Leonidas is a new name to me and I’m really happy that @MaryInVancity turned me on to this fine Belgian confectionery store!, we were out walking after a great lunch and we were looking for some dessert, she used the Groupon app to see if there were any deals in the area and saw that they had an instant Groupon available~$5 for a hand crafted hot chocolate and a leiage waffle, seeing it was the first day of the hot chocolate festival we figured that is was worth checking out.  You can read Mary’s post here.

With a history going back to 1910 there certainly is something to be said about a name that can stick around that long doing what they do best, here is a bit of info about them from their website:

“At the dawn of the 21st century, Leonidas chocolates are on sale in 40 different countries in the world through a network of some 1,400 sales outlets. And the adventure continues … Today, the name Leonidas has come to stand for the quintessential Belgian chocolate. To the Belgians certainly, but also to chocolate gourmets and gourmands all over the world, who are enjoying the Belgian Leonidas chocolates across the five continents. Leonidas chocolates are on sale in 1,400 sales outlets, from Paris to Rome, from Sydney to Tokyo, from New York to Vancouver… Indeed, Leonidas chocolates are being sold everywhere; which ever country you travel to, whichever city you find yourself in, you will find a shop carrying the Leonidas emblem. Leonidas chocolates have featured in articles in some of the world’s leading daily newspapers and lifestyle magazines. Leonidas wins hands down! In response to the question “What is your favorite chocolate?”, most consumers said: Leonidas, the undisputed fresh Belgian chocolate. This was the outcome of the well-publicized “National Brands competition 2004″ organized by the LDV advertising agency, and its partners. The basis for the competition was very simple: a list of the leading brands in each sector, from cars to washing powder was drawn up. A panel of consumers (25,252 as it happens) were then asked to express their likes and dislikes, choosing their preferred brand in each category. In the “Chocolates” category, there was only one winner: Leonidas chocolates.51.7% of consumers consider Leonidas to be and remain the most popular chocolate in Belgium. The National Brands Competition is organized every year, over the Internet, attracting an ever younger section of consumers, who clearly love Leonidas chocolates, just as much their parents do. For the first competition, held in 2003, Leonidas won the “Chocolates” category in the National Brands Competition hands down.”

The location in Vancouver is the only one in Canada so it’s a must visit if you’re visiting the city from another part of the Country or World for that matter!

The space is bright and on the side of the Trade and Convention Center, the scenic shot above is from just outside of the shop.  They have a selection of hand-made chocolates that are flown in from Belgium on a weekly basis, they are sold in a weight basis for everything and look totally delish~they had another Groupon for a custom chocolate tasting and an espresso but like I said~we came for the hot chocolate!

Mary went with the Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate, all there drinks are made with whole chocolate and not syrups or powder mixes so you’re getting a great product.  Mary loved this and was a happy camper.

I went with a blend of chocolate~a mix of milk and dark chocolate for my drink, it was absolutely delicious and I would totally order it again.  The blend of chocolate made for a rich and not overly sweet hot chocolate and I didn’t miss the fact there wasn’t any whipped cream~it was rich enough.

The leiage waffles here are from a Belgian bakery on W.2nd Ave, they are totally authentic and contain sugar crystals that make for great flavor and a bit of crunch when eating the waffle but also make for a great golden caramelized color and flavor in the waffle that makes it a step up from another place in the city that is famous for their waffles.  Also when you order your waffle it’s heated for you in a toaster oven so it’s piping hot and SO GOOD!

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