Chocoa in Ballymena

Chocoa used to be the place to go for amazing hot chocolate in Ballymena, but it's really gone downhill recently. Before they closed the bistro, the quality had already started slipping. The service became sloppy, and the cosy vibe that made it special just wasn't there anymore. The hot chocolate itself, which used to be rich and delicious, became hit or miss—sometimes too sweet, other times thin and bland. Now they've shut the doors and moved online, which honestly just feels like a letdown. Hot chocolate is something you want to enjoy in a nice, warm setting, not from a delivery box. It's sad to see a place that was once great lose its touch. If this is the direction they're heading in, it’s hard to get excited about what they’re offering now.

Amazing cosy atmosphere, Highly recommend rose latte Definitely will visit again!

What an absolute joy this place is. From the decor to the unusual menu and the divine cheesecakes. A little spot of heaven.

Best hot chocolate in NI, love the design and the atmosphere.

It’s a premium bistro and comes across as such. Lattes and cheesecakes were excellent, as were the two staff members who attended to us. A really lovely spot in Ballymena and thankfully different from the “abandoned barn” aesthetic that is becoming more popular!

I recently visited Chocoa and was left thoroughly disappointed with my experience. Upon entering, I was greeted by an atmosphere of indifference, as the staff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves than attending to customers. It took an unacceptable amount of time for someone to even acknowledge my presence, let alone take my order. When my order finally arrived, the coffee was lukewarm and tasted as if it had been sitting out for far too long. It was evident that there was a lack of attention to detail and quality control in the preparation of the beverages. Moreover, the pastries I ordered were stale and unappetizing, leaving me questioning the freshness of their products. The attitude of the staff further soured my experience. They were rude and dismissive, showing little regard for providing good customer service. It's clear that there is a serious issue with training and management at this establishment. Furthermore, I couldn't help but notice the owner's apparent disinterest in maintaining a high standard for their business. Their absence from the floor and lack of engagement with customers only reinforced the impression of neglect. Overall, my visit to Chocoa was a disappointing one. From the lackluster service to the subpar quality of the products, it's evident that this coffee shop is in need of serious improvement. I will not be returning, and I would caution others against wasting their time and money here

Saw it on Instagram and decided to go with my friends, even the 45 min drive there was well worth it!! Such an amazing, charming place! Food and drinks were so tasty and we picked up some lovely bits to take home. The staff was lovely and accommodating. I would ( and will) definitely be back!

Very nice surroundings and the coffee is great too !

A beautiful brunch catch up with a sister birthday, food was delicious and very well presented. staff very friendly, I did mention this was a birthday treat, perhaps a little free chocolate wound have been nice with our coffee's on this special occasion. We will be back, well worth a visit, thank you.

Owner was really nice and helpful and helped us pick out desserts. Really rich! You don't need much 🙂 fun day out

This is the best and most beautiful Salon in Ballymena. Food is well presented and of good quality. The cakes are scrumptious and service is very friendly. The flavour of the coffee is probably the best one can get anywhere. Decor is calming and sophisticated and that for Ballymena! My 5fth visit and it never disappoints.

Absolutely love chocoa! The food is fantastic, the staff are so friendly and attentive and the decor is beautiful. Just had the festive high tea and it was absolutely delicious! Looking forward to our next visit x

Has to be the best for food in Ballymena hot chocolate is a 10/10

I hate giving bad reviews but this place was such a disappointment. Tried Chocoa after friends had previously been and raved about it. Food was nice but pricey and the quantity was poor with the soup being more like a shot in a 70's prawn cocktail glass with a sliver of sourdough toast. Now the hot chocolate. I have tried so many different hot chocolates from different brands. This hot chocolate was like drinking liquid sugar. It was undrinkable! Totally not my taste. I even asked the server if they had added alot of sugar when making as it was just so bad. She said no and was just made with their nibs which must be more sugar content than chocolate solids. Such a waste of money as we all left our drinks, furthermore my friend was sick as they didn't offer a milk alternative.

Lovely place for a sweet treat and great coffee!

Food was delicious and staff are very welcoming!! Will definitely be back 🤩

Staff are so welcoming! As soon as I came in I was greeted with a smile and seated! The overall atmosphere was lovely. It was very busy and the wait time was not long at all! Food is unbelievable… so tasty! Would definitely recommend!

Went on Tuesday for lunch and this place is great! Would recommend to anyone who’s looking for great quality food that’s well worth the money. Friendly staff, quick service and lovely atmosphere! Great for coffee lovers also…Will be visiting again

Go here if you love hair in your cappuccino. 🤮

I ordered some soup for my brunch with my 3 other friends, we were disgusted when we found hair in 3 of are 4 soups after waiting for 20 minutes for our soup to come out. Would not recommend eating here the food was terrible and staff were so rude

Food was absolutely disgusting there where hairs in my food and it was completely unsanitary I mean no wander the girls who work there don’t even wear hair nets. I am absolutely appalled by the service and how rude the waiters where. The atmosphere was very crowded and cluttered I will not be returning

Delicious food, friendly staff and a quiet atmosphere

Absolute magical experience! The place was pristine, beautiful decor and lovely staff. We waited around 15/20 minutes to be seated but was well worth the wait.

Took my mum for a birthday treat as I had seen all the hype on tiktok about the French hot chocolate it's so disappointing because this place has the potential to be the best with there presentation and there perfectly branded chocolate tags but the everything was below average for £38 when it's that expensive you expect a standard I got the chocolate mouse dome and it was stale and gloppy not the way I expect a mouse to be it's was so unappealing and definitely not fresh next ill move on to the macarons so i got 1 one of each flavour and the most disappointing thing of all was that they tasted freezer burned and they are far to hard and hallow.. Next il move on to the French hot chocolate that wasn't even warm they came luke warm and within a few minutes it wasn't even drinkable it's was cold and bitter although the coffee tasted smooth it's disappointing all show and no substance definitely won't be back for £38 to leave feeling disappointed we had originally came for lunch but as my mums gluten free one on savoury option was a salad 1 thing I'd recommend that you cover your deserts so they stay fresh having it open in the fridge is a huge contributer to the taste Edit because it won't let me reply its wasn't for 3 people my son got a wee hot chocolate which I have to say the waitress was great but that was it me and my mum were the only people that actually ate I was very disappointed yesterday as a independent small baker myself I understand I work with chocolate and it was mainly my mum that was more disappointed I seen you guys on my tiktok which lead me back to this lol maybe it just wasn't to my taste as I work with it but I'm not the type to complain the staff were fantastic as for the gluten free options for savoury the only thing we seen on the menu was a salad as it had GF and possibly the soup but its wasnt the drinks or gluten free options that was our main problem it was the freshness of the deserts everything looks so appealing and beautiful but it genuinely tasted like it had been sitting for a few days maybe il give it another go because the photos and presentation are next to none but im a firm believer in if you dont complain youll never know as i would also like to be told aswell 1 star 5 star what difference does it make if you dont be honest the lady beside actually had told us next time to ask for it a little hotter as that's what she does thank you so much for your reply I appreciate it. What mainly disappointed me the most is I've have a huge passion with working with chocolate and combining cakes and chocolate together so this place really stood out to me as i really wanted to taste something that looked so different and go away feeling as inspired as your presentation never less I wish you guys the best

Smores for two was a unique experience, aesthetic was lovely 4/5

Such a lovely place, very impressive and not what you would expect tucked away in ballymena.. it feels like somewhere you would go in a different country like France. Very friendly and professional staff, beautiful spacious interior and a good atmosphere. The menu is very unique and the range of special drinks is fantastic... they have a great breakfast and lunch menu ranging between sweet and savoury items. The French hot chocolate is unreal. We definitely will be back thank you for such an all round lovely experience!

Exactly as shown online. Tasty, reasonable prices, relaxing to sit in.

Food really nice. Quite expensive. Only went because of £10 gift voucher. Otherwise our 2 miniature cheesecake s and 2 small lattes would have been £18!!

Very ornate. Staff well dressed and mannerly. Place was quiet for french toast and an americano. Loved the sweet toast with berries

Lovely coffee shop, really good selection . Would highly recommend.

Very cute aesthetic cafe and the hot chocolates were great! Only thing is to get there early because they run out of their specials and it gets crowded early in the day. Otherwise perfect date location or a great spot for coffee and hot cocoa with the girls!

If you love chocolate, you will truly love Chocoa. They serve melted chocolate or chocolate drinks with a very large dose of your favourite chocolate included. The Turkish delight drink was out of this world!

Amazing staff. Great service and a variety at nice products

Very good hot chocolate (80%), quite rare in NI, Cakes and Macaron are good too, the style is beautiful too.

A lovely place with good food and very friendly staff

Fantastic food, me and my partner came in for lunch. He had their pancakes and I had their gammon toasty. Both toasty and pancakes were fantastic, alot of care has gone into style and taste. We did also buy their chocolate and a slice of cake, the prices were pretty high but quality was excellent. The red velvet cake however was a little dry but overall not terrible and still very tasty. Fully recommended!

I usually enjoy this cafe however I visited recently got the signature brunch pouched eggs on sourdough the foods always nicely presented unfortunately the pouched eggs were hard making it not as enjoyable, for the prices I was disappointed as it is quite an expensive cafe, I do have to say though the hot chocolates are amazing!

A very delicious tasty lunch, followed by an equally delicious dessert. Food choice and presentation is exceptional and very different from the norm. Loved it. Friendly, attentive staff. Highly recommend

Lovely place, staff + food. Worth a visit for a special treat chocolate desserts + just something else handmade + have their own chocolatier. Would definitely recommend

Absolutely beautiful food. I had the club sandwich. Staff are very friendly and attentive.

Lovely staff, lovely food and clean.

We love this place, sometimes a bit busy, but staff are friendly and food and coffee are great

Very nice café, good coffee and staff always very pleasant.

There's always a warm welcome, pleasant people serving, great food which looks too good to eat, and indulgent drinks (hot or cold). Definitely worth a visit any time of year.

Love it. Coffee and chocolate great with lovely pastries. Service very good

Lovely cafe, delicious coffee and cakes. Very clean and nice friendly staff

Stylish and sophisticated! And that’s not just the decor. A beautiful spot with excellent service and attention to the smaller details. The menu was somewhat limited, but this brunch hit the spot! Finished off with a brownie that was both rich and moist, it was incredible!

Lovely food, friendly staff, and amazing chocolate

Nice selection of food and pastries and cakes. Something to suit everyone. A little expensive, but worth the treat.

Beautiful decoration of inside. Delicious coffee. Torally recommend

Excellent coffee shop in the middle of Ballymena with healthy options and plenty of choice for a sweet tooth. Best hot chocolate out there.

Really wanted to check this place out as their Instagram looked great! While we arrived after brunch stopped being served, they kindly let us order off it although we were disappointed to find that the french toast and bacon was not even lukewarm so not sure what that was about. I found the menu to be a little limited but perhaps just wasn’t to my taste. All the staff were lovely and the decor was nice. The chocolates were lovely, the brownie was ok (and I taste A LOT of brownies). The macarons were incredibly sweet to me (and I would have a very sweet tooth), think the icing sugar amount is too high and the shells were hollow but the coffee one was the nicest. Still worth checking out nonetheless.

Excellent food&coffee and service can only say thank you for all YS Bob&Sadie

If your ever in Northern Ireland you need to stop here for their coffee but also their delicious pasties and lunch menu. Service is friendly and orders are quick. I will be heading back there again as soon as I can. Waiting on the airlines to open up flights from Canada to Ireland thanks to this Covid. Take care everyone at Chocoa and see you soon

If you have not been then this place is a must. The most beautiful decor, very friendly and attentive staff, such a lovely atmosphere with thee best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. Perfect for a girlie catch up, a lunch date or even grabbing a quick coffee and treat on the go. This place caters to all.

I love the loose leaf tea selection, and the desserts (orange lemon and lime cake is my favorite). Its lovely chilled atmosphere with clean and very comfortable surroundings. I also highly recommend the hot chocolates, once you've tried a Chocoa Hot Chocolate, you will never go anywhere else!!

I visit Chocoa regularly and the standard is always excellent!! Such a welcoming place with very friendly staff and the food and deserts are exquisite.Definitely the best place for a relaxing catch up with friends:))

Great atmosphere and attention to detail, food and hot drinks were perfect.

Our family visited Chocoa for lunch. From the moment you walk in the door you are welcomed into the beautifully designed cafe. Our coffee's were fantastic - the best we had on our trip. Our food was fresh, aesthetically pleasing and more importantly delicious. Going to Chocoa was more than a meal it was an amazing experience.

Love Chocoa! Friendly efficant staff, beautiful surroundings and excellent food... Not to mention the hot chocolate!! Amazing!

Stunning interior. Great service. Even better coffee and food. And you don't need to be a hipster to get in.

Excellent food and coffee, staff were very warm and welcoming; the decor is also stunning which was a great bonus, highly recommend, will definitely be back!

Relaxed atmosphere, beautiful decor. Deserts and hot chocolate really good.

Very nice, first time there, food was excellent. Very windy outside and not a lot of heat inside.

Delicious. Friendly and efficient staff

Nice food but extremely expensive

Awesome coffee and sweet treats

This place is amazing. Gorgeous interior, food super nice and the over all experience is such a treat.

place has gone downhill in recent years. at one time you had perfectly polished cutlery and immaculate tea service and now grubby unpolished cutlery and broken teapots with missing or mismatched strainers and lids

Great place for coffee and scones! Loved the whip cream and lovely presentation.

Yes visited again today - lovely coffee stop and food and very nice vibes —- From my initial visit I felt there should be a few newspapers made available for customers . Nice place to go for a coffee and catch up on latest news especially if you are there on your own . In my opinion it’s one thing lacking in this establishment .

Beautiful beautiful beautiful food, reasonable price, gorgeous (Instagrammable!) surroundings. Service of the dark haired girl at the till wasn't great but the rest were v good.

Very friendly staff. A girl named Penny is very helpful and customer friendly

Best coffee shop in Ballymena by a mile. Staff are extremely friendly and the food is beautiful, couldn’t recommend it enough!

Lovely chilled atmosphere, great place to meet for a chat without loud music blaring. Even a simple tea is served in such a way it feels special.

Latte's are amazing! Very relaxed atmosphere

This is such a lovely, special place to go to for a cup of coffee and gorgeous, unique treat. The surroundings are lovely, you just know there's more to it than the other 'canteen' style places in the town. Worth visiting every time you go out for coffee.

Lovely food and friendly staff.

Beautiful surroundings, great service, fantastic coffee, would highly recommend well worth a visit. Totally unique there is no where else like it. Just love it.

Beautiful place. Excellent service and nice tea and hot chocolate

Lovely little place for a treat, muffins are gorgeous and the service excellent :)

Would highly recommend worth a visit

Wonderful atmosphere and fantastic service - the ideal place to stop or meet with friends!

The most divine smooth hot chocolate ever

Great coffee and the food presentation second to none, friendly staff provide great service. Now my favourite coffee stop

The place to go!!try the chicken smoked applewood cheese and salad wrap.

The chocolate here was great! I loved their milkshakes and the fondue for two. Was almost too much to wait for it to became a fondue. They have lots of box chocolates and other cake/dessert options. It can be a little pricey but it is 'couture.' Great for a little treat!

Highly recommend the experience. Delicious handmade chocolates and cake. The decor and service makes it well worth a visit.

This is a rather expensive café, but quality and service is excellent. Costa Coffee, Starbucks, etc are not in this league. You get for what you pay!

The best place for coffee and food

Just a little different from the rest of the cafes.