Costa Coffee — Restaurant in Manchester

I am no stranger to writing reviews, and I usually try to be fair and balanced, but my recent experience at Costa Coffee deserves to be called out for what it was: overpriced, poor quality, and deeply disappointing.

I went in with two children, expecting a simple breakfast, nothing fancy, just enough to keep everyone fed and happy while out. Between us, we ordered two toasties, a croissant, two bottled drinks for the kids, and one hot chocolate. That was it. When the bill came, I was absolutely shocked to see the total: £22. For what was essentially a tray of snacks, this price is completely unjustifiable.

If the quality matched the cost, I might have let it go, but unfortunately, it was the opposite. The toasties were the biggest letdown. Both were undercooked, soggy, and barely warm in places. Instead of being crisp and golden with a gooey filling, they were limp and unpleasant to eat. For something so basic, it was inexcusable.

The croissant was no better, dry, stale, and heavy. Croissants should be light, flaky, and buttery. This one tasted like it had been sitting around all week, maybe longer. Honestly, I would have been disappointed with it even if I’d paid half the price.

The drinks weren’t much to write home about either. The kids had small bottled juices, which added disproportionately to the bill considering you can buy the same bottles in a supermarket for a fraction of the price. My hot chocolate was the only halfway decent item, but even then, it was more watery than rich, topped with a thin layer of cocoa powder. It was drinkable, yes, but certainly nothing special, especially when it makes up part of a £22 total.

What makes me most frustrated is that this is Costa, a brand that presents itself as a trusted high-street coffee shop where families can pop in for a reliable treat. But reliability means consistency, quality, and fair value. On this occasion, I got none of those. Instead, I left feeling ripped off, annoyed, and honestly a bit embarrassed that I’d just spent that amount of money for such a poor experience while trying to treat my children.

At £22, I could have taken the kids to a local independent café and had freshly prepared food, bigger portions, and change left over. In fact, for not much more I could have taken them to a sit-down family restaurant. Instead, I handed over a significant sum of money for food that felt rushed, carelessly made, and simply not worth it.

I don’t expect luxury from Costa, but I do expect value and decent preparation. Toasties should be hot, crisp, and cooked properly every time. Croissants should taste fresh. Drinks should feel like they’re worth what you’re paying. None of this happened, and the price tag only added insult to injury.

To be clear, I am not someone who complains for the sake of it, I write reviews regularly and I am fair when credit is due. But this was an experience where Costa badly failed, both in quality and in fairness. £22 for undercooked toasties, a stale croissant, two tiny juices, and a watery hot chocolate is nothing short of a rip-off.

I’ll be thinking twice before taking my children to Costa again. Families deserve...

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I absolutely love this shop and the way every staff member treats customers is lovely welcoming and just has amazing vibes. Been coming years never had an issue or felt something was wrong. Shop is always clean even when they are short staffed. 10 out of 10 for everything. Well done to all the team at burnage costa for always doing an amazing job and bringing smiles and laughs to your customers. It's the small thing that go...