Cocoa by Ali

18 Market St, Leicester LE1 6DN United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Open Today: Closed

Quick Facts About Cocoa by Ali

Cocoa by Ali Place seems to have several strengths based on the comments. One of the most commonly mentioned strengths is the quality of the food. The French brioche toast and prawn taco were described as delicious and yummy respectively. The samosa chaat and Naga Naan Pizza with chicken also received positive reviews. The reviewers appreciated the unique combination of flavors and the taste of the dishes. The pancakes were described as fluffy and light.

Another strength mentioned by the reviewers is the decor of the restaurant. It is described as cute, pretty, and aesthetically pleasing. The floral wall is specifically mentioned as a standout feature. The attention to detail and the effort put into creating a visually appealing atmosphere is appreciated by the reviewers.

The service at Cocoa by Ali Place is also praised by many reviewers. The staff is described as sweet, polite, and welcoming. They are commended for making the customers feel comfortable and for providing great service. Specific staff members like Sam, Hamza, Akeel, and others are mentioned by name and appreciated for their excellent service.

However, there are a few weaknesses that are mentioned in the comments as well. One weakness is the drinks at Cocoa by Ali Place. Multiple reviewers mention that the drinks were not to their liking. The crush mocktail and the match raspberry iced latte did not meet the expectations of the customers. The mojito was criticized for having too much ice and little substance. The hot chocolate was described as basic and lukewarm.

Another weakness mentioned by some reviewers is the speed of service. One comment refers to the service as slow and to the point of being pathetic. There is a mention of not enough staff for a busy time, resulting in long waiting times and delayed orders. The kitchen is criticized for sending out food one plate at a time, causing further delays and frustration among the customers.

One reviewer also mentions that the location of Cocoa by Ali Place is off the beaten track and on a quiet pedestrian street with many closed shops. The exterior of the premises is described as having been constructed hastily with little thought to the quality of signage. The shocking pink decor is said to have alienated male customers, creating a predominantly female customer base.

In conclusion, the strengths of Cocoa by Ali Place include delicious food, cute decor, and great service. The weaknesses include disappointing drinks, slow service, and a less-than-ideal location. Despite these weaknesses, many customers express satisfaction with their experience at Cocoa by Ali Place and plan to return.

Best TL Reviews

French brioche toast was absolutely delicious. Prawn taco was yummy too. Decor is cute. Service was great, pleasant staff trying their best in what was clearly a busy time. Drinks were not to our liking (crush mocktail and match Raspberry iced latte).

I have been to this location in Leicester multiple times now and I just want to say that everything is absolutely stunning! First of all the cure you guys put into the details is beyond beautiful, the concept of simple but full is just wow! I just wanted to thank ALL your team for being so sweet and polite, Hamza served us today, him as everyone one else there, are super genuine and welcoming ❤️ a big shout out to them for the service.

I will definitely come again, you guys are doing a really good job here in Leicester, thanks a lot ????????????

Amazing service. Made us comfortable and really made the experience better. The drinks were amazing. Food was fantastic. Sam was amazing. He deserves A raise !

Came back a second time and it’s even better. Amazing service once again by the lovely Sam. I recommend highly

The food was just about average (not anything to write home about) the service was slow to the point it was pathetic. There wasn’t enough staff for a Sunday service. They made a lot of people wait and would not open the upstairs section until 12:00 afternoon. The waiters made a point to take order from all tables (6 tables) and then go downstairs to send order to the kitchen. The kitchen sent out food one plate at a time no matter who was waiting for how long. Would not be going again for sure. Overhyped, average food and pathetic service.

They say that first impressions count. Having the name Ali Imdad behind it, this restaurant disappoints incredibly. We attended a packed Cocoa by Ali on a cold Wednesday afternoon around 300pm to be greeted with a pile of pink refuse bags dumped right outside the premises by the lampost. There was a queue outside on arrival and leaving...see photo. The location is off the beaten track in the town centre on a quiet pedestrianised street with many shops being closed. The exterior of the premises seemed to have been concocted in a hurry with little thought to quality of signage. The shocking pink decor and supersized floral wall backdrop seemed to alienate the male fraternity from visiting (think I was one of only 2 males seated downstairs in a full restaurant and every attendee seemed female therafter). We were told simply that they were full and it would be 30 mins wait for a table for 2 followed by 30 mins to get order. We were politely offered a complimentary drink but told to wait outside with it due to space restrictions! Anyhow a table miraculously appeared in 5 minutes before the drinks were made so we sat down on basic IKEA style poor quality and dirty chairs and a round budget table whose metal legs were protruding way too far out to sit comfortably (the legs being uneven meant the small table where the food barely fitted was constantly rocking side to side). On requesting various items from an exhaustive menu, we were told they were out of....brioches, pancakes, mac n cheese chicken and some other items. So we ordered samosa chaat 9/10, Naga Naan Pizza with chicken 8/10 and Korean chicken with waffles 6/10. The drinks were poor with the mojito in a tall slim glass composed of 80% ice cubes and some Monin syrup and water 2/10 . The latte arrived minus the coffee and when requesting was told it doesn't come with coffee (what does the word latte imply by the way?) 3/10, the hot chocolate was basic and lukewarm and arrived 10 mins before the food 5/10, so had to reorder another drink. The plus points were the service was good and food was average to good in general, hence the final star rating. Cocoa is only good for female Instagram visits from the younger age group I think (so ruling out 70% of local clientele in one sweep) otherwise I would avoid a visit.

Great place, has unique combination food, the decor is really pretty, flower themed, they do mocktails, Indian chaat, and brunch.

We got the samosa chaat, chicken taco, and chicken waffle, the chaat was great (I prefer more spice, but it’s preference) the Korean fried chicken waffle was spicy/tasty, however could have been cooked a bit longer.

In short - Good Brunch place

Super cute place to eat, very pretty and pink!

Food is super nice I hade the Ube french toast and a Sakura latte, would recommend to anyone. The french toast is not too sweet so it is very easy to finish everything !

Lovely place in Leicester for brunch with an aesthetically pleasing floral wall!

The drinks hit the spot, specially the coco deluxe bueno hot chocolate! Mojito was rather refreshing and perfect to down that samosa chaat! Pancakes were also a dream, fluffy and light!

Thank you Akeel & Hamza for your great service????

We would recommend this place!