When you need a quick caffeine fix while shopping or meeting friends, coffee shops are a convenient choice. While big-name brands all offer similar brews—from intense espresso to frothy cappuccino, flat white, or milky latte—some are much better than others, according to our tester.
The Taste Test Methodology
Coffee connoisseur Brian Dillon tried drinks from six high street chains to find the best tasting latte. To ensure fairness, he ordered the same drink from each: a latte with regular milk. The contenders included Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero, Pret A Manger, Greggs, and McDonald's. Each coffee was scored across three categories: smell (5 points), bitterness (5 points), and flavour (10 points), for a total out of 20.
Brian wrote in the Mirror: "Of course, it sometimes comes down to personal taste, but I can confidently say that some coffees were much more enjoyable than others." Here are the results in ascending order.
Greggs – Overall Score: 8/20
Price: £2.40 (regular)
Brian said: "Greggs does several things very well, such as its iconic sausage roll and other baked delights. However, it will not be a go-to for my coffee. It wasn't dire, but it certainly wasn't delightful either. The flavour was pretty weak, and it was bitter, while not having much of a rich coffee flavour to balance it out."
Smell: 2/5, Bitterness: 2/5, Flavour: 4/10
Starbucks – Overall Score: 9/20
Price: £4.50 (grande)
Brian said: "I had enjoyed a Starbucks latte in the past, but when I compared it to the others, it didn't come close to winning. Unfortunately, it was a bit on the watery side for me, missing that rich, smooth coffee flavour I look for. It tasted milkier than I would have liked, and it leaves a weak yet noticeable aftertaste that I was looking forward to getting rid of."
Smell: 2/5, Bitterness: 2/5, Flavour: 5/10
McDonald's – Overall Score: 11/20
Price: £1.99 (regular)
Brian said: "The McDonald's latte wasn't bad, but it could have been better, in my opinion. The main thing I noticed was that it was a bit on the bitter side, with a not-so-pleasant aftertaste. However, the taste of the coffee was better than that of Greggs and Starbucks, so I would go there over the previous two on the list."
Smell: 3/5, Bitterness: 2/5, Flavour: 6/10
Costa Coffee – Overall Score: 13/20
Price: £3.95 (regular)
Brian said: "The smell was very appealing, which is a great way to start the experience of drinking a coffee. The bitterness hits straight away, and it is a bit overpowering and takes a few sips to get used to. However, once you get past that initial bitterness, it actually is quite nice, but it leaves a lingering aftertaste which isn't overly pleasant."
Smell: 4/5, Bitterness: 2/5, Flavour: 7/10
Pret A Manger – Overall Score: 16/20
Price: £4.05 (regular)
Brian said: "This just misses out on the top spot, but I really enjoyed my latte from Pret. If it were my only option for coffee, I wouldn't be angry about it. It has a nice, rich flavour, a nice bitterness level, and a nice aftertaste that's not too strong. The flavour is just strong enough without being too much. Overall, I was pretty happy to be drinking this."
Smell: 3/5, Bitterness: 5/5, Flavour: 8/10
Caffè Nero – Overall Score: 18/20
Price: £3.95 (regular)
Brian said: "Caffè Nero is my winner. It had an almost-perfect bitterness level, with a lovely, inviting aroma before it even hit my lips. There is a nice smooth flavour that is strong but not overpowering. It makes for a nice slow sip and leaves a nice aftertaste. Whenever I hit the high street, I would hope to find a Caffè Nero over any of the other chains."
Smell: 5/5, Bitterness: 4/5, Flavour: 9/10
