elleyn

This may be a no-brainer; sorry if it is. However, we will be taking our first trip to England and Scotland. Will there be any hotels that have coffee-pots in the rooms as they do in America? If not, how easy is it to get a cup to go in the restaurants? Is is advisable to travel with a mini-pot? Thanks in advance!

Java Bean

It is fairly common in UK for hotels to have a coffee/tea pot in the room with instant coffee and tea bags. Some of the more budget ones may not offer this. Coffee is readily available everywhere, either at breakfast in the hotel, or out on the streets. In the bigger cities, just as here, there are coffee shops where you can get coffee, espressos, cafe au lait, etc (think of Starbuck type joints). No, coffee will not be a problem in UK. Even though tea is popular, coffee is just as prevalent there as here. Don't worry about dragging a coffee pot with you.

frank

Many hotels give you a kettle, cups, a teapot, tea bags, instant coffee etc. <BR>Some don't. <BR> Coffee go to is unusual in restaurants, in cities the coffee shops do it, or try railway stations. <BR> Take care buying coffee in UK, some of it isn't very good, whether hot,beans or instant. <BR> In Glasgow centre for good coffee beans try Thompsons in Renfield Street, a few blocks north of central station (IMO).They've been blending coffee for generations, its a nice old-fashined shop.I like "Thompson's half french roast". <BR>They also sell hot coffee to go, but have no seats. <BR>There are branches of starbucks etc everywhere.

Q.P.

When I travel to Britain I always pack along one of those little plastic one-cup funnels that holds a filter, some paper filters, and a pound or so of my favorite coffee. In the first place, it is often much easier to get a kettle in one's room than a coffeemaker. In the second, brewed decaf can be hard to find in the UK and that's what I often drink. And, finally, I just can't stand the way Londoners like their coffee, judging by the way it's served in places like Starbucks, Atoma, etc.--it always tastes boiled and bitter to me, virtually undrinkable. If you love your daily coffee, take your own and make it yourself. It's really not that much trouble, and as a touch of home can be nice to have, especially on a long trip. <BR> <BR>Q.P.

richardab

FYI - STARBUCKS is everywhere in London....

Mike

I have NEVER had a filter coffee machine (US style) in a room in the UK. If you want FRESH coffee in your room, you will either have to trust to Room Service (most likely misplaced) or make your own! I don't know what a mini pot is - if it makes fresh coffee, bring it.

Mike Miller

Elleyn, I have even stayed in B&B's in the UK which had hot pots in the room but alas, the coffee was instant. If you do bring your own hot pot, make sure it is a dual-voltage type.

Jeff

When I was just in London, I stayed at a Hilton and the coffee was instant (and Yuck). Luckily it was walking distance from a Starbucks. <BR> <BR>Coffee (for good or bad) is catching on in London. Starbucks and others are everywhere. It is kind of freaky that the Starbucks look exactly the same wherever you go. I kind of like the coffee-less, tea drinking city. It makes the world seem a little less generic.

Michelle

All hotels seem to come equipped with kettle and sachets of instant coffee these days. However, for that second (and supremely better) cup of coffee find a Pret a Manger or Costas coffee shop. Pret are all over central London and expanding through the south of England. Costas are expanding throughout the country. Dare I say it, both IMO, are better than Starbucks. <BR> <BR>

Kenny

I'm with Michelle on Pret a manger or Costas over Starbucks any day. Starbucks are everywhere, but I can't see what the fuss is about. Synthetic coffee taste, not much better that a cup of Nescafe instant. Looks like Starbucks aspire to become the McDonalds of the cafe society.

jeff

I am addicted to Starbucks and totally disagree with Kenny but I do agree that Pret has good coffee. As an American, you will find that Pret is extemely unimpressive for anything but coffee. Interestingly, there is a Pret near my office down the block from the New York Stock Exchange. I doubt that the tuna and cucumber sandwich or the mayonnaise on everything sandwiches will catch on with the NY set, but apparently both Starbucks and Pret are tying to be the new McDonalds to different people. The coffee at each will do the trick.

Cyrano

According to information we obtained at the Tea & Coffee Museum in Southwark, England now imports more coffee than tea. Most hotel rooms we have stayed in had a pot for making boiling water (for tea or instant coffee). If you want anything else in your room,you will need to provide for yourself. It would be a simple and inexpensive matter to purchase a filter press coffee maker in London, and save having to pack a pot and figure out the voltage. You then would use the boiling water from the hotel's pot to make filtered coffee quickly.

Karen

I agree with Kenny. Starbucks coffee is nothing special. Costa is MUCH better, their capaccinos are great. I love Pret's food, especially their desserts - I have never tasted a chocolate mousse as good as theirs, made with real chocolate its very very rich. <BR>In answer to the original question, I doubt very much you would find a coffee pot in any hotel room, I have yet to even see one in a US hotel room. Best thing to do is buy a small Cafetiere, you can pick one up for a few £'s, and buy some filter coffee - Whitards has a large selection. As long as the hotel has an electric kettle (very unlikely that it wont) you are all set!!! Although with all the coffee shops around you probably wont even need it! <BR> <BR>

Jeff

I like this string because it highlights the conflict between Elleyn's original post and the people that she was asking. An American who posts about coffee availability is, chances are, asking about the availability of an Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts type coffee fix. I do love going to London, but the tastes of the people are so foreign to Americans. My wife works for a London based company and watched her boss eat a pickles sandwich for breakfast, a something or other with butter on it for lunch with frosty beer. She explained to her boss that Americans, for the most part (the rule not a certainty), do not drink at all at lunch and, in many cases, can be fired for it. Even NYers differ from the rest of this country. NYers often prefer catsup or mustard on their food and no butter on anything but maybe their morning bagel or toast. <BR> <BR>The funny thing is that most people who read this will think that I am being insulting or promoting the NY way. I don't understand this and ask---&gt; why would I travel 7 hours across an ocean to visit a country which is similar to NY? This is why I don't like that coffee is catching on in London and Pret may be catching on in NY. I don't want a NY East (London) or a London West (NY). I will say that the most depressing thing I did see in London was McDonalds and Haggen Daz at Windsor Castle. Next we can have a take out window at the Vatican.

Sheila

To be clear following the last post, elleyn; you will get instant coffee in most hotel rooms. This is NOT what you think of as coffee. In Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen (maybe Stirling and Perth, but I don't think so) you will find Starbucks or Costa. Most sit down places will do decent filter coffee. But "to go"? Uh-uh!

Karen

Jeff, you are contradicting yourself. You say you dont want McDonalds etc everywhere when you come to London, yet where do you head for your coffee??? By the sounds of your earlier post I'd say Starbucks <BR>Also, if Pret is so unimpressive to Americans, why do I see so many posts from Americans praising Pret's sandwiches and desserts and recommending them to others?

Ryn

Oh, Pret is decent enough, and it's way better than MickyD's, for what that's worth. <BR> <BR>I've never had trouble ordering brewed coffee in a restaurant in the UK or Ireland. The quality of it varies widely. However, my coffee taste is <BR>pretty ordinary, I just want French <BR>roast; I don't care where it comes from. <BR> <BR>The British generally don't use electric drip coffeemakers in their homes. I've never seen one for sale in a store there, but perhaps I haven't looked hard enough. Most Britons use instant; but if they like good coffee, the machine of choice is a manual French press. This makes sense because they all own high-temp electric kettles to heat water for tea. (Don't mistake these for the "hot-pot" you had in your college dorm; these are efficient appliances that boil water quite quickly.) Most hotels will provide a kettle for your room, but the coffee that is provided will usually be instant. I'd say it would be wise to <BR>get a French press while you are there, if you prefer to make your own. <BR> <BR>In some hotels the dining room makes your coffee in a small press and brings the whole thing to your table; if they have these in the kitchen, perhaps they would let you keep one in your room for the duration of your stay. <BR>

Karen

Hi In addition to Ryn's comments.... We do have the electric drip coffee makers, for sale in any department store or home furnishings store. However, they are usually called Expresso/Capuccino makers, but they do the same sort of thing with the filters and everything. They aren't that common in British homes though - more common is what we call a Cafetiere, I think its the same as what you called a French press. Much better than instant coffee. At one time everyone used instant but now more people like the filter stuff. <BR>Of course at home tea is still the number one drink (I think I'm the only British person who cant stand tea!) and a fast boiling electric kettle is fairly standard. Boiling a kettle on the hob is still used by some but considered quite old fashioned.

Patrick

Great disappointment in London this summer. The last couple of years there I had gone every morning to a Pret a Manger for my coffee and a wonderful hot croissant stuffed with cheese and mushrooms and baked to a tasty golden mess. This summer I headed there the first morning to find that they have discontinued those tasty morsels. Too much trouble. I guess even Pret has decided to do whatever is easier, lasts longer, and is less exciting.

sand

hi i am just back and i had also posted is there coffee in london. OH MY GOSH- heres the scoop. there were 1-2 starbucks on every other block, also london coffee place called aroma all over the city and an italian coffee bar called cafe nero all over the place. my hotel had a cafe express in the lobby and viva coffee bar on a side entrance. then yes there are the pret a manger places everywhere, plus in certain neighborhoods, french coffee and pastry shops.