Leonidas

I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 because service isn’t so great. Service was rude young ladies who didn’t explain to a first time customer how you order and how you seat yourself. They made my cousin and I a bit uncomfortable. As for the atmosphere its a tiny little spot with little tables. Does come off as a french place. The crepes where pretty delicious i had the caramel apple I would of perfer cinnamon no caramel. My cousin had nutella and a egg sandwich which both where very delicious. THE EGG SANDWICH WAS VERY GOOD. Now this was overall the best part was the caramel machhiato amazing coffee I had A GREAT experience but I would suggest to have friendly host great you as you walk in and if its your first time they should ask and explain to you that you order here and they bring the food they where unwelcoming but the food n coffee will definitely bring me back for a second chance.

Everything that I have had is always great. The staff is very friendly. Crepes are fantastic and big enough to share but I prefer not to.

I’ve only had a latte from here but as far as coffee goes it was pretty good. I really liked the set up of it, it felt casual but with a vintage feel to it.

Delicious for a decadent breakfast or a midday treat. Their macaroons are wonderful and their coffee, lattes, cappuccino’s are great. Cozy and comfy, Leonidas is a great place to stop for a sweet treat when in Evanston.

Crepes, Quiche, omg — delish — the space can get a little smoky, so heads up. But watching the crepes being made is like watching art being made. This is not the place if you need to stay away from butter!!! or chocolates!!! The staff will get your order in and out and on to the next — so if you need your hand held while eating go to your mother house (lol!) I love it here, I love the people and the owner — It’s a lovely place to meet up or take your order to go and sit at the park just 2 blocks west. Bön appetit !

What a cozy and cute place! Great treats, drinks, and environment. Stopped by to grab a few crepes and a chai latte one night and … womp womp… they had already closed! So we ended up coming back the next day for brunch. Very pleased we did! The apple brie. YUM! I wish I lived in this great town. I would be a regular for sure!

My friend and I got some cupcakes thinking it was going to be a cakewalk. Cakewalk if you mean tumbleweed blowing on a hot summer day, it was. The atmosphere and friendly service however, made up for the terribly dry cupcake.

This place was a really nice midday treat for my wife and I. We stopped in and shared a few chocolates a coffee and a crêpe. Everything was delicious and the environment was really pleasing.
I especially enjoyed our latte and the crêpe was just the right texture– not too eggy and not too dry. Really looking forward to an excuse to stop in again!

Cozy ambiance, amazing service
This place is in my favorites list
Oh And their chocolate is so Mmmmm

Great service. Very European interior. We stopped for a coffee and some chocolates. Delightful experience.

This is a great addition to the Central Street Experience! Their Chocolates are wonderful and their macaroons are expensive but exceptional. The crepes really set them apart and both sweet and savory are such a great change from the usual lunch fare. Coffee drinks are well done and I have been told their sipping (hot) chocolate is really special. (not my thing personally) The only thing that was close to having them dip to 4 stars is that their front counter staff is constantly changing and seems to be young and perpetually someone is training. They still do a good job but can take a bit longer than I think it should in most cases.

Missed them when they left Wilmette, but their new space in Evanston is so much better. Nicer seating and flow. Everything is delicious, meticulously made, best quality. Belgian chocolate is simply the best. Try it!

Delicious veggie crepes! Cute Parisian café. Ricky prepared our crepes and was very helpful. Delicious fruit tartes and nice assortment of teas and coffee drinks. Would definitely go back!

Stopped in for the first time with a couple girlfriends who were visiting me from out of town over Labor Day Weekend. I’m a crêpe fan, and the savory crêpe I ordered was delicious! Ther server Rick made me a turkey, gruyère, spinach, and bechamel crêpe. It was so yummy! Thanks Rick for quick service and a smile! PS the lemonade he recommended was also very good, and I believe homemade.

My mom visited this week and requested a chocolate shop. I Googled it and found Leonidas in Evanston. We were already going to Evanston so this was kind of perfect. I didn’t know how perfect it was until we arrived.
The staff was fantastic. They were fantastic because they were clearly enthusiastic about the various pastries and chocolates, but also because they worked. I really appreciate the economy of movement embodied by the woman (so, I didn’t find out her name. She is a titan of industry) who made the coffee and cooked the crepes; it was was astonishing. When you have a minute to watch someone who disappears into their physical labor, the craft of creating something like a crêpe and a couple of café au laits, you are watching a thing of beauty: an industrious person exercising important skills on your behalf.
But that doesn’t explain the canelles. Holy goddam shit, these things are good. I had two and I could have easily eaten another 47 but I didn’t want to hulk out right there in the pastry section so I chilled out and popped a couple of incredible (increible) chocolates. But the canelles. Jesus.
I know how canelles were invented. I mean, I think I do. Look, one day some crazy Frenchman was baking muffins and poured one short and it cooked up with a thick crust with just a small portion in the very center that just barely made it to done. Just ever so slightly overcooked on the outside and just ever so slightly undercooked on the inside. And rum. There’s rum in there.
The canelles at Leonidas are perfect bites of confection perfection. I was. .. I almost. .. look, I’m a man, alright? I don’t swoon. .. but I was freaking close. I let my daughter have a tiny little bit and her eyes crossed and she farted out loud and reached for the rest and I slapped her in the face and shouted at her, «reculer, putain de côté nord!» which was surprising because I don’t speak French.
There’s an adorable factor at Leonidas that must be addressed because it is immutably adorable to the point where I began to wonder if I might actually be a lithe, nerdy, slightly attractive French girl from 1986. It turns out I’m not, but the feeling lingered and I was rude on three separate occasions through the rest of the day and the taste of the coffee kept calling to me, whispering to me, saying «you can rule on a par 5» which confused the hell out of me until I realized it was the spirit of Arnold Palmer, the namesake of the ice tea and lemonade drink I enjoyed after my coffee which was made with, apparently, with magic raspberries and the tears of unicorns because fuck me was that shit was on fleek.
Finally we managed to tear ourselves away from the ceaseless quaint of this marvelous establishment, our hands firmly on the door handles, when we noticed the two tiny leather easy chairs for children and just lost our mind at the sheer adorabafflement this place managed to maintain.
Go there. It is awesome.

Great food and wonderful service
I come here often and everything is outstanding. I love Hann and Lidia who work so hard behind the counter as well as serving the guests. People come from all over to eat here. It’s a little bit of France in Evanston. I am here 2 to 3 times a week.

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars, but on this one I am going to have to round down. Here’s the scoop according to moi…
Décor: Adorbs (I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use that annoying tween term). Seriously, it’s cute.
Service: Aloof. This is not is good thing in Evanston where everyone knows everyone and we are a darn friendly bunch. You shall be greeted dryly and will order with no suggestions from the owners. Suck it up. Once you are served with indifference, you will not be spoken to again. I hope you enjoy your order because they won’t ask you if you did.
Food/​drinks: Crepes are lovely and made right in front of you. They were reported to be pretty good (full disclosure, I didn’t eat one) and there are lots of sweet and savory options. Lattes and other drinks were good, not great. We tried four different drinks, so I’m being fair here. Just not great.
CHOCOLATES: That’s why you are reading this, right? Well, the chocolates might be considered great somewhere else (perchance Iowa?), but not in Evanston. You see, we have another chocolate shop in E-​town and it is fantastic. I really wanted to like Leonidas’ chocolates because the idea of sitting in a lovely café with a latte and a few chocolates is just… well, lovely. Too bad the chocolates don’t even come close to those at The Belgian Chocolatier on Main Street. Not even remotely in the same league.
Overall, not a place I would return. I’m big on customer service and quality of food. There are lots of better coffee shops in town and I’ll stick to the ‘to die for’ chocolates from The Belgian Chocolatier.

The inside is very comfortable but that is about as far as I can go with the pros of this review. The cons; the chocolates that I received, the inside filling was buttery/​stale tasting. The latte was just not right. No one cared if I liked my drink or not. In addition, the cup for my latte was dirty it had cake batter stuck on the outside of it, making my fingers sticky and dirty. I am being generous with 3 stars.

The best hot chocolate ever. Period.
I came here during my visit to Northwestern and the sweets here are delicious. We ordered a strawberry crêpe which was good but honestly the HOT CHOCOLATE.
I still have dreams about it and my stomach is crying because I live in California and there is no Leonidas here. The hot chocolate is a must. Creamy, Rich, and chocolate-​y without being too much, topped off with delicious whipped cream. Okay I have to leave this review at that because I am about to cry.

Leonida’s has been around since 1913 as they are known for their varieties in Belgian chocolates. This little café is located off of Central Street in Evanston, and my friend chose this spot to meet up to catch up while I was in town. The place itself is very cute and charming, and there were sofas and little patio tables throughout where you can sit and enjoy either crepes, sandwiches, salads, chocolates, and hot/​cold beverages. The staff were welcoming and friendly. My husband had an iced chai tea, while I had the seasonal Pumpkin Spice chai tea. My friend had a Grand Marnier crêpe with sliced bananas. She enjoyed her crêpe immensely, as there was a great amount of Marnier in there: P With a shot of espresso, she was content! My husband’s iced chai tea was a little weak with a lot of graininess; my Pumpkin Spice lacked any hint of pumpkin flavor or spices in general; it tasted like a frothy tea that was more on the weak side and watered down. I was a little disappointed with the drinks, but, I would love to come back and try out their chocolates!
+known for their Belgian chocolates
+friendly staff