Knoops in Guildford

Upon entry, we are greeted by the staff with great brio. We were astronomically spoilt for choice by the amalgamation of options, which led a perceptive member of staff dubbed Esme to help in our pronouncement. As a master in Knoopology she presented the surprising combination of rich 60% Venezuelan milk chocolate, along with the nutty tang of almond milk, paired with undertones of sea salt and vanilla. This made for a superfluous flavour. I’d like to send out my most sincere regards to the veritably talented staff of Guildford Knoops. Memories were made. Errare humanum est. Bona Fide, 5 Stars.

Hot chocolate is my thing. I make it a personal mission to try hot chocolate wherever I go. I have a wicked sweet tooth and am invariably disappointed (the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted was a mug of pure chocolate - a mix of white, milk and dark - melted with a glug of hot double cream in Krakow and it's the benchmark against which every other hot chocolate is compared!) It also means that I like my hot chocolate rich and indulgent, none of this watery malarky! I wasn't expecting much at Knoops but my word was this a surprise. The wide choice of chocolates on offer (essentially every % of chocolate from white to 100% dark) seemed like it might be a gimmick but I couldn't have been more wrong. Going for the safe option (the 49% dark milk chocolate) it was absolute perfection. Silky smooth, indulgent and rich without being cloying and just the right amount of sweetness. I wouldn't have changed a single thing about it. I'd be tempted to come back and try every other variety of hot chocolate - the only downside was the service which was so comically poor (not a smile from the servers, not a word other than to tell me how much I owed and not a response when I wished them 'have a nice day') that myself and the customers on the table beside us joked that it felt like we were in a funeral parlour rather than a cafe! As someone who works in customer facing environments, it astonishes me that anyone can think this is acceptable and it can make the difference between a loyal customer and a one-off visit. So while I doubt I'll be returning to this branch, I'll find another one just to see if the hot chocolate (and service!) compare!

Nice hot chocolate and the interesting addition of being able to add different spices/herbs, quite pricey so more of a treat than a regular visit. Let down by staff... Staff need training on customer service, I visited the other day and was the only person waiting whilst another customer was being served. I was waiting for a few minutes, which is absolutely fine, however it was clear to the two staff that I was waiting but despite that I got ignored once they had finished serving the customer in front of me. Initially one staff member was asking another a work related question, which I guess is fine although it could've waited until after I was served as I was the only one waiting. The real let down was after they finished discussing the TV display in the shop, they proceeded to chat about their personal lives for a few minutes, all whilst I'm still waiting at the till and they have glanced over at me several times but continue to ignore me. With so many lovely independent places in Guildford, I'd think twice before visiting knoops again.

I’m a huge hot chocolate fan and like it really dark, so was very excited to try Knoops. My hot chocolate was absolutely perfect for me, good and strong with added orange flavour. However, I was really disappointed to have it served in a paper cup with plastic lid! A brand new cafe with no facility for washing actual cups??!! My small chocolate with the extra orange and cream cost over £5, so a luxurious treat, that I really would expect to be served with decent crockery. Not to mention the environmental concerns. Yes, they were apparently compostable, but still an awful lot of unnecessary waste. Sadly I won’t be returning.