Caffè Nero — Restaurant in Eastleigh

As I catch up on reviews, I find myself reminiscing about my frequent visits to Caffè Nero in Eastleigh, a place my sister and I used to visit religiously—many times a week for months.

Sadly, some time ago, we noticed a decline in drink quality, particularly with the coffee. It seemed to be burnt more often than not, resulting in an overwhelming bitterness. While coffee naturally carries a hint of bitterness, there's a stark difference between the norm and the unfortunate taste of burnt coffee. Given the price of a coffee at a café compared to what you can make at home, one would expect a higher standard of quality, not a drink that needs to be masked with sweet syrups just to be palatable.

The tipping point came when, on a fateful day, I ordered my usual drink only to find that, in addition to the recurrent burnt taste, the member of staff had evidently added less syrup than usual. This alteration further diminished the taste I had grown accustomed to. When I pointed out the difference, I was informed that I would need to pay extra for "more syrup". It was a simple request—to have the same amount I always had, for the same price I'd always paid. This encounter left me disheartened, feeling that the customer service did not match the standards I once valued.

That day, I made the decision that I couldn't continue in this pattern—dealing with poor coffee standards, prices that didn't align with the quality, and on top of it, customer service that demanded more money for maintaining the same standard. I opted for a coffee pod machine and my preferred syrup, allowing me to indulge in good, reasonably priced coffee at my convenience. While I miss the social aspect of the café, the consistent quality and cost-effectiveness of homemade coffee have...

Nice, relaxing coffee shop with a good atmosphere. However, one of the guys who works in here needs to slow down. Even when the cafe is basically empty he makes drinks at lightning speed and will take complicated orders for the next customers in line while making the current drink and without noting it down. He's very friendly but I always feel a bit rushed when deciding. He seems to know what he's doing and you'd think he'd be super efficient but he's got order wrong (made it to have in instead of take away) and left front of me waiting for a cup for his teapot while he started preparing the next drink. Minor stuff but he just needs to take his...

Food and drinks are served in take away cups and bags, even when sitting down - sad to see Caffe Nero unnecessarily plays into the Covid hysteria, surely if crockery was unsafe restaurants wouldn't be open. Also, Vegan options seem to be the first choices they have dropped from the menu and to top it off, Caffe Nero no longer accepts cash. They have shown their true face - you have lost me...