Cocoa Cabana Chocolatier

A small but cute coffee shop based on the busy Burton Road in Didsbury right by the metro link shop — I’ve heard mixed reviews about this place so didn’t really know if it was worth a visit, however a friend and I decided we should give it a go and decide for ourselves.
There’s just enough room for two tables, but if it is full you can order drinks to go. We were lucky enough to arrive when one of the tables was free so we sat down and browsed the menu — this didn’t take long as there are only a few basic coffee options. The decorations in Cocoa Cabana are very pretty, there’s lots of chocolate sculptures and wonderfully decorated cakes, most of which are for sale, however from what I saw, at exceptionally high prices.
I ordered a latte from the very grumpy lady behind the counter and we were told they would be brought over to us when ready. My latte was served in a tall glass which didn’t have a handle (photograph posted), this made it extremely difficult to drink as the glass was so hot I couldn’t keep my hands on it for long. I ended up having to wrap the glass in napkins so that I could finish it. As well as the poor choice of glass, the drink was poor quality, the milk was not foamy and the coffee was rather bland.
After we’d finished our drinks we got up and went to pay. This was when we were told by the lady behind the counter that she was recovering from a heavy night of gin and that she thought she was coming down with something. After proceeding to cough she then took our payment. An absolutely horrific experience and so so unprofessional.
I will not be returning here, there’s so many other lounges, bars and cafes in the area that serve a much better selection of drinks with much more friendly staff. I was disappointed to say the least.

As a bonafide chocoholic this was one of the best afternoon teas I have ever had! It was chocolate heaven — brownies, chocolate tarts, truffles and there was even a salted caramel sauce for the scones! The lovely waitress was incredibly attentive too and happy to chat away to us as we were in there. I will 100% be back (hopefully for one of the amazing looking chocolate skulls!)

This place is so gorgeous that it pains me to say anything negative at all, because it really is very sweet (just like the chocolate).
So bearing that in mind…
the actual shop is beautiful, with fantastic gifts and knick knacks, all chocolate related. If you’ve got a chocolate-​loving boyfriend/​girlfriend/​wife/​husband/​step uncle twice removed in law/​etc/​etc, then this is the place to go. It also means you’re avoiding the hideous Manchester City centre crowds around Christmas which I personally love!
Now as a café, again the place is adorable, the staff are super friendly and the brownies have already been awarded the best in Manchester at some point, but the coffee wasn’t up to the high standard that everything else was. I opted for a mocha and they put the most amazing truffle sauce in it, which was definitely the saving grace. It wasn’t a bad coffee, but when everything else is just so amazing, I was just a little disappointed.
This place does afternoon tea as well, and even though the shop is teeny, I would imagine it would be ultra cosy and charming!
Cocoa Cabana = Chocolate lovers heaven!

A lovely little shop with a vast array of chocolates available including the award winning salted caramel truffles. You can also sit in the vintage inspired surroundings with a hot chocolate menu (try the white chocolate and raspberry, it is to die for) and a chocolate afternoon tea which, is so large, I had to bring half of it home in a doggy bag!