My new favourite restaurant is Wagamamas. If you haven’t been there before then you’re definitely missing out! This article is about why I like it so much, to help you decide whether you want to give it a go.

1. Atmosphere

Unlike other restaurants, in Wagamamas everyone sits on long tables, not necessarily split into individual groups. I thought this might be a bit awkward to start with, but it’s not, as the loud atmosphere of the place doesn’t allow it to be.

2. The Food

If you’re bored of burgers, pizzas and other common restaurant foods, then eating from Wagamamas can be a big relief. I recommend the soups or the rice, chicken and sauces, but there are plenty of other options to go for. One thing to be aware of is that the food comes as it is cooked, so not necessarily at the same time as everyone else’s. This adds to the atmosphere, but might be a bit awkward if you’re going as a couple rather than a large group.

3. The price

Wagamamas isn’t the cheapest restaurant around, but it is reasonably priced. If you don’t want to spend a huge amount of money on a good meal, then this is the place to go. The downside is that the drinks are very small, although you can ask for a jug of tap water to keep you going if you want to keep the cost down to the minimum. the tiger beer is very good if you want something alcoholic.

Again, if you haven’t tried Wagamamas then give it a go! It’s different from most restaurants out there, but this isn’t a bad thing.

If you’re in town, how do you decide whether to go to Starbucks or Costa coffee? I like them both, but I prefer Starbucks (most of the time) and here’s why. It would be great to hear what you think, so do you agree with me? Do you prefer Costa? Or do you go someone completely different for your coffee, like Esquires?

For a start Starbucks coffee’s and hot chocolates seem to be a lot nicer than Costa’s, and they are around the main price. This might just be a matter of personal taste, because I know some people who prefer a Costa Coffee. The drinks are the main reason for going to them in the first place, so this is a big reason.

I also think that Starbucks have a much nicer range of foods than Costa. The classic donut, for example, is a better tasting cake than anything Costa provides. I also enjoy the Panini’s when I need something more substantial. Costa Panini’s are good as well though, but Starbucks wins here too.

Recently, Starbucks started offering free WiFi in some of their shops. You have to sign up for a Starbucks card and put £5 on it (this can then be spent at the store, so it doesn’t really cost you anything), and you also have to sign up to BT Open internet through the Starbucks website. Once you’ve completed this process, you can then use WiFi in any stores that support it. If you use Starbucks as a place to work sometimes, then this is a major bonus because it means no more messing with mobile broadband.

Don’t get me wrong though, I still enjoy Costa coffee and will visit sometimes. If I have a choice though, it’s nearly always Starbucks that wins. Esquire and other coffee places don’t seem to come close to either option – except for the occasional locally run coffee shop, although these are rare now.

I’ve heard lots of people complain about the new self service checkouts at supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, but personally I love them. They make shopping much quicker and easier, which is what we all want. they have their problems, but I think the system has already improved since it was first introduced (maybe just because I’ve got more used to using the system).

Yes, self service checkouts are a great way for the supermarkets to save money, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If used properly, the checkouts can make the whole shopping process quicker, but they can be very frustrating at times. For example, they are really only useful if you have a small shop because of the tiny baggage area that all the items have to be placed. If you’ve been on a big shop then it’s probably best not to use a self service checkout. For small shops though they really speed things up.

A confusing thing about the checkouts is that you have to put everything onto the scales. If you don’t have everything on the scales, then the computer will put up an error and you’ll need to be helped by an assistant. From my experience, the assistants are well trained and will deal with any problems quickly, so this isn’t usually a major concern. It can be annoying that you have to get permission to buy things like paracetomol, but that’s an unavoidable side effect of not being served by a real person.

Overall, I think the self service checkouts are a great idea and work really well once you get the hand of them. They do take a bit of getting used to(my parents still aren’t able to use them properly, even though all the instructions are clearly displayed on the screen), but after a few times they become second nature. If you have a small shop, make sure you try them out if you haven’t already. You’ll be surprised at how convenient they can be.