O perfil de hgibson

This is a great Starbucks - they have a really nice shelf of gifts and presents beside the counter (marketing, I know, but it still keeps you occupied while you wait for your drinks). Last christmas I was looking for the ginger coffee syrup and they had none on the shelf, so the girl looked in the store room, then went upstairs and looked in another store room - she eventually came downstairs with two boxes which she opened and one of them was right - most stores just say they have run out but i thought the service was good there. Also, this is right in the centre of town and is a great meeting place, either intentionally or accidentally - a very social shop, unlike some starbucks which are full of business people who don’t talk.
Downside - the road works outside which have been going on for months - this is a pain.
On the whole, a good branch in my opinion.

This is a great airport - the shops are a decent size and there is a good variety - not just sock shop, but mini jenners products for sale, accessorise, dorothy perkins…good for female shoppers at least. They have changed the layout a bit recently but all for good reasons. Allow enough time to get yourself through security.
The location is good because the bus leaves frequently from Buchannan Bus Station in the city - handy for getting to the rest of scotland.
Staff are pretty good at getting the queues of people through security - good steady flow.

This cinema is in the middle of a big entertainment park with restaurants and clubs open late, so plenty to do. The cinema itself is always busy, but the queues are really long, so you need to allow time before your show starts. The range of films shown is really good, and new films are shown immediately. A good cinema from that point of view, however the price is a bit frustrating. Occasionally there are offers in local newspapers so it is worth watching out for them as it can make the price more reasonable.
The large range of sweets for sale is good, although again, the prices are steep, they are in all vue cinemas. A good evening out though.

The West Port has recently been refurbished and is another take on the modernist, minimalist style which is taking over St Andrews. It is clean and fresh inside, with classy tables and art work around the walls. The bar is well stocked and looks attractive and well set out. The West Port food is the real draw however, particularly their lunch menu which is reasonably priced. The home made chips at the West Port are a meal in themselves and are really delicious. Soup and sandwiches are well done and really the menu has a great range. The pub gets full quite often but is a trendy and popular place to spend an evening.

It is hard to describe how good the ice cream is at Jannetta’s - the range of flavours is incredible and the creamy texture is second to none. Jannetta’s is only a short walk from the pier and East Sands beach, so on a sunny day, your ice cream hasn’t melted before you are looking at the sea - perfect!
Jannetta’s has a take out shopwhere you can buy ice cream and sweets, but it also has a cafe next door with designer ice cream sundaes. Good selection of hot and cold food, particularly sandwiches, and desserts and cakes are also available, but what makes this place unqiue is definately their ice creams. Worth the walk down south street!

The Vic is popular for loads of different reasons - the cooked breakfast is great for a saturday morning treat, lunches are tasty and a good price, and in the evening the place fills up with locals as well as students. The bars have been done up a few years ago, and the new sofas add a really relaxed feel. The Vic is busiest on a Tuesday night (booseday Tuesday) when spirits and mixers are £1 each - this tends to be really manic, and you have to queue to get in at certain points. Despite the binge drinkers, this pub is an old favourite and offers a range of tasty things to keep people coming. Also, location is great as it is one of the first places you come to as you walk through the town!

This is one of the friendliest branches I have been to. The queues are not usually too long, and the staff are quick to notice when the queue is building up and open more booths. They frequently have competitions in the branch and are keen to monitor their service. The staff themselves will help with any and all enquiries. I listened as a student asked for a red RBS pig keyring as their’s had broken and the cashier actually phoned another branch that her husband worked at in Cupar to bring one home for her to bring to work the next day - thats customer service!! RBS is well organised and offer good rates, but the effect of the local branch is always more persuasive than flashy tv ads.

For a metro, this is a good tesco - good range of fresh fruit and veg, bakery and meat. Late night opening in the last few years means late night bargains which need to be sold before the close of business. The draw back of this store is it’s popularity - for students and locals who cannot get out to Morrisons, it is the only option in the town, but this means the queues are outrageous! Sometimes it takes half an hour to get to the top of the queue at lunch time or in the afternoon. The self service tils are a good idea, but they need to be monitored closely as they often come up with an error message which needs to be checked by the staff, so it can hold up the queue even more. This is a great store, but not realistic in its capabilities.

Open a few years now, Beanscene is hugely popular. They have comfy sofas as well as tables and benches. The selection of food is good although limited to cafe snacks and hot sandwiches. Chocolate buns and cake slices are delicious, and the hot drinks are as good as anywhere else. The big draw of this cafe is the late opening and the live music. Beanscene is really trendy as you can enjoy the evening there rather than be in a busy pub and pay a corkage to bring your own wine and beer. THis place is a great addition to St Andrews.

This restaurant is owned by the same people as the Grill House and the Glass House, so you get the well established feel but also each restaurant is unique and offers a different experience. The Dolls House is definately more upmarket than the Grill House, as the food is more delicate and definately more expensive. The menu isn’t as exciting as you would hope for the price, but they do some really great desserts. The Dolls House also offer a loyalty card so despite the prices, there are some good deals to be had if you are a good customer. I had the steak last time I was there and was a little disappointed with the meat itself as well as with the sides - very few veg or potatoes - really just a steak with sauce. I expected more.