Caffe Nero

One of my favourite «I’m early for a meeting» or «half an hour til off peak train time» stops. It doesn’t feel like a railway station stop, it is a good «sit in and watch the world go by» or «listen to all the travellers accents» kind of place. Being in the station does mean it is crazy busy at mornings and peak times, but this morning I did get a table. The staff are really quick at serving, they’re used to busy commuters! Wifi (cloud) is available too.

This is a review for the café Nero stand across the WH Smith store in the Waverley station. Terrible latte. Burnt milk with some crap foam on top. I guess there are not many options in a train station, but they could at least make an effort if they are going to charge 2.30.

I have been to this Caffe Nero twice since I have got here and got to say neither visit has been great.
Ok, so I may love a good coffee, and have to admit that Caffe Nero is better than some of those chains that have taken over our high street. For Waverley Station it is probably the best you will find. My main issue is not the coffee, which is the same as you get in any other branch, good enough. It is the service.
Both times I have been, what seems to be the manager, is beyond rude. The first time I went I was actually in shock at how rude she was to the guy infront who ordered a coffee to sit in, but she made it in a take away cup. He was not british, and may have been struggling to grasp her explanation, but to me her attitude was just down right awful. The look on my friends face said he thought exactly the same. She could have at least tried to be a bit more positive.
Second time round, she seemed a little better attitude-​wise, but the service still was poor. For being in charge of the branch you would think she would encourage prompt and friendly service. I stood there feeling like I had interrupted a social catch up, and that making my coffee was totally not a priority. It was bizzare. I was happy after the first time to give it another try, but maybe from now on I will pick up a decent coffee before reaching the station. Not an experience I am keen to rush back to.

Yes, it’s Caffe Nero. Yes, there’s one on every main street (and then some), in every major city in Britain. Hear me out though…
This Waverley Station branch is a nice little addition to the concourse and very handy for the platform that the East Coast trains stop at (19, it’s the best platform). Let’s face it, in Britain we do a lot of waiting for late trains, so it’s nice to have somewhere comfortable with good coffee to do it in. There are no loos, but it does have a really fast WiFi connection (which is free if you’re an O2 mobile broadband customer) and it’s open super early in the morning. Waverley is plagued by rancid pigeons with weak bowels, so if you come in here you can escape being pooed on and have a comfy seat. What more could you want before embarking on a rail journey?

I love this place, principally because they do loyalty cards and so you can accumulate stamps for free coffees with a vengeance.
But more than that, they’re always friendly, quick, efficient, always faithfully ask if you’d like a fatty pastry snack with your coffee and always stamp your loyalty card.
Moreover, I seem to always meet someone who’s half interesting in the queue. And they have wifi I think. A friendly and handy stop off before you depart on your travels.