Starbucks

You know that feeling where you want a REAL cup of coffee made by a Barista that actially can tell the difference between a mocha and a latte, plus can make it without taking so long you miss your train and lose the will to live ... right? Well these are the canines lower extremities of take away coffee - pleasant, professional, laid back and mucho pronto - when I need the best cup of Joe in town I skip that Costa lot, Oh No Not 'Nero' and the Slow Dark Wooly Coffee hut ... there are imitators but this is the original and still the best - check it out, all you need to do is find the mermaid sign thst says 'Starbacks'. The staff are stars and the Central Station booth legendary ... believe bro. Come, enjoy

The service in this Starbucks is typically warm and friendly, welcoming you to (or consoling you before leaving) the city of Glasgow. The coffee is, yes, very decidedly Starbucks flavour. The variety of drinks is, yes, very impressive for a tiny unit - which can often house up to five packed-in employees! But, like, that's about it.. it's convenient and it's sometimes faster than going elsewhere. That's all. It's a modern kind of production-line-café that is much better than a vending machine (thanks to the lovely staff!) but doesn't really do much else to mark it's spirit of place - at the gateway to/from Scotland and Glasgow no less! If I was going to spend £3.40 on a regular Latte, which I do so very reluctantly anyway, I think I would much prefer to celebrate Gordon Street Coffee at the station entrance.. It's 20p more expensive (at time of writing), but it's LOCAL, and the place buzzes with Scottishness and graffiti-like celebrations of Glasgow culture. Profits don't go to Seattle, they go to South Lanarkshire. This isn't to plug Gordon Street especially, that's just the closest, there are indie coffee joints of supreme quality right across the city.! If you've time, go explore instead. If you're local, support your local! In a city with such an unexpectedly thriving coffee culture, indeed such a thriving city culture, Starbucks at Central station falls short of the mark ONLY in that... I can go to a bland chain like this literally anywhere in the world. Bang in the centre of central station, after long journeys North or cross-city commutes to work, I always find myself asking; who is there to welcome me home? Staff lovely though, five stars for service!