Starbucks

Interior has plenty of nice seating but wifi is poor.

Venti soy green tea latte ($ 8.10)
Ran out of toilet paper, some power outlets don’t work, and gets crowded, but overall a pretty nice place to study.

I really enjoy reading with a coffee in hand at the local starbucks where I know I can get a good frapp. I was really disappointed with the Starbucks at Rochester Park, Singapore — it’s really dirty. The cups aren’t taken away when people leave and there are coffee stains on the white walls. It’s such a shame since the area is quiet and there is a great man-​made waterfall located right next to the Starbucks.

In a cacophonous city where noise assaults you from every angle and people bumping into you unapologetically, one constant and likely thought that most introverts harbor in their mind is whether there is a quiet corner to take shelter.
This Starbucks seems to be that place. The décor is Victorian nestled in a Hoity Toity neighborhood away from the typical Breadtalk group infested malls. If you climb up to the second level, find yourself a corner the bothersome city and time-​sensitive to-​dos seems to melt away as you sip on your favourite Starbucks beverage (Mine’s Hot Green Tea Latte).
Today I met up with a friend here. We chose this place because it was quiet. I could sense there was a lot of weight on his shoulders and he wanted a listening ear.
In the bid to forget about my tragic love life, I tend to lose myself to work and slowly drift away from friends. But 2015 seems to have sparked a little something in me at least to be a better friend especially for those who have been there for me through my ups and (lotsa) downs. He is one of them.
It has been a couple of months since i last saw him. He looked better physically, in the midst of going through a physical transformation. The geeky muscle type, one that will drive more than a few hearts aflutter. In a way he reminds me of him.
He started about how he found love in the past 3 months in an unlikely place. And they have been progressing well getting to know each other better until he found out that this new love of his has a God sister who is overly possessive. She has been making my friend’s life difficult mostly with negative opinions of the relationship as well as cannibalizing his time so the 2 lovebirds can’t meet as much with what little time both of them have.
I experienced the emotions that my friend poured out as I slowly sipped on my latte. Indignant at the difficulties he had to fight through and catching the happyness as he describes the lovely things they do together and feeling sorry as he blames himself for the turbulence in his love life.
I wanted to help in a more substantial manner beyond just listening to his relationship woes but realized that there is nothing much I can do beyond giving him a listening ear. And in times like this. That’s all that is needed.

This is my two hundredth review, so we’re going to be all dramatic and have pretty LIBERAL USE of FULL CAPS.
A friend once commented that I use full caps in every review I write, and looking back, that’s basically true.
Amidst the LUSH greenery of the Rochester area… okay before I go further I have no idea why I typed lush in full caps. It was kinda superfluous wasn’t it. It’s not like the greenery there is all Botanic Gardens or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or anything. Definitely didn’t need the cap lock.
So amidst the not-​so-​lush but definitely not sparse vegetation of the Rochester area, is THE nicest Starbucks in Singapore. I believe the one at the Delphi Orchard comes in second, though I will note that I have yet to experience the special Starbucks store near Fullerton. The one that’s billed as the 100^th Starbucks store in Singapore or something like that? Anyway. This Starbucks. Is. NAAAAAIIIIISEEEEEE. It’s like got this colonial aura thing going on with the white wooden and black trim. Even though it’s pretty near various schools it’s generally not too crowded when you head over in the afternoon, and it’s got everything you expect a Starbucks to have.
You have your coffee bagels Wifi overly-​sweet-​desserty-​things students-​studying couples-​canoodling middle-​aged expat working on a laptop… it’s EVERYTHING YOU LOVE ABOUT STARBUCKS but somewhere NICE. and AIRY. AND OPEN.
What’s there not to like!
The only thing I don’t get is why they don’t open 24 hours or at least till late. It’s got this great location. I’d DRIVE there to chill (much like what people do for the Holland Village branch)… SO WHY THEY KEEP CHASING ME OUT SO EARLY. :(
#YUdunwanmymoney

Probably my favourite Starbucks branch in Singapore for now (until I check out the one at Marina Bay, maybe). Was here on a sunday afternoon in search of a place to do some studying and this fit the bill! (Apparently the sound of a café enhances productivity… there’s even a website somewhere that simulates that for those who can’t actually be bothered to make the journey.
Be warned: this place is PACKED on a sunday afternoon, with people studying.
Drinks-​wise… it’s Starbucks, how different do you expect it to be?

beautiful space, friendly staff, and none of that hipster business attached to getting my drink.
and no pesky students hogging tables (this was Wednesday lunchtime). all win.
p. s. an earl grey soy latte is almost embarrassingly hippie, but delicious (especially cold).

Service has much room for improvement.
That said, the layout of the place is exquisite and very well done. A great place to relax (partially owing to the fact that this branch is not as crowded as the others around Singapore) and catch up with friends.
That being said, the baristas here were not very attentive and got my order wrong TWICE — even after I expressed my dissatisfaction at the first mistake.

Fantastic Location. It feels like you’re on a Holiday near a hill top resort.

What sets this Starbucks café apart from other coffee joints? It’s housed in a grand old dame of a colonial house. It feels more relaxed than cafes in the malls downtown — more like you’re hanging out at a close friend’s place.
This café is just 10 minutes away from Bouna Vista MRT station. I headed there to study with some classmates for our final exams one evening last year when it was newly opened. We quickly realised that it is a nice place to hang out at night. There are ample seats littered all around the café, so we had no issues getting chairs and a table. And besides coffee and the usual spread of cakes and sandwiches, this branch also serves entrees like pumpkin soup and pastas too! However, we dropped by after dinner and were too full to try those out. We just ordered hot chocolate and java to help us stay awake while we mugged.
Guess what? It closes at 11.30pm, so it’s another cool chill-​out option for the owls.

The Starbucks at Rochester Park is a decent place to go to when you need to study for an exam, or when you want to spend an afternoon chilling with your friends. The building is actually a refurbished 2 story colonial house, and much attention has been paid to keeping the exterior of the café looking rather authentic, while maintaining a certain sense of chicness. Like all Starbucks, the coffee is mediocre — let’s be honest here, Starbucks coffee is never anyone’s favorite, especially not after all the new specialty coffee places have sprouted up across Singapore. That being said though, the Starbucks at Rochester more than makes up for the average coffee by having tons of power outlets for you to spend the entire day studying, and having enough tables and couches for the crowd. The Starbucks is also located amidst greenery, making any break that you take from studying pleasant. All in, that makes this Starbucks one of the better Starbucks to hang out at in Singapore.

This is by far my favourite Starbucks in Singapore.
Its undeniable that the building looks stunning– colonial house in an unobtrusive shade of white, red roof, outdoor patio and their signature classy wooden chairs and tables. The store is large, spacious, the tables are far apart, and couches are aplenty on the upper level. Perhaps because its located in a fairly inaccessible area, I’ve hardly ever had any problems finding a seat in the restaurant (though a seat with a power point would be more difficult). The most crowded I’ve seen it is usually on Saturday afternoons, which happens to also have the most interesting mix of people– parents drilling children with assessments, couples, students, sometimes even tourists who happen to be in the area.
My favourite place to sit would be at the outdoors patio on level two. They have to rows of tables, one running closer to the railing and the other parallel to the glass partitioning the indoor area. Even though it does get abit hot closer to the railing, I prefer to sit there because sometimes its nice to take it abit of sun and it doesn’t feel as claustrophobic as having to awkwardly lean against the glass. Since most people opt for the couches, its also almost always possible to get a seat in the area.
Drinks wise, the standard is not so superior/​inferior that it becomes possible for me to identify Starbucks branches by the drinks they make. So I would say its pretty average. During their busier hours, service can get a little tardy, especially on the upper floor. Don’t be too surprised if you have to clean after the person before you in order to make some space for yourself.

I am not a huge fan of American coffee especially coffee that comes in small, medium, large. Besides the good location, Starbucks is not usually where I would like to have my coffee considering the fact that it is pretty expensive as well. This outlet at Rochester is peaceful which is great for catching up on work or for having a quiet conversation over the weekend. There are 2 floors including alfresco seating so there is plenty of space. The only drink that you can find at Starbucks that is unique would probably be their green tea latte. Although on the sweet side, this drink can be quite a treat and a good alternative to hot chocolate. Overall its the location that makes this Starbucks stand out, nothing more!

Located in a refurbished colonial house in the Rochester Park area stands a quiet and modern chic outpost of Starbucks. The location is spot on, the surrounding greenery gives the outlet a sense of serenity and the outdoors, and thanks to the area not being so forested, you don’t have to worry about mosquitos even if you’re seated outside. You can either choose to sit upstairs on the balcony or outside in the al fresco areas, but do note that it is a non-​smoking joint. Smokers will just have to get up if they want to do so.
Starbucks Rochester is also one of the few outlets in Singapore that not only offers coffee, but food like soups, pastas, sandwiches and lasagna as well. The baristas that I’ve seen so far seem to be the crème of the crop as the drinks and coffee art generally look and taste much better, compared to other outlets.
Getting there is easy as it is just a 2min walk from Buona Vista MRT and if you drive, there’s ample parking in the public carpark just a minute away. You can park along the road next to Starbucks, as there no markings on the road, but recently, they’ve placed some cones there, so park at your own risk!