Leonidas

Leonidas is a small café in Financial District.
Go up the stairs and to the back for coffee and tea. I’ve come here at least five times for tea. I like the peach black tea. The best thing about this place is you get a free chocolate (usually choose from milk, dark or white chocolate) with a purchase of coffee/​tea. The chocolate is delicious and the perfect treat with your drink.

The hot chocolate is the best you will ever have. The staff up at the Manon Café are so pleasant and helpful. This is the ultimate sweet tooth cure. Check it out if you are in lower NYC.

If your craving a sweet tooth this place is go especially if you love chocolate everything was presented very well when we ordered (two hot chocolates and two granola bars)
If your looking for top quality chocolate this is it but expect to fork over $

These chocolates are anything but Spartan…
I used to stroll down the cobbled Strutton Ground in London for a secret post-​lunch fix at our office’s nearest chocolatier. The Beglian Leonidas does lovely chocolate, but the stores never quite match up. They feel a little rough around the edges, and a little more thought given to the ambiance, the merchandising and the décor would elevate the experience to that of the chocolate’s quality. Needless to say, my chocolates have always been ‘to go’. Onto the chocolate…
for more chocolate insights…
Dark chocolate truffle. The dusty dome with a thin crisp shell and delicately light whipped centre was joyful but didn’t taste particularly dark. It would make a great after-​dinner truffle when you can’t quite face dessert!
Noir de Noir ganache. The winner. Fruity. Tasty. The thicker dark choc casing wasn’t super-​smooth or very finely tempered but was still very satisfyingly brittle and the flavor sticks around.
Apparently the chocolates are flown in from Europe weekly so my food miles guilt will prevent me buying any more in the US. But they were nice while they lasted (which wasn’t long…)

First experience came from my trip to Belgium! Best chocolate for sure!
It is rich and delicious and represents true quality out of all the chocolates found in the world! When you think high-​end chocolate think about getting yourself some amazing Belgian Leonidas chocolate!

If you work in Lower Manhattan near the ferry to Staten Island, this is your go-​to better quality chocolate place. You will never buy Godiva again, after tasting Leonidas. On par with La Maison Du Chocolat
Place is small, so if you need help selecting chocolates, do not go at lunch hour. Wall Street very crowded. They also have pre-​packed boxes for easy-​in and easy-​out office gifts.

I love their frappes. The chocolates are alright. I usually just go to the café upstairs and grab a frappé or hot chocolate. The hazelnut flavor hot chocolate is yummy. The Mocha, Chocolate Menthe or even Salted caramel frappes are all good. It is pricey at $ 5.50 per frappé and $ 3.75 for small hot chocolate. But nice to indulge occasionally.

DO NOT GO HERE DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK. I stopped in for the first time to buy a box of chocolates for my mother. There were three people in front of me so I had to wait 15 minutes. Fine. I don’t mind waiting. Then another customer walks into the store and stands closer to the register. Upon it being my turn to be help, that customer walks to the register and attempts to by a prepacked box of chocolates. I then state that I was next. Both the customer and the cashier ignored me. I’ve never had chocolate from here but I can’t imagine that its worth the wait. Should have walked the 6 minutes to Godvia and gotten 1) my free chocolate of the month and 2) actual service.

The chocolates were wonderful. I didn’t purchase the box set. Instead, the lady behind the counter weighed the chocolates and surprisingly for 4 pieces I paid $ 5.03. I was expecting the price to be higher.
I purchased the chocolate noir, the truffle de champagne, mahina, and bergamote caramel. They were good chocolates because they weren’t too sweet. My favorite had to be the bergamote caramel because the flavor of bergamote was actually present and didn’t clash with the flavor of the caramel and chocolate.

This is another chocolate neighborhood to complement Midtown and with comparable prices. This particular Leonidas staffs some friendly folks and is attached to Manon Café up some stairs. Brace yourself and pony up for some solid sweets.

3.5 stars since I only got an iced coffee — I’d have to try more from their menu. But aforementioned iced coffee was surprisingly good, and I don’t even drink coffee! Cute place with very limited seating, best to sit on the benches outside on a nice day. Also free chocolate. I really should give this place a solid 4 stars just out of free chocolate alone (and it was good, rich dark chocolate too), but alas I’ll struggle to be impartial. But really, free chocolate. Mmm.

Was in the neighborhood to visit friends and got dragged here for hot chocolate. We both had Thursday off so had time to drop in (they close before we usually get off work). Hardly a fan of hot/​sweet drinks but the hot chocolate at Leonida’s is an exception. The small size is just right (any more would have been diabetic) and every sip had a deep, long lasting milk chocolate kick to it. Very pleasant after taste too.
Not one of those things you should have often. A good, occasional pick me up for sure.

I’ve only ever had the iced coffee here, but I’m a huge fan. Even though the café itself seems to be a little on the pricey side, the iced coffee is reasonably priced ($ 4 for a ~20 ounces) and DELICIOUS! They have illy signs around so that might be it, but whatever it is, I’m hooked.
There is a little bit of seating, making it a great place to actually sit and sip for a few minutes before beginning your hectic day.
Added bonus, I will never be able to match the completely unexpected but completely welcome surprise of the first time I had a chocolate handed to me because… «it comes with your coffee!»

If only for the memories of my time spent in Bruxelles, this place gets 5 stars. The chocolate may be the best you can get in this city.

Such a shame.
Tis such a shame.
Leonidas is actually my fav chocolatier. I like it more than Goldiva, Lindt, Max Brenners etc etc. Since I can’t afford LMDC or Jacques Torres on a crave-​and-​buy basis, Leonidas is really my chocolate lifeline, as well as a special sign of affection from me to people whom I deem important in my life.
That said, the service here is incomparable to other chocolatiers. While I don’t expect men with white gloves to ceremoniously place bits of shuukulatt (wow that sounds sexy) into a testosterone-​shredding cute plastic pocket and finishing it with pink ribbons and a seal sticker, I wanted some sort of extra care here and there for a brand of this tier. The general dullness and lack of enthusiasm of its staff really takes away from the experience of being a kiddy in a chocoshop. Also when I asked what the difference between two choco boxes were, I was met with «they’re about the same.» I stared in awkward silence, prompting more words out of his mouth. None came.
I don’t have the heart to reduce this to a 2 star since its Leonidas. Its chocolate is the real deal and the shop looks like my childhood dream. But alas… its a shame.

When I was a kid and my dad was flying internationally a lot, every time he’d go to Brussels, he’d bring home The Most Amazing Chocolates. So, I came to associate Belgium with the world’s best chocolate. When I eventually got to Brussels to visit I discovered that not every chocolatier in Belgium has The World’s Best Chocolate, but the ones that do, they really do. Leonidas is one of those.
The chocolates are sold by weight. Usually when that is the case I have no idea what I’m going to be in for, price-​wise. I got 6 chocolates for just under 7 bucks, including tax. Now that, my friends, is what I’d call a good deal.
Even though I’m more of a dark chocolate fan myself, I had to try the Earl Grey one since that’s my favorite tea. It was really yummy. And the other one I had was the salted caramel. Also yummy! These are chocolates with creamy interiors, by the way. Not sure if they’re all that way, but the two I had were. I gave the others to colleagues, so I can’t say if they liked them or not, but I heard no complaints.
Anyway, I am definitely a fan and I’d definitely stop in for a chocolatey treat again when in the neighborhood.
ps — If you want to practice your French, you may do so with the woman working the front counter.

Chocolate with your mid-​afternoon coffee automatically tops every other coffee place around here. Leonidas for the win!!!
A huge selection of chocolate when you walk through the door, walk past the chocolate and up a few stairs and there’s all the coffee and caffeine selection. They also serve lots of huge pastries and muffins plus biscotti. It all looks so good and is reasonably priced. There are also a few tables to sit and have your coffee and chocolate.
I’ve past this place so many times in the past year but today was my first time going in here — I wish I came here sooner!

Stopped in off the street because of their sidewalk sign advertising the chocomenthe frappé. I have since been back two more times to order this exquisite drink, even though it costs me $ 6 each time. This frappé has just the right amount of mint and chocolate flavoring — the drink is not too sweet and the espresso still shines through. I always make sure to fish out every last chunk of chocolate that accumulates at the bottom of the cup.
The free piece of chocolate that you get with your order is a nice touch, too. I will definitely be back to try their hot drinks as winter approaches.

Their chocolates are fantastic. I was never a fan of dark chocolate until I had the Leonida’s dark chocolate. Now, the darker, the better. If you come to the Hanover Square location, they have a mezzanine café’ which serves excellent cappuccino and espresso coffee. They give you an individually wrapped chocolate with each coffee order. You can’t beat that!
In the chocolate shop, they have pre-​made ballotins in various sizes but you can have one custom packed with your own selections. Their chocolates are one of the best around and makes a great gift.

Love this place.
As other Unilocalers recommend, get the hot chocolate! Über chocolately, rich and satisfying. At first you may be taken aback by the small size of the cup but it’s perfect.
The coffee is solid with a major bonus of a free chocolate with every order :) The chocolates themselves are delicious (not cheap, though) with delicate flavors and smooth, not-​too-​sweet chocolate coatings. The fruit-​based gelatin candies are also amazing.