Leonidas Chocolate Cafe

Rum ball chocolates! That’s where its at! Dark chocolate+ rum=perfection! I bought my Grandpa a hand picked box of chocolates from here for Father’s day a couple years back and my Granpda gobbled it all up within a couple of days! This place is definitely better than Godiva! For sure! I just wish I lived in Santa Monica again… wait, that’s probably a bad thing… but Leonidas’ chocolates are ANYTHING but a bad thing… its a good thing… a really REALLY good thing!

Way better than Godiva! The chocolate is amazing and worth trying if you’ve never had a taste of Leonidas. If you don’t intend on stuffing your face with these sweet treats, opt for a yummy hot chocolate which will hit the spot just right — especially with the bitter winter cold that strikes Santa Monica in the morning and evenings.

Went here yesterday and it appears this location has been bought by KC belgian chocolate company, though the signs and packaging haven’t been changed — just the chocolate, which seemed inferior. A damn shame.

Hello, my name is Megan, and I am a Chocoholic, and…
Belgian Chocolate, you make my heart sing!
Sure, you do get what you pay for (meaning that these chocolates are unbelievably expensive: over $ 30 a pound), but is more than worth it.
My ultimate favorite: Africa, a delectable truffle filled with dark chocolate ganache and a dark chocolate covering and chocolate sprinkles.
It is safe to say that the mid-​day shift on Sundays knows who I am. :)

oh leonidas café, you have finally opened your most anticipated store on the west side. i’ve been to the one in pasadena long ago, and i was absolutely head over heels over the leonidas + peets collab mocha, but was saddened to find out back then that the café was not available here. i’m so happy to see that it has finally arrived!
i’m super excited for two things:
— the mochas. what can go wrong with leonidas chocolate & peets espresso mixed together besides being addicted to it!!? you get a little chocolate with that too, by the way. the dark chocolate was sooo yummy T_​T there was also this mocha called the manon mocha. it had chocolate, espresso & hazelnut. sweet but delicious!
— i can finally have peet’s coffee near 3^rd street promenade. not only do they have mochas, there’s also their cup o joes and a few of their teas.
chocolate & coffee connoisseurs, we are SAVED!

This location is even better then the Pasadena location! BETTER customer service and bigger facility.
You can’t go wrong with Peet’s coffee. Their coffee makes sense!
Leoniidas serves Peet’s coffee! better then Peet’s coffee cafes, because most of the time they brew «Major Dickenson”~ (My favorite! bold and delicious!) but sometimes other Peet’s café switch as any other coffee franchises would.
Always, a piece of premium fine Belgium chocolate with your cup of coffee! which makes you want to buy more, which in my case I do.
They also have a Leoidas points card. You earn points every time you buy anything, yes even coffee. One dollar per points, at point 25, you get a free drink!

Simple unadulterated hot chocolate. No whip.
The rich flavor is entirely from the wonderful chocolate they use, not from excess cream or sugar. It tastes exactly like you’re drinking a bittersweet chocolate bar and has a lingering finish like a great wine. The orange and raspberry flavored hot chocolates are next on my list.

Every time i need a tiny piece of chocolate with coffee, then this is the place! They have fruit Marzipans, white chocolate with nuts like Desiree and other amazing chocolates with orange essence with a Truffle look.
They also have a pretty gift selection, so anytime you need to give your loved ones something sweet then this is it. But i do hope they bring in some couches and let people sit and enjoy the chocolate with some caffeine. Even if they don’t then i shall continue to run in take a bite and run out :)
–Smriti

This place works just fine for me when I am in Santa Monica.
It’s not as crowded as other Santa Monica cafes near the beach, and that makes this place that much more neat.
Leonidas has relatively fewer people, but it does NOT mean this place sucks. Some people just don’t know hidden gems!
They got great selections of chocolates and hot drinks. A little hint of chocolates in their coffees make things much more smooth.
One negative thing. They let homeless people use their bathroom. It’s a nice gesture and all, but do they have to let those guys in and out when I am sitting by the entrance while enjoying the view of people walking around? There is one star lost.

I have been going to Leonidas since Fall 2008, about as long as I have been working in Santa Monica. They have one of the finest and best chocolates I’ve had in the area! 4^th and Santa Monica is a great location because it’s close to the Santa Monica Public Library, Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica beach and pier is not too far, and there are so many shops and eateries and it’s great to walk around. It’s a good place to linger and hang out, but I noticed that most people just buy chocolates or drinks and they’re off on their way. I’ve liked sitting around and reading or inviting some friends for good conversation over chocolates and coffee/​hot chocolate.
I’m a regular, but let me tell you about my first time experience. My first chocolatier was really friendly and really explained the chocolates so well and that’s a definite plus if you know your product. He also likes a lot of the stuff I liked. In fact, a month after my first visit (my 2^nd visit) he remembered me and the chocolates I liked! I like how every chocolatier has their own favorites and I always ask for the chocolatier’s personal favourites because it shows you’ve tried the product and know a bit about it. I love how the chocolatiers are friendly and enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their products.
Technically a chocolatier is a person who makes chocolates, but I honestly don’t know what to call them. The chocolates are shipped from Belgium! I will always notice when they have a new piece and when they don’t have certain ones in stock… it’s scary how much I know them. I even have a rewards card (100,000 points gets you to Belgium! Maybe at this rate I’ll be going by the time I’m 1000 years old?!).
It is useful to name or recommend particular pieces or describe them in full detail. It depends on your preferences. I’ve tried a large majority of their entire line of chocolates in the display case (I have not tried much of the prepackaged stuff). I’ll say you do get lots of options: perles «truffles»; butter creams; creams; caramel; ganaches; (cream and pure) liquors; pralinés; solids; fruits; marzipan; and sugar-​free. I enjoy both milk and dark chocolates. However, chocolate lovers will hate me for saying that I also like white «chocolate» and I’m fully aware that it is not technically a chocolate because it lacks cocoa solids from chocolate liquor.
My personal and general favourite chocolates are the praliné (aka Belgium chocolates), which is basically chocolate mixed with ground-​up (to a powder of) sugar and nuts – typically almonds and hazelnuts (the latter here). I am partial to hazelnuts, so that’s a good reason why I enjoy Leonidas. Pralinés are not to be confused with pralines understood in the US as caramelized nuts – almonds or more commonly pecans, especially in the South – and often mixed with milk cream (think about pecan pralines, another dessert I enjoy).
My least favourite ones are the chocolate butter creams and the creams (just so you know I don’t like EVERY piece of chocolate at the store!).
Chocolates are paid for by weight, so it’s roughly at least a dollar a piece. It’s definitely worth it because these are fine chocolates. Do what I do: eliminate «cheap chocolates» and only buy fine chocolates once in a while! n addition to the chocolates, they do have hot and cold drinks; coffee (Peet’s for the past few months) or hot chocolate (Leonidas). You typically get a piece of chocolate – Napolitain. They have some pastries. They now serve ice cream, but there isn’t anything special about it (Dreyer’s). At one point they had Belgium waffles, and I don’t care too much for those to be honest. I have never bought chocolate in bulk or in large boxes as gifts, but I know it would make me happy if I got it. Today I tried their peppermint hot chocolate (you can get it as a mocha instead), which was good and it’s just featured for the holiday/​winter season, and it was awesome!
I give this establishment 5 out of 5 Stars. These are fine chocolates and worth spending. It’s a good place to linger around or hang out by yourself or with friends. It definitely makes good gifts. The services from the chocolatiers is excellent. They keep me coming back!

Located right next to 3^rd Street Promenade, Leonidas Chocolate Café seems to specialize in boxed chocolates and hot drinks (chocolate and coffee). The place is pretty big for a chocolate store, and you can even find a few places to sit. In terms of the hot chocolate (I went with their most basic one), I was kind of disappointed with it. It was okay, but it was not at the level of quality I was expecting. The best part of the hot chocolate was the little piece of chocolate they served with it.
In terms of the boxed chocolates, Leonidas’ selection is very limited – focusing mainly on ganaches and rich, dense creams. They do offer some truffles as well. Their selection of nuts and chews was almost nonexistent. 8 pieces run about $ 10, which is cheaper than Godiva (though Leonidas’ pieces are smaller). An 8 piece box is unbelievably small (so it would make a good add-​on to a gift but not as a stand-​alone gift).
In terms of flavor, the chocolate is good (though very rich). A lot of the different flavors seemed to be very similar though (almost liked they use the same cream center over and over, and then only slightly altered it with other ingredients). The nuts in their chocolates (though sparse) were very fresh.
Overall, Leonidas was okay. I would come back and give the different varieties of hot drinks another shot. However, I doubt I will be back for the chocolates.

Only came here for the chocolate — very high quality Belgian chocolate with the price tag to boot. I got a quarter lb box (with 6 chocolates) and was happy with the texture and flavors of all of them. Definitely a stop for me when my sweet tooth calls to me in Santa Monica.

Leonidas makes the best mocha and hot chocolate that I have ever had. On a cool day, they are perfect. Pair it with one of their sweets, and the day could not get better.

This place has excellent Mexican Hot Chocolate, too-​cute tiramisu bites, and really great holiday-​themed hot drinks (like pumpkin lattes, mmmm).
I have been here quite a few times, and except for the perma-​bums that hang out by the bathroom, it has great ambience, friendly workers, and great sweets.
An excellent way to treat yourself after a hard day of shopping on 3^rd Street.

I drink my coffee black… Mon-​Fri. However, on weekends I sometimes like a little sweet treat coffee. That’s when I turn to icy blended, milky, caramelly, chocolate drinks.
I treated myself to a Mocha Latte at Leonidas ’cause they’re a chocolatier soooo, coffee+chocolate=delicious! Plus, I get a sample square of chocolate with my order – bonus!

Testing the facebook app…
There is now $ 1 coffee (iced or hot). It’s actually pretty good considering that I am a Starbacks fanatic. Oh, and they give you a mini chocolate with every coffee order (the cinnamon one is the best).

I have no idea why I totally forgot about Leonidas… I guess I just assumed everyone was already in the know about how wonderful it is!
I come here for the classic Leonidas mocha. It’s absolutely delicious — a very close 2^nd to Intelligentsia’s! The mochas are available in nonfat milk — yay! and are already premade with their delectable concoction of Belgian chocolate. Plus, all hot drinks come with one of their square little chocolates (which I think normally cost $ 1)?
The guys who work the night shift are super!!! Twice we’ve scored… once, we commented on their gorgeous, gimongous chocolate covered strawberries and he just gave us 2 FREE !!! Then, another time, we got a few chocolates to tryy for FREE as well! What amazing customer service… I guess they figure, be friendly, let us try it, we’ll fall in love, and keep coming back. which is exacttly what we do!!!

Leonidas is my favorite! Way better than Godiva, Neuhaus, Teuscher, and any other top line of chocolate I’ve tasted. I love dark chocolate, and so does my sister so we are extra picky when it comes to chocolate. The chocolate cannot taste waxy, and it has to have a sharp bitterness to it. My favorite is the Alexander, a smooth melty caramel in the middle of a dark chocolate. My sister goes there almost once a week, thank god I don’t live close to one like she does. I heard that they are opening one up in the Century City mall. If you are a chocolate eater, you’ll notice the difference between these and the others.

I think when I was going through my burdick’s withdrawal, I did a search online and came to find Leonidas. I remember driving all the way to Leonidas to buy some chocolates for a dork I was dating at that time. The dork didn’t last but my love for the Belgian chocolates and the hot chocolate was set in stone by this time. I try to make it out there when I’m hanging out at the promenade, and it’s close to hooters so if you don’t mind mixing chicken with chocolate, Mmmm… it’s a perfect finale for any day.
but best for rainy days.

My friend and I came here after eating at the SM Promenade. We came in for coffee but ended up getting some scrumtrilescent sweets. It was near closing time, but the staff actually gave us some truffle samples. Simply delicious.
I’m not a chocolate expert, but I know the difference between Hersey’s/Cadbury and Lindt/​Sharffenberger. This chocolate is the shizzle. A gustatory extravaganza. If they weren’t closing I’d have bought a pound. But I spent too much time drooling on the display windows.