Leka Chocolatería y Cafetería

Unfortunately, one of our favorite places in Cuenca, Leka, has closed its doors. You can continue reading about what was once a nice chocolate shop and restaurant, or click here to go to the Cuenca Restaurants page.

If you enjoy exquisite chocolate treats, you'll enjoy a visit (or six) to Leka Chocolatería y Cafetería.

Of course, you may have to share the space with the many Cuencanos who also enjoy the Leka hot chocolate and friendly atmosphere.

Cindy Crespo, who speaks fluent English after living and working in Toronto for eight years, owns and manages Leka.

The Art of Chocolate

Anyone can slap together the ingredients to make "chocolate."

Unfortunately, most North Americans never experience truly good chocolate. A visit to Leka will ensure that you've had at least one!

Natalie Arías, who trained in Germany and works out of her home, makes truffles and other small chocolate delicacies, as well as plain and almond strips and wider bars.

She told us that she has to import her chocolate from Brazil as the quality of Ecuadorian chocolate isn't high enough for her purposes.

Cindy and her sister make many of the cakes, brownies and other desserts, along with the sandwiches and salads, and, of course, the hot chocolate!

The Leka Menu

Cindy knows, from her years in Canada, what North Americans enjoy for a light meal. Her menu includes seven different sandwiches (all come with home fries) and three salads. Here are some of them:

• Leka Salad (Ensalada Leka)—lettuce, grilled chicken breast meat, almonds, strawberries, and small pieces of dark chocolate. This may sound like an odd combination, but Jeff promises that you'll enjoy it! It's also part of the online Cuenca Chocolate Tour.
• Executive Sandwich (Sandwich Ejecutivo)—German bread, ham, salami, turkey, gherkins, tomato, lettuce and a special mayonnaise.
• Leka Sandwich (Sandwich Leka)—a baguette with a grilled chicken filet, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, oregano and herbs. Although there's no chocolate in this, Jeff can recommend it as well!
• Sandwich Tramezzini—your choice of bread with tuna, artichokes, lettuce and the Leka special mayonnaise.

Especialidades Leka (Leka Specialties)

Now we come to the really good part of the menu, the chocolate part! Actually, you'll find this part of the menu first, before the sandwiches and salads. Which fits perfectly with Jeff's motto—Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first!

• Coco-Brownie—a brownie with coconut ice cream.
• Capricho de Amor—strawberries and other red fruit, along with Irish cream, chocolate, and espresso.
• Fondue de Chocolate—strawberries and other fruit with a small bowl of dark or white chocolate, for dipping.
• Copa Leka—a dark chocolate cream with a touch of amaretto and other surprises.
• Relax de la Tarde—a chocolate and hazelnut cake along with a cup of capuccino.
• Porción de Torta (a slice of cake)—they're all chocolate cakes, except for the cheesecake, which is often a fruit flavor.

Hot and Cold Drinks

Leka has a wide selection of drinks. Cold ones include milkshakes, water, sodas, Club and Corona beers, and juices.

Hot drinks include:

• Capuccino with milk and cinnamon.
• Capuccino with vanilla.
• Mokaccino (capuccino with chocolate).
• Mokaccino Dark (with more chocoate).
• Regular (black) coffee.
• Café con leche.
• Espresso.
• Black (regular) tea.
• Several varieties of herbal tea (called te aromática or agua aromática in Ecuador).
• Chocolate Tradicional (hot chocolate, which is basically nothing but, literally, heated chocolate).
• Chocolate Caliente con Crema (what most North Americans consider hot chocolate, with milk/cream).
• Chocolate Especiado (Spiced Chocolate), which is a huge mug (probably closer to a cauldron than a mug, at 16 ounces, at least) of wonderful hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon and chopped almonds. This hot chocolate is also part of the online Cuenca Chocolate Tour.

If you're a hot chocolate lover, Jeff promises that you won't be disappointed with any of Cindy's creations, especially Especiado.

By the way, Leka is also open for breakfast.

Leka's Prices

The Leka Chocolatería y Cafetería prices are so low that you'd have to eat a sandwich, a salad, and a dessert, and then enjoy a hot chocolate to come anywhere close to spending $10 per person.

The most expensive sandwich is $3.50; the most expensive salad is $3.75.

Desserts are $1.25 for a piece of cake to $4.50 for the Capricho de Amor. That cauldron of spiced hot chocolate? $2.50 for a taste of heaven.

Your stomach will run out of room long before your wallet feels a pinch!

Location and Hours

Leka Chocolatería y Cafetería is located at Juan Jaramillo 7-36, next door to Tiestos Café Restaurant, just west of Borrero (not Hermano Miguel as the map above indicates).

There's no Google Map for Leka yet, so use the one above to get you to your slice of chocolate.

Lunch hours are from noon until 2 p.m. Leka then opens again at 4 p.m. and stays open until at least 8 p.m., sometimes later, depending on how busy they are.

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