks regularly and time of visit and staff are key. They have a core team of really helpful and really excellent baristas, but, if you hit it at peak time with some of the newer staff it's a bit of a miss. Get the timing (after 9am) with the right team on and it's one of the best around. What is always a miss is the music; who is responsible for playing this awful jazz music. Think what it's like at Christmas in the shops and the novelty of Christmas songs soon wears off; come into this Starbucks regularly and the music will drive you insane and if it is bad for me; imagine what it must be like for the staff? How any of them smile is beyond me. My recommendation is to get the timing of your visit right and bring headphones!