COSTA COFFEE IN THE PHILIPPINES: COFFEE GOES #COSTALONDONSTYLE

        My niece Cara just came from a tour of several countries in Europe just a few weeks ago, and she happily shared photos of her trip to the rest of the family through our family chat group. And one of the things I remember her telling us was how she enjoyed hanging out with her friends at a famous coffee shop in London called Costa Coffee. Apparently, it’s London’s number 1 coffee chain. And then imagine my surprise just a few days ago when I heard that London’s top coffee shop is already opening here in the Philippines!

        Costa Coffee is the leading coffee shop in London that has gone global with over 3,000 Costa stores around the world. It’s their famous unique blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans that keeps customers coming back. They're called Mocha Italia, which has that smooth, round rich taste.

        As we first walked in during the launch, we immediately fell in love with the place. It's got a very homey feel that makes you think it's a Sunday even if it's still mid-week. It's very cozy and not intimidating.

        The brick wall touches reminded us of Central Perk, the coffee shop in our favorite TV sitcom Friends. (And here's a little trivia: The bricks are made from volcano ashes. Yes, Philippine-made!)

        Then there's the England flag designed couch which really did the trick in making you feel you're in England, and quite frankly would make you want to speak in an English accent. Costa Coffee's the bee's knees!

        Plus the red phone booth outside really gave it a nice London touch! All that's missing is Big Ben!

        Moving on to the drinks, we noticed how less complicated their coffee menu looked, which is good news for people who just want a simple hot (or cold in our case) cup of coffee.

        Their best seller coffee is the Costa Flat White. Extracted shot of Cortissimo coffee is smothered in a thin layer of milk bubbles which are carefully poured to form a florette design. Rina really liked it because it's the right taste that she wants. Bitter but with a hint of sweetness. That's the beauty of the Mocha Italia blend.

        Remember that all Costa Coffee drinks are handcrafted, so if you wish to customize your drink, make it sweeter by adding extra chocolate cream, or drizzle it in caramel sauce, add an extra shot, or what have yous, you can definitely do so!

        Rina recently developed the love for iced coffee. So besides the Costa Flat, we also ordered an Ice Shaken Latte. And Rina loved it because of the consistency of coldness. Because they have this machine that shakes drinks, it's cold from top to bottom of the cup.

        Later on, Rina ordered another cup, this time going for the Ice Shaken Flat White. And she says this might be her favorite iced coffee drink now.

        And because the Philippines has a tropical climate, they made sure they also made delicious ice blended drinks, particularly the line they call, Frostino. We tried the Double Chocolate Cookie Mocha and the Strawberry Pavlova and oh my gosh it was good! I personally loved the Strawberry Pavlova, and I think our little Rain will love it too! It's definitely not too sweet like other ice blended drinks in other coffee shops.  If you like dark chocolate, you will also like the Double Chocolate Cookie Mocha!

        Now on to the food! As soon as you step in, you definitely will notice the glorious food on display right away! They've got cookies, beautiful cakes, sandwiches,and pastries.

        Of course my eyes immediately focused on the BBQ Pork Loin in Ham and Cheese Panini. I couldn’t help it. It was calling out to me!

        Everyone was also raving about the Melted Swiss Cheese with Mushroom in Flatbread. Rina’s going to try that the next time we go.

        Another thing that you must order when you go is the Butter Croissant! It’s really imported from France. And I have to say that it’s one of, if not, the best croissant I have ever had. It’s freshly baked, very flaky, light, yet buttery just the way I like it! I usually smother stuff with butter but this one needs no further smothering, You can really taste the butter! It was absolutely delicious! Love chocolate? You can also order their Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant!

        They also have Chocolate Twist and Raspberry Twist! It's all gloriously displayed by the counter and the smell of these freshly-baked croissants really attracted us like a moth to a flame.

        Oh, and you HAVE TO try their delicious cookies!!! Chewy and really delicious! One of the best I've tried as well! Seriously! We tried their Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (P70), which is Rina's fave, there's also the Belgian Chocolate Chip Cookie (P70), my favorite, and there's also the Salted Caramel Chip (P70).

Their other recommended treats are the Mocha Italia Chocolate Cake (P150)

and the scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake (P85)

and Mango Mousse, which was specifically made for Costa Coffee Philippines.

        The Eastwood branch will not be the only branch of Costa Coffee in the Philippines. In fact, they will very soon be opening a branch in Robinson's Ermita, Tera Towers, Bonifacio Global City, and Robinsons Antipolo all within this year!

        Congratulations to the Costa Coffee team and thank you for bringing in a piece of London here in the Philippines

FREE COFFEE!

        You can get a cup of coffee for FREE during their opening on June 29 (TOMORROW!) when you go to Costa Coffee and order with a British accent! Seriously! I think it’s a fun promotion! So brush up on your British accent so you can try your first Costa Coffee cup for FREE and go #LondonStyle ! The promo will run from 2-4PM on opening day.

Need tips on how to speak with a British accent? ...

Chandler has got you covered! ;-)

But if you want to win FREE Costa coffee for A YEAR, you can! By being one of the first 10 in line when they open up tomorrow!

Or you can also join this Instagram contest to win a Costa Coffee goodie bag!

Follow Costa Coffee Philippines on their social media to get more updates!:
Facebook: Costa Coffee Philippines
Instagram: @costacoffeeph
Twitter: @costacoffeeph