Leonidas

Bought a groupon a while back, attempted to go there 3 times unsuccessfully. My question is why sell groupons (social shopper actually) when you cannot provide the customers with what they paid for? I was given a «come back at [this date]» during renovations and obviously I was asked to return another time way too many times to continue to try.
I paid for a coupon for 6 macarons and 2 lattes, but I received none of that + an expired coupon + lots of inconvenience instead.

Do not ever come here for waffles!
I was walking around Canada Place when I came across Leonidas. I searched online and they had some pretty good pictures of waffles, so I decided to give it a try. I choose the waffle with chocolate and strawberry, and wanted it to go. When I was ready to order, the staff that was working there were all really snobby, and basically ignored you until you waved them down. No manners or thank you.
It took them a good 20 – 25 minutes to make a waffle, to be honest. the girl kept looking at the recipe sheet therefore telling me that she was either new or did not know how to make them. It was frustrating because even when I mentioned that it was for take out 3 times, she still served it to me on a plate.
I was so disappointed with the quality of the waffle! I have never seen anything as bad as the waffle she made. The waffle was mushy, not cooked throughout, and raw. The chocolate was just thrown on top, and the strawberry had multiple black spots on them. I took one bite, and threw it out because It was not edible. I did bring it to the attention of the employee, but she said «this is how it is». I wanted to get her to taste it, and see if she could eat it but honestly it was not worth the $ 6.50. I already wasted 30 minutes of my life, to get a product like that. Did not want to waste any more time or energy trying to argue with her.
Like previous reviews have said before, the wait is long… I would not recommend this place for anyone. But if you had to, just go for ice cream.

We went there with a Groupon deal and was quite pleased with the experience. We had the waffles with ice cream, two of their frappes and chocolate covered strawberries. The best was the ice cream, the waffles were served warm but I found bits of granulated sugar in them which should have been blended well. I would highly recommend this place to grab a cold treat during the hot summer !

I had a socialshopper for 2 hot chocolate and 6 macarons.
Was it a good deal? Sure.
Could you have gotten a similiar deal in-​store without having to purchase a groupon? With the waffle deal yes, but not with the macarons.
Are you going to feel bad that you have a groupon deal? Yes, it’s quite apparent that they are not fond of these deals here.
The service was OK. It was a long wait (25 minutes) because there was only 1 person working. Overall, from my experience today and from the other reviews on here, it seems that they need general customer service training (how to speak with customers, handle a difficult situation, explain what’s going on, etc.). Unfortunately, since most restaurants/​shops don’t seem to have this eitheir, I’m just going to rate Leonidas as average for service, but I left a bit annoyed today.
Onto the food:
Macarons were actually good! I don’t even like macarons gave my friend most of them, but the coconut macarons were very good. They weren’t as chewy as I thought they’d be and the buttercream filling was quite tasty.
Hot chocolate was also very good — creamy, flavourful and tasted like it was melted chocolate. I personally don’t have hot chocolate that much because I find it too sweet, but I did like the flavour for this one to tolerate half a cup.
Would I come back? Yes, if I wanted macarons (but that’s very rare).
Would I come back if the service had been better? Yes, it seems to be a good spot to have a business coffee.
Try it out once if you like maracons and chocolate — if you aren’t a fanatic about eitheir, don’t bother.

I’ve never been to Belgian before but after having dessert at Leonidas, I definitely have to add a trip to Belgian to my bucket list!
The hot chocolate here is extremely decadent and and well priced. I would say that the quality is on par with what you can get at places such as Mink and Thierry, but they have specials that make their drinks very affordable. For example, they sometimes put out a board outside to advertise their $ 5 special, which includes a cup of hot chocolate (72% Dark is amazing) and a classic Liege Belgian waffle sprinkled with powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle.
They also have amazing gelato, which may not be as good as the freshly made gelato at Bella Gellateria, but still serves as a decent treat for when you’re not willing to wait in line for 25 minutes to spend $ 7 at Bella!
I’ve tried several of the chocolates here and they’re superb! They aren’t as meticulously made as Godiva’s chocolates and each one has their own flaws, but you can tell that they were made with expertise and they’re just as delicious as Godiva’s! The variety of chocolates here is staggering and it was extremely hard to just pick a few to try. My favourites were the champagne truffle and the tiramisu cup. As I mentioned before, these chocolates aren’t made to perfection like Godiva’s, but they taste very authentic (although I haven’t been to Belgian haha.) and fresh. I paid approximately $ 4.80 for 4 chocolates after tax, but before tip.
The only reason why I didn’t give them a ⁵⁄₅ is because I felt that their waffle was a bit bland and I honestly wouldn’t really want to order it again. I might be a bit spoiled though because I live so close to Damien’s waffles (they supply Café Medina with their waffle batter) but I feel like everything else at Leonidas was great! (Also, it isn’t very fair to rate Leonidas based on their waffles because 1) They do not have a legitimate kitchen and 2) They’re known for their amazing chocolate and not waffles!)
PS– It seems like their macarons are quite popular but I’m not sure if they’re any good or not.

Came here with a Social Shopper voucher. Service was decent, their regular hot chocolates were good (not as creamy as Blenz) but definitely made with good quality chocolate.
Very disappointed when we received our chocolate dipped strawberries to find out we only received two HALF pieces! The couple sitting next to us got two full strawberries and they had the same voucher deal as us. I figured it was because we showed up near closing time and they were running out so chopped them in half.

First off the positive things about this place is the location, and cute set up!
we went in with a groupon coupon. the chocolate dipped strawberries were no longer available and were replaced with chocolate dipped bananas or your choice of 2 chocolates. that was a bit disappointing ! sou had 2 different chocolates; one was really good with cranberries in it and the other was too rich for my personal taste!
the white hot chocolate I had was amazing! probably the best I have ever had!
despite how yummy the Belgian waffles look they were actually terrible! they tasted exactly the same as the ones you can purchase packaged at Costco! they weren’t even warmed up so they were kind if stale! I had banana and whip cream in mine which disguised the cheap taste if the waffle (thank goodness) .
overall I will probably not go out of my way to come here (with the exception of the white hot chocolate if I’m close by!)
I would probably rate this more accurately as. 2.5 stars.

I read quite a few bad reviews here and I don’t understand why. I’ve been here 4 times and I never had any bad experience. Maybe it all depends on who works there.
My first time was when I bought an online coupon for waffles + topping and hot chocolate for 2. That was amazing! The chocolate really hit the spot and the waffles are liege waffles, my fave! The lady working there was doing a great job trying to get customers to come inside. She could be or still is the owner at the time.
The other 2 times I visited Leonidas were for to-​go, I grabbed a few macarons for friends and family. The service was good also. I didn’t get to try the macarons so I can not comment on them.
The 4^th time was another online coupon for waffles + topping, hot chocolate and choco dipped strawberry for 2. Yummy! The guy working there greeted us right away. He was friendly even though he knew we had a coupon. We were not treated differently.
I recommend this place. It’s located in such a beautiful area, outside of the New Convention Centre.

Let me start by saying I *know* what Leonidas is supposed to be like. When I lived in the UK there was one in Harrods and they were my favourite chocolatiers there.
So naturally, when I saw a Living Social coupon for waffles, hot chocolate and chocolate dipped strawberries, I jumped at the opportunity to try this location out.
When we entered we weren’t greeted — both of the staff had their backs turned to us, presumably dealing with other customers. We stood there awkwardly for a little bit, and then one of the them said «I’ll be with you soon», almost as if we were bothering him.
We waited. And waited. And waited some more. 15 minutes passed, and in that time we decided to seat ourselves since we hadn’t been offered any seats.
Then from the counter, the guy says «I can take your order now».
So I got up, went over, and placed the order, showing him the coupon. He seemed begrudging about the whole thing– I later checked and they sold 568 of those coupons, so no wonder, but still, don’t take your poor marketing planning out on the customer.
We ordered our choice of hot chocolate, waffles, and 2 of the limited selection of toppings (we were told we couldn’t have the icecream, which meant it was a choice of fruit, nuts, chocolate sauce, or maple syrup and sat down. What arrived was one waffle each (no larger than about 3“x 3″, and it seemed to be the kind that you can buy packaged in the supermarket. Not freshly made, and not the best tasting. It was pretty chewy. It had some strawberries atop it (I ordered «fresh fruit») and the chocolate sauce. I was less than impressed.
The entire time, some horrid house music was playing that made me feel like I should have been holding glowsticks somewhere in Mykonos. It was so obnoxious that we both wanted to leave just for some peace and quiet. Changing that to some soft jazz would have made the world of difference.
What irked me even more is that they have a regular deal of 1 hot chocolate & 1 waffle for $ 6. so the «$ 24 value» I was getting with my coupon was in fact a $ 16 value for $ 12 (I saved the $ 4 that the 2 chocolate covered strawberries would have cost).
There are better places for waffles in town than this, with MUCH better service.
If you are shopping for chocolates, go for it, since you’re only there for a brief period of time you won’t notice the shoddy service.

I love these chocolates, these are the chocolates of the Gods. Made in Belgium, this Leonidas flies them in every few weeks so they are fresh. Sure, that doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly but this is north America and you people make terrible chocolate.
And the macarons! Wow. You need the black sesame one, if you want your life changed. DON’T YOU WANT YOUR LIFE CHANGED?
Lovely staff, bit of an odd location though. If they were on Robson, I’d be so happy. And fat. But still happy.

Based on gf’s pistachio macaroon review. She has tried pistachio macaroons everywhere and apparently these are the best with the best taste and not too sweet. The cream has ALOT of pistachio taste.
Think a close second would be a place at some US premium outlet /​montreal.
The price is also a steal. $ 2 a peice or 6 for $ 11. Pretty great.

I’m having a hard time rating this place between 3 and 4 stars.
The chocolate was amazing, the macaron was the best I’ve had albeit that it didn’t have the most accurate macaron texture. The service was really good, they had really nice promotions (free drink if you like their Facebook page, 10% off Unilocal check in offer, free goodies with certain purchases, etc). Thr bathroom was actually the nicest bathroom I’ve ever been in to the point that it was almost weird. I wanted to hang out in there.
The drinks were awful though, but I also think the employee was new. I’m absolutely going to go back to try it again as well as indulge in the leige waffle and gelato.
They have SO MANY pistachio things that I squirmed with excitement.

May very well catapulted to #2 of my favourite macarons – only reason why my beloved Thierry can’t be knocked off b/​c no one’s got that right chewiness or coffee flavour there.
Less sweet too, which is usually better. Bought sea salt caramel, hazelnut, espresso & chocolate; hazelnut the best one. A bit smaller & less height than Thierrys, yet not too moist & soggy as Thomas Haas, in my professional humble opinion.
But anyways, highly recommended just for the North Shore view when you’re leaving too ;) or to impress a date, you can still sit inside as they have cozy seating.
Another reason to visit our convention centre too, our billion dollar baby.
Only complaint would be the parking, as it’s not much, and premium rates too.

Open for just over a year now, this Leonidas Café based on the famous brand of chocolates straight from and synonymous with Belgium is both a locally run family business and an international transplant.
As part of the local hot chocolate festival, I tried three of their signature cocoa drinks: the hot passion (with white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake), Boho secret (72% dark chocolate, peppermint, tumeric, and honey), and popular frozen noisette (gianduja frapped into frozen yogurt and hazelnut).
I found the chocolate drinks quite refreshing and rich, but not too rich or decadent. I can imagine the Boho secret dark chocolate as a regular pick me up and walking around beverage. It’s easy to see how the frozen noisette is a big seller with its frothy, milkshake like texture full of dessert goodness. The passion was more girly (not that I don’t enjoy those too), smooth drink filled with a light, fruity, white chocolate flavour.
I enjoyed what Leonidas had to offer with its pure cocoa ingredients from Belgium and locally sourced treats. The drinks and snacks were of high quality and sweet taste, but not overly rich.

Out of all the hot chocolate competition entries I was really looking forward to this one. I specifically planned it on a day that would allow me calorie wise to consume with a decent post cardio work out, however, was disappointed.
I had the «RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE»: White chocolate with raspberry cheesecake ripple.
The reason why this was a disappointment was ’cause it was way too sweet. For someone like myself whom has a sweet tooth to make this statement means that this was a cavity assault in my books. In all fairness white chocolate is naturally over sweet, however, being experts in chocolate you would think that they would down play the over sweetness with milk or cream. They used real raspberry syrup which is a plus, however, the over sweet white chocolate washed a lot of the enjoyment and intention of this drink. It was so sweet that I actually had a stomach ache going home. I consume sugar like cocaine and this was way too much of an 80’s party than I could ever handle.
It’s extremely rich and calorie heavy. It was served with a metal straw which uncomfortably conducted the heat thus burning my tongue.
I saved half the following day and had to dilute it with 1 C regular milk and it was still overly sweet.
Cost was $ 9.10

My boyfriend took me here on a surprise date and had an awesome deal with a groupon. We had of course a box of macarons to take home but the deal was 2 hot chocolates, waffles and some chocolates.
There were 2 staff serving us. I was sort of doubtful when I saw the less experienced girl manhandle the macarons and broke a couple. Thankfully, the other staff stepped in and told her to take the broken macarons from the box and to handle it more gently.
We sat inside and enjoyed the desserts and hot chocolate. The taste was amazing but what was exceptional was the service. She checked in on us frequently and was so warm and friendly above and beyond the usual.
In regards to the macarons. The texture was okay. The flavour was not bad but not as distinct as I’ve had at other places but still would buy again if I find myself in the store or nearby.

I stopped in Leonidas with one of their Social Shopper deals for 2 hot chocolates, 2 chocolate covered strawberries, 2 waffles and 6 take home chocolates.
It was very hard to find, but I knew that before I went there and just enjoyed the walk around Canada Place until I found it. When we first arrived there was about 4 people in line and it was mayhem because this place is so small. It is confusing they have three different counter areas and no indication as to where you could be served. I stood back for a few until the place cleared out and within 2 minutes by some miracle it was completely empty, win!
I had a cappuccino which was great, the take home chocolates were also really good. You get to choose your chocolates and they all look good, it’s quite a task to only pick 6! The waffle was… not a waffle. It seemed like a stale 3 day old fritter in the shape of a waffle, you get two toppings, I had fruit and their Bailey’s ice cream which was amazing! I gobbled up the ice cream and pushed aside the waffle, not my thing. The chocolate strawberries seemed like the strawberries were old and it didn’t look like they were washed before being dipped.
The lady that helped us was really polite but it took a long time to actually get even our coffee, let alone our waffles and at the point we ordered until we left we were the only customers there.

I treated my friend out for a birthday chocolate and waffle feast with the Social Shopper coupon. It included hot chocolates (choice of super-​dark, dark, milk or white chocolate), Belgian waffles with choice of toppings, a choco-​covered strawberry, and some take-​home chocolates too. The shop is small (seats 12 cozily), smelled amazing (duh, like chocolate), and featured a fresh orchid blossom on each table.
The hot chocolate was hot, frothy and bittersweet — delicious, yet unlike the overly sweet, whipped cream topped concoction you usually get. My friend observed that they make it from real melted chocolate, not a powder or mix. The waffles are made ahead — you can see them in the display case — but are warmed up and can be topped with anything from ice cream to chocolate ganache to nuts. It looked small on the plate, but it was big in my tummy.
The best part was the take-​home chocolates. (In fact, I just ate one. I don’t remember what it was called, but it was milk chocolate that snapped apart when bitten to reveal a rich orange cream. Oh. Yeah.) The sweet staff reminded me to pick out my chocolates before I left, and then were really helpful in describing the different varieties. This is good traditional Belgian chocolate — no tricks with lavender/​chili pepper/​sea salt and whatnot here, just lots of pralines and ganaches, caramels and creams. Almost everything comes in dark, milk and white chocolate versions, and I’d say from my random sample, you really can’t go wrong. It’s chocolate!
Leonidas is handily located on the Coal Harbour seawalk for that all-​important post-​choco treat stroll.

I discovered Leonidas while walking along Coal Harbour with my mom. The place is quite small but the interior is nicely decorated. For service alone, I gvie them 5 stars! The people there are very kind, friendly and helpful. I also like the prices. I believe they are reasonable. I had their café mocha and the balance between the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitterness of the coffee was just right. The first day we went, we had a slice of their chocolate cake. It was rich, moist and not overly sweet.
I’ve been back there a few more times for the Hot Chocolate Festival. Their Tosca Hot Chocolate made with rum and dark chocolate ganache is perfect on a chilly winter day. Oh and their Frozen Hazelnut Hot chocolate is absolutely decadent! They serve it with white chocolate whipped cream with crispy, wafer-​like silver and gold balls sprinkled on top. What a treat!
Another Leonidas treat I like is their chocolate pearls. I love both the milk and dark ones. Cheaper than Godiva pearls and not as sweet either.
I’ve taken my friends and family there and the service and the food is always great. Definitely a good place to check out and hang out in when you’re in downtown.

With a nice view of Canada Place and the World Trade Centre, Leonidas makes its Canadian debut in Vancouver inside the Vancouver Convention Centre.
They offer a large variety of Belgian chocolates as well as dark and milk chocolate hot cocoas.
It is a small location so gets very busy very quickly but you can enjoy a seat outside. Due to the size, it can get quite loud.
All in all, nice way to begin or end the day. Cannot wait to try more of their chocolates.
Find them on Facebook at