Christmas at Costa

Even though I absolutely love Christmas and the festive time of year, I hate getting into the Christmassy spirit too early. Its still November, and I don't let myself really think about Christmas until the beginning of December, but with the recent change in temperature and the end of term fast approaching I guess there's no harm in starting to feel a bit festive now. Especially if that means I can enjoy the Christmas specials in Costa.

I love Costa. I think their coffee is really nice, the food offerings are pretty good and it has a nice feel to it. There are a couple of stores on campus and I find myself there quite a lot, either meeting friends, grabbing a coffee to keep me going through the day or on a table in the corner doing some study.

On to the Christmas menu!

First, take a look at how cute this cup is! I love the Christmas cups from Costa. There are four designs; rudolph, snowman, elf and Santa. They are all so cute and you can also buy ceramic cups with these designs on.

I have to say I was a bit gutted Costa didn't bring back the Honeycomb Hot Chocolate from last year but the Black Forest Hot Chocolate has made a return which I am thrilled about.

Costa's hot chocolate is good anyway as its pretty thick and is chocolatey but not sickly. The Black Forest Hot Chocolate on the Christmas menu also has a shot of blackberry syrup and is topped with whipped cream, chocolate curls and some cherry sauce. I love the combination of chocolate and berries, and this tastes like a liquid black forest gateau. Very indulgent but perfect for a treat on a cold day.

I've had a sample of the Orange Hot Chocolate, which for a non-orange/chocolate fan was pretty good and I'll probably try a full sized version and I've also had the Brownie Hot Chocolate.

I asked for only a bit of whipped cream, hence why the picture above looks a bit lack lustre. I'm not sure I'd have this one again because I prefer other drinks at Costa but it was yummy and I definitely enjoyed it. It has a shot of walnut syrup which made it very brownie-like and it was topped with tiny pieces of brownie.

I probably sound like I spend all my time in Costa because I've had a couple more things from the Christmas menu. (Its true, I do go there a lot - goodbye student loan). Before a two hour lecture on Monday I popped in to get a coffee and I decided to go for the Praline Cappuccino, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I like my coffee very strong, so for me I couldn't taste coffee at all, but the praline syrup was a really nice flavour, and when it was topped with a gold dusting it really brightened up my day. (Sorry I don't have a photo)

On the food front, when I had lunch with a friend a couple of weeks ago I had the bacon, brie and cranberry panini which was very festive and so good.

I'm not huge on cheese but I like a bit of brie every now and again and I'm glad there wasn't too much in this panini. I haven't had any of the cakes but I've heard the gingerbread muffin is tasty.

On the whole a lovely, festive menu that will help to get anyone in the Christmas spirit!

Places in Norwich worth trying out

Everywhere we ate in Norwich was really nice. I don't know what it is and why there aren't more places that serve really good food in Cardiff but Norwich is obviously a place to go if you're a bit of a foodie.

Mustard

One day when we were looking for somewhere for lunch in the independent quarter we stumbled across Mustard. It was a simple little café that served sandwiches or jacket potatoes with old fashioned crockery that looked like it had been picked up at a car boot sale (in a good way). There was art for sale on the walls and there is a notebook on each table with pencils for customers to doodle or write in, and the owners will stick up their favourites in the café. It may not look particularly impressive but the café had a lovely homely feel and was perfect for a quick and tasty lunch.

I had a pot of tea and the ABC sandwich (avocado, bacon and chicken).

It was very reasonably priced and I really enjoyed my sandwich - the bacon was particularly good!

Roots

We were looking for somewhere to pop into one morning for a drink and a little bite to eat and decided to try out Roots. As it was such a sunny morning we sat out in the little courtyard, which was lovely and a great advantage Roots has compared with lots of other cafés with no outdoor seating.

They had a great selection of hot drinks and cakes. I plumped for a flat white (which was perfectly made) and a slice of orange and poppyseed cake.

It was one of the best cakes I've had in a very long time. It was pretty moist but it wasn't too gooey, and it was orangey without being overpowering. My mum had a slice of the Victoria Sandwich cake which was very nice too (I tried a bit). I think Roots are also open for lunch and dinner so if I ever venture back over to Norwich I would definitely check it out as I was so impressed with the coffee and cake I had there.

Grosvenor Fish Bar

These chips are without a doubt some of the best I have ever had. The ones photographed were sprinkled with some spicy salt. They were crispy, fluffy and very good value for money. There is nothing else to say about these chips other than if you are ever in Norwich, you NEED to go and get some of these.

A slice of tart and iced coffee in Snails - Rhiwbina, Cardiff

Last week I caught up with a friend in Snails in Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Although I live pretty close to Snails I rarely go there so it was nice going there for a bit of a change. The deli opened in 2006 and is a very popular location for a coffee or lunch in North Cardiff.

It was a very warm and humid day so a cold drink was definitely in order. They have a large selection of cans and bottled drinks on offer, as well as hot drinks and iced coffee. My friend chose a can of sparkling elderflower drink while I went for a caramel iced coffee. We sat in the little garden outside to make the most of the nice weather and it was a lovely little place to enjoy the sun for an hour with a few different pretty tables and chairs to sit on.

I can't say it was the best iced coffee I've had but it was nice and I would have it again next time I go to Snails. I think it was just a bit watery - I prefer iced coffee to be pretty milky. The caramel came through nicely though and it was a good choice for a warm day.

When we were ordering our drinks at the counter we were both a bit peckish and decided to share a piece of lemon tart. Lemon is my favourite flavour to enjoy in the summer and I absolutely love lemon tart.

This lemon tart was delicious. The pastry was light and crisp and the filling was smooth and had a beautiful balance of flavour, with it being very lemony yet sweet enough not to taste sharp. I've made a lemon tart before, a few of years ago now, and this has made me want to make one again soon. 

I recommend heading to Snails if you're looking for somewhere to go for coffee or lunch and make sure to sit outside in the garden (weather permitting) and sample some of the lemon tart if its there. You won't regret it!

Coffee#1 - Whitchurch, Cardiff

I've gone home for a few days to relax after the end of my exams and decided to catch up with some friends over a coffee. Luckily there's a few really nice local places that we can meet at and yesterday we decided to go to Coffee#1.

Coffee#1 first opened on Wood Street in Cardiff in 2001 and has since grown to have 40 stores across South Wales and the South West of England. They place great emphasis on the quality of their coffee and have a huge selection of other drinks and food. For me, the quality of food and drink on offer is the most important thing when I'm deciding where to go for a coffee. I'm not opposed to big chains (I'm a bit of a Costa addict) and I do enjoy visiting independent cafés or coffee shops that are individual to a particular area, but as long as they all provide great food and drink in a relaxed atmosphere, I'm happy. Its great to see a brand grow from my home town and enjoy so much success and I can see why it has caught the attention of so many coffee drinkers.

They opened a branch in my area of Cardiff in 2012 not long before I left to go to university. I haven't visited it very much but when I was there yesterday I really appreciated just how nice it is and I know I will return a lot over the summer. Its full of character with plenty of comfortable sofas and armchairs, its lovely and bright and is filled with lots of interesting bits and bobs. A lot of thought is clearly put into the design of the stores and it helps to create a really relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. The perfect place for a catch up with friends.

Every time I've been in the past I've really enjoyed the coffee and yesterday was no exception. I had a flat white (what I usually go for) and it was delicious. Perfect balance between coffee and milk, not too hot and really silky and smooth. Just a great cup of coffee!

My friends had a caramel latte and a strawberries and cream drink (I can't remember exactly what it was called), which they both enjoyed but one of them said the strawberries and cream drink was a little sickly and she was glad she only got the small.

If you're looking for a new coffee place to hang out in or to get a take away from then I highly recommend Coffee#1. Amazing coffee, friendly staff and a lovely atmosphere makes for the perfect place to spend an afternoon with friends.

Its not usually as quiet as the pictures show, we were there until it closed on a Sunday afternoon and I took the photos pretty close to closing time.