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Fiona's Sweetshoppe
Categories: Food Specialty Food Candy Stores Food Specialty Food Chocolatiers and Shops Candy Stores, Chocolatiers and Shops [Edit]
214 Sutter St(between Claude Ln & Kearny St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Neighborhood: Union Square
(415) 399-9992
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 7 pm
Sun 1 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
166 reviews for Fiona's Sweetshoppe
Review Highlights
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166 reviews in English
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Review from Marissa H.
San Francisco, CA
Rose Turkish Delight, Cola Fizzballs, Rhubarb & Custard suckers, Milk Chocolate ball w/ Sea Salt - I'm in heaven, this must be heaven!
Adorable little shop on Sutter St specializing in English candies. Folks who work there are absolutely the sweetest and always very accommodating. I'll be back sooner than I'd like to admit!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/17/2011
This place is adorable, the shop manager is adorable, the food is more than adorable!
I've been by… Read more »
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8/17/2011
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Review from Gen M.
San Francisco, CA
Cute candy store ever!
My boyfriend came here the other day as part of our shopping spree days.
I didn't know it was right next to Loeman, where my boyfriend had an interview at. I knew it was there, but I didn't have the chance to go inside. And I didn't know they had a groupon deal for it; 2 6oz. candy bags for $6 (right by the window). There was old fashion candy and unusual candy we never heard of, possibility they made them thereself, i assume. They were cute, bagged up with there unusual name and description. I would of thought the bags would be a little bigger, but theres nothing you could do, it was groupon deals = try. So my boyfriend and I picked one bag for each other. Eat half the bag. Then trade, just to taste the candy.
They also have other candy than the ones in the bag. I glanced at them, old fashioned.
But...
I haven't ate it yet, but I'm a sweet tooth, so I don't mind (sour or sweet).
I'll probably come back next time when I'm near by. -
Review from wendy h.
Never been inside the store but I saw that Williams Sonoma now carries a selection of their candies in their stores. I put down $13 for a candy jar filled with sherbet lemons. These reminds me of Brach's lemon drops back when they used real sugar and not the crap they put in them now. Very lemony and there's lemon fizz in the center! Tastes almost like a lemonhead but better.
Price is steep but you get a nifty jar! -
Review from Natalie O.
San Francisco, CA
What a great place!! Very helpful, and have fantastic sweets!!
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Review from Jean K.
I thought Miette's was the only old fashioned candy shop in town but now it turns out that Fiona's also serves the same niche but even more conveniently located downtown near my office. The selection of candies is not as broad but still pretty good. If you know me then you know that I'm after salty licorice and Fiona's does not disappoint with 3 different salty licorice from the Netherlands. Again, not the same great selection as Miette's but still pretty good. And it's only a 15 minute walk from work. They also have a great selection of English candy bars. I have my eye on the giant bar of Cadbury's fruit and nuts for $7.
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Review from Miss K.
San Francisco, CA
Their strawberry foam & honeycombs are addictive! Like the packaged Hippo too but wish they carried chocolate. Not too crazy about the texture of the coconut mushrooms but was told they are popular.
So many others I want to try, like the strawberry bonbons & toffees.
Super cute too. -
Review from Twist' D.
San Francisco, CA
This shop is a hidden treasure. I've been back a couple of times and they always have great customer service. I bought 4 bags of candy and brought a bag to work. My co-worker tried one and kept coming back for more. A few of the bags I gave as stocking stuffers and that's always a big hit.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/27/2011
I must have walked by this shop a dozen times. This time we stopped in for a treat. And what a… Read more »
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2/27/2011
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Review from Jessica T.
Oakland, CA
Love the English chocolate and the lime drops. My kids love the super sour sherbet saucers that are difficult to find anywhere else. The people who work there are super nice (and patient with the kids, who seem to lose their minds there). Plus, they always seem to give out a little something extra, just to taste. Love it! Only downside? Parking. Nightmare. Try the garage across the street, because you'll never find anything curbside.
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Review from Jessica T.
Emeryville, CA
I really liked Fiona's Sweetshoppe! I was taking my break at work and was craving candy. But I'm picky about candy, I don't want just any BS candy. Not skittles or starburst or any of that crap. And I wasn't in the mood for chocolate, for some reason.
I was in the mood for gourmet flavors (er, flavours, since this is a UK inspired sweet store). I wanted candy that was as fun for the eyes as it was on the tongue. Fiona's Sweetshoppe delivers on these counts.
It wasn't busy when I went in around 3 pm on a Thursday, just one other person browsing. It is a tiny store, but very quaint and pretty. The employee behind the register was very friendly and helpful. After gazing upward at the array of sweets in glass jars lining the shelves, I made my selection.
-Mint Humbugs. I have been re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [excuse me, I meant Philosopher's Stone, British and all that] for the gajillionth time. You know that scene after Harry has been sorted into Gryffindor, and he sits down to his first feast in the Great Hall? When those golden platters magically fill up with foods, including "for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs"? Well, I have always wondered, what the hecko are peppermint humbugs, they sound delish. And finally! I get to try them! They are lovely.
-Rhubarb and Custard hard candy. Yummy, but kind of large in the mouth (that's what she said! Sorry, inappropriate).
-Treacle Mints. I'm not gonna lie, I also chose these based on HP. Harry's favorite dessert is Treacle Tart. What the heck is treacle, I dunno, but these candies are yummy. Note: these are not as "smooth" as the 2 candies above, these candies get those cracks in them that catch on/cut your tongue. That kills.
-Fruit Rock. I asked for a fruity hard candy, and the employee recommended these. "You can't go wrong with these ones." She's right! They're really tasty.
I got about 5 or 6 of each candy in a pretty bag with a pink ribbon, and it came out to around $6. I was paying with a card, and the employee accidentally rang me up for only $5 (they have a $5 min on cards here, FYI). She let me pay just the $5! Very sweet of her.
Great place, and I'm enjoying my candy. -
Review from Steven B.
San Francisco, CA
Fiona's Sweetshoppe is a nice little candy shop that sells European candies. The store is so small that it is literally a hole in the wall. I would say... about 6 people can stand in there comfortable... that's how small it is.
Most of the candy here are sold by the pound and they're stored in glass jars behind the counter. There's a large selection of hard candy and decent selection of soft candy. There's a selection of prepackaged candy near the counter.
THERE'S FREE SAMPLES IN A BASKET OUTSIDE! The sample changes every day or so. It's usually some wrapped hard candy.
One annoying part about the store is it closes and opens as the owner pleases... there's a sign that will tell you if it'll open or close at a different time.
Mint chocolate malt balls rocks! Minty goodness. Toffee bonbons are a great choice also. It's soft on the outside and hard toffee on the inside. I also brought the Cola Cubes, but I don't like them much. They don't taste like cola at all. -
Review from Mariam H.
San Francisco, CA
Came in here impulsively to buy some treats for my special peeps.
Their $5 and $10 glass jars are adorable and make a great little gift. With a $10 purchase I got a free bag of pineapple hard candy...yippe free stuff!
I had my jar filled with chocolate salted caramel and turkish delight.
hey have a nice little selection of Euro chocolates (bounty, flake, cadbury) which I also picked up.
They carry mostly hard candies which are not my favorite treat. Also it's really hard to see what are in the jars from the counter to decipher what to buy, labels are tiny. So good luck with that. -
Review from Christina Y.
Santa Monica, CA
What do you get the birthday girl who's already gotten trays of baked desserts and two bouquets of flowers? Why, a precious little jar full of obscure european candy, of course! For $10, you can fill up a reusable glass jar with whatever you want from the bins behind the counter, and you can bring the jar back to fill it again for just $6.
The tiny little jewelbox of a store also has lots of packaged European candy, which I love because I'm a sucker for weird snacks that you can't normally get in the US. It's all a bit pricier than what you could get at your average drug store, but it's much more fun and beautifully laid out.
The service is outstanding and they're very generous with samples. So what are you waiting for? Go take a candy break right now!Listed in: Downtown San Francisco…
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Review from Abby S.
Tres adorable!
Fiona's is located just a few short blocks from my office and is a perfect place to get a sweet snack for that special someone. The shop isn't huge, but they sure do pack in the candy - love it!
Most of the offerings are from the UK and unrecognizable to the average American candy eater. However, the nice gal behind the counter will totally let you sample and offer her suggestions on what's best. They have gummies and hard candy by the pound (reasonable prices, too) or pre-packaged gift bags. OR you could buy a jar for $10 and fill it up any way you like - plus, refills are only $6. Recycling doesn't get much better than this!
My recommendation? Techno gummy bears! They don't taste much different than the regular, non-party variety, but they brighten up just about anyone's day and make for a great conversation piece.Listed in: International Flavor, To-Go, Please!, Treat Yourself..., Cutes McGutes
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Review from Anisha G.
I was surprised when I walked in because I didn't think the shop was as tiny as the picture shows it to be. It could be much if someone is claustrophobic.
I had a groupon to use. I purchased one of the boxes that comes with a little of everything in the store. I also purchased some extras just in case my box did not have them...
I was bummed that they were out of some of the candies I wanted to buy, so I will have to check back in. Yet, the sales representative was super patient while I made my selection and she was also very helpful.
The prices here are pretty competitive. And I think if you purchase some candy over $10, they let you pick a bag or another candy from a basket for free. That is pretty cool because it should be easy to spend $10 there..
Prices are relative; if you go to a movie theater and buy food or candy it's a bigger rip off than buying candy from a specialty shop! That's just my opinion. -
Review from Janice O.
Oakland, CA
Finally had the opportunity to visit this small, but lovely shop. The selection is fabulous and very different from what you would usually find since the candies come from different countries. And if you want to sample any ... this can be a very dangerous place. I like that it is super easy to see which are the popular selections - they have a little heart on the cannister. I didn't even look at the pre-packaged selections. But these are great at gifts, and the sales clerk is helpful as long as you ask and tell them what you are looking for. The price is a little expensive, but worth it -
Hint: the toffee carmel is to die for! And the hard candies last a long time.
Will be going back when I need my next fix. -
Review from Kayan L.
Lots of fancy euro candies. Sad that they didn't have the coconut teacake, toffee caramel or fruit gums that i wanted. But I got some pretty yum fish gums, dark chocolate sea salt caramels, soft toffees and hard toffee drops.
Storefront is super tiny, but cute place. Most everything is $4.50 per quarter pound. Fun place to browse and get some sweets if you're in the neighborhood. -
Review from Marylan S.
Ladera Ranch, CA
Lady, your store isn't all that. It's just a cutesy version of The Sweet Factory you'll see at any given mall. The fact that you can only fit 3 or 4 people at a time in it only intensified the discomfort I experienced when coming into this store. Yes, I had a Groupon, but don't treat me like a second-class citizen when I enter your store, as YOU were the one that offered the deal. I knew that there'd be that special Groupon box to make it easier for those of us that bought one, or we had the choice of 3 bagged candies. I learned this from other Yelpers, That, I appreciated. For the reason that all the candy selections are enshrined on a wall behind the cashier's counter, I felt uncomfortable trying to lean over and decide what I would have otherwise wanted.
I was with my 2 little girls and was trying to have a cute, whimsical moment with them. So maybe one day they'd ask, "Can we go back to that candy store I liked so much?" What I got was a red-headed lady giving me no customer service and the stank-eye when I'd ask her a question. Maybe it's because I'm Asian? I hate playing the race card, but when you have 2 caucasians next to you getting awesome customer service with eloquent explanation of the specifics of the offered Groupon gift box, "complete with our customers' favorites, 3 chocolate candy bars, and a great value since it's worth $50"...you gotta wonder. And yes, they too had a Groupon.
To add insult, I paid $3.75 for 30 min parking. Darn you, SF. The candy was good, though. But when is candy or chocolate ever really bad? -
Review from Fannie S.
I mean I've walked by this place dozens of times, and this was the first time I actually stepped inside, after I figured out where their front door was...*d'oh
A kid in a candystore...yep, that's exactly how it was. I asked for one kind of candy, and then another, and then it became 5 different ones.
$7.50 for about a 4-ounce serving of hard candies...wow.
I tried their pear drops, tangerine, raspberry, apple and marry me quick (toffee+mint)... all delicious. They take a while to dissolve.... Maybe next time, I'll try something soft. (It makes me giggle but they carry Cadbury's and HobNobs...)
Service = helpful. Semi-friendly... Although, I was a bit offended that the first thing she asked me was if I had a Groupon Coupon...(which I know, shockingly, I didn't have, but nonetheless...)
It is easy to miss, so look for the shoppe's sign.
Oh, and there is a minimum purchase of 4 ounces...mandatory, as the salesgirl reminded me and others a few times....
FTW, their webpage
http://www.fionassweet.../ ...
fion.ass.sweet! -
Review from Colleen M.
Los Angeles, CA
This tiny candy store doesn't really stick out among the shops of Union Square, so it's really easy to miss. The store also isn't as maneuverable as I would like, as the counter sits in front of the majority of the candy, so you have to ask the workers to help you out. I like putting candy into a plastic bag and just buying it on my own...
Though I guess this prevents bad kids like me from sampling. Shh.
Fiona's is stocked with imported candy bars, gummies, and an insane assortment of European hard candies.
THE BEST OF THE BEST:
Chocolate covered English caramels
Yorkie Bar (Chunky chocolate bars mmmmm! Who says they're "not for girls"?)
MINT CHIP MALT BALLS - absolute MUST GET
Cola cubes
Toffee butter balls
Toasted teacakes (for you coconut lovers)
...And I kid you not, but try ALL of their gummy candies, which are few, but are absolutely amazing.
The prices might seem hefty, but considering the quality, I'm a new fan of Fiona and her pink candy bags. -
Review from Andy S.
San Francisco, CA
I love candy. Candy from here. Candy from there. If it's sweet, I'll like it.
The selection here and the style of this place is such a great combination. There are many candy stores in San Fran, but none of them do it as well as this one. Their selection of sweets from the other side of the lake is also amazing. It's worth the price.
Grab a Lion Bar on your next visit. You'll love it! -
Review from Ashley J.
I had a Groupon to this wonderful little candy shop in Union Square. I had never heard of it before, but I bought the Groupon because Yelp's reviews for this place were unbelievable, and because I really enjoy sugary sweets.
It's a tad bit hard to see if you're not looking for it, as the shop is SO very tiny. Not many shoppers can fit in this little space at one time. I hardly got to take a good look at what they offered as the 2 ladies working there asked me if I had a Groupon right when I walked in. Why yes, yes I do! They were packing large pink boxes full of different candies, and chocolate bars, and told me that the boxes were for the people that have a Groupon. I guess they had too much crazyness go on in the store when the Groupon hit, and lots of the Groupon-ies took too long to pick out candy, and make sure it was at least $20 worth. So the prepackaged box was kind of nice in my opinion. I'm also quite positive that I got WAY more than $20 worth of candy. The box felt like it was at least 5 pounds.
They had 4 assorted bags of candies, one for gummies, one for chocolates, one for hard candies, and one for wrapped candies. My box also included a Kinder bar, a Mars bar, and a bag of some white chocolate malt ball candies. This is seriously the best candy I've ever had! My sister was in town visiting me and I had her bring back at least half to my family in North Carolina, and they've been enjoying Fiona's bewitching candy all week.
I didn't get a great look at the prices, but I'm pretty sure that this candy can get a bit pricey. Fiona's is perfect for cute gifts to give to friends, or stopping in and getting yourself a sweet treat. I'm pretty sure I won't be back to get a huge 5 pound box any time soon, but I'll definitely be back when the sweet tooth kicks in!Listed in: Favorite Gift/Shopping Spots:…
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Review from Sasha R.
San Jose, CA
great selection of sweets from the u.k. their bulk rose and pistachio turkish delight rock! the ladies are very helpful and remembered who i was on my second visit.
if you follow them on twitter, they offer a $5 coupon.
a great place for hostess gifts and snacks for the office. -
Review from Angela V.
San Francisco, CA
Licorice chalk
Acid drops (non-hallucinogenic variety)
Chocolate covered English toffee
The girls behind the counter, sometimes are brash. But I can understand it's hard being interrupted by customers, when you want to eat everything in the store. Sorry girls, dish me up some candy, quickly. And yes, I do want to touch everything.
5 people can MAYBE fit in the shop, but prepare to stand in one spot. -
Review from Nicole O.
4.5 out of 5
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This is a very quaint shop that you could easily miss in the hustle and bustle of Union Square. Lucky for me, it caught our eye and we stopped in to get a sugar fix!
It's a tad small inside and most of their inventory is hard candy, but they do have some gummies and imported candy bars. The person working there didn't know what all the candy bars were, so broke one open then and there to chomp on.
The candies can get a tad expensive, but you can taste the difference in quality. The price point is alright because a little of these candies goes a long way! I especially love their licorice--I've never tasted such potent, yet balanced flavors in a licorice candy before!
Fiona's also runs promotions like buy 3 get one free or 3 for $10 to help keep the candy not too expensive. They also sell some of their candies through Williams-Sonoma stores now (for those of us not in San Francisco). -
Review from Tammie N.
Honolulu, HI
Okay so I was just thinking as I was polishing off the last of my sweet treats from my trip to Fiona's that I can't wait for my order to come in the mail. I just placed my order on the 10th so I didn't expect it for at least a week...but low and behold...came home to a wonderful surprise in my mailbox!! That's 4 days later ~ WOW!!
I love this shoppe even more now than I did when I first discovered them :-) Now I can let my husband have the last two pieces of Cinder Toffee since I ordered two whole bags - heehee!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/11/2011
Discovered this wonderful little shop thanks to Groupon! The jars of candies with whimsical names… Read more »
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2/11/2011
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Review from Brian F.
San Francisco, CA
Rather disappointed, as I went in with a groupon and most of the candy was already sold out. They had mostly hard candy left, which was not what I was looking for. The stuff I got was good, but pricey. Dont know if I will give this place another shot, as it is rather inconvienent to get to.
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Review from Momma L.
Albany, CA
Oh, this saddens me to only give three stars! Fiona's Sweet Shoppe is a regular haunt for me. I'm in the city often for work and have made it a priorty (okay a habit) to stop in whenever I can. I have a very special mix of candies I love to make.. toffees, licorice, some little coconut things etc.
So you can imagine my joy when Groupon offered a groupon for $8 for $20 of candy! Wow!
I was so sad today to visit, only to find out that they already have the candy prepackaged for groupon customers! I couldn't buy the candies that I love so much... I could only buy the pre packaged little sacks - one of chocolates, one of gummies, one of hard candy and one of assorted caramels. Sure it was a really nice mix of candy.. and well worth $8, but none of my favorites seem to be in there. I don't even really like gummy candy.
I think this should have been more clearly advertised in the original groupon... truthfully I would have rather just paid the $8 for candy I really want rather than all this candy that I''m not all that excited to try. -
Review from Jammir G.
San Francisco, CA
Cute shop with candies that are not your run of the mill M&Ms or jawbreakers (granted I do love both of those...)
But the fact that the majority of the candies were hard candies and not even in fun shapes or anything made the selection somewhat boring. Plus I wanted to separate the two candy types I bought into two separate bags but apparently its a rule of theirs that each bag had to weigh a quarter pound at least before they gave you another one...
Uhhh weird...? Maybe they're trying to save bags? I don't know, but I just didn't feel like half a pound of candy that day. I also wanted to keep the powdered sugar dust from my strawberry bon bons off of the champagne bubble jellies. No such luck. So boo to them for that. -
Review from Veronica S.
Fremont, CA
This place is great! I saw it by accident while walking around here and its cuteness really caught my eye.
They offer a variety of candies, chocolates, & cookies from all over the world (mostly from Europe). The prices are a bit on the pricy end..about $4.50 per quarter pound, but can you expect from a little shop that sells imported candies?
They're also very generous and sweet...they let you try samples. Also, right now, if you spend $10 you can get a free chocolate bar or free biscuits from England.
Great little shop..would make for lovely gifts for any lady friend! -
Review from gwynnie p.
San Francisco, CA
A sweet li'l shoppe with delightful staff. Great for Anglophiles and Harry Potter fans of all ages. Mostly hard candies (explaining, I guess, the poor dental state of the UK citizenry) except a nice selection of Cadbury chocolate bars.
I don't even want to know what I paid for that super fresh and delish Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar but at least it made for a many night dessert. We are waiting to find out about the Licorice All Sorts as they are burning a hole in our gift drawer for a birthday girl (we are thinking she will share)
The packaging for your selections and overall aesthetic is super cute. Luckily the prices are high enough that your teeth won't rot and Fiona's remains a "special occasion" stop. -
Review from CeCe C.
Yay!! I got more candy!!!!! :D
- strawberry bonbons (like the ones in England)
- sherbert lemons
- sherbert strawberries
- lemon fizzballs
- large pear drops
- rosy apples
- flying saucers
- free bag of: cola fizzballs and cola cubes (with $10 purchase)
When I got there, the store was closed! I saw a tiny sign saying they'd be back at 4:30pm! Ah, I had to wait patiently at the door for 20 minutes? open. open. open. I was ready to break in and get some candy!
So be warned, there's only one lady working at the shop and she takes the most randomest breaks during the day!
I have yet to try the sold out candies: butter ginger, toasted teacakes, butterscotch, simple mint rocks, and spearmint chews!!
Until next time... Happy Candy Munchy!Listed in: This is SF, candy
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2010
- Strawberry bonbons (my personal fav)
- Rhubarb & custard
- Lemon fizzballs
- Orange sherbet
Kinda… Read more »
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4/11/2010
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Review from Desmo K.
San Francisco, CA
Tiny place that is easy to pass by without noticing downtown. I had a Groupon that I used for V-Day for my ol' lady. We were impressed. They gave us a special little mix bag worth even more than what was promised on the Groupon (which was already a great deal). They also had samplers out and a thank you gift for non-Groupon folks spending above a certain amount (maybe $10?).
If you like hard candies, you will probably find something you really love here. I am a bit tired of them after a big sack of candy but, still, these are interesting flavors that should be tried. They have some great toffee and licorice, if you like those. Also, the fruity 'fizzballs' are pretty fun. Stop in, try one of the samples. The candy make great gifts: they can wrap up cute little sacks of goodies to go. -
Review from John D.
San Francisco, CA
I was all set to be disappointed thanks to the most recent yelp reviews as it relates to Groupon but I am admittedly pleased. Though they opened a few minutes late, I was given great service! Sadly I can't justify paying full price fore the candy so I will not be back ( unless on an expense account). The candy is delicious but priced out of my range. I am so used to businesses being out of things as it comes to the end of a groupon redemption period so I was happy to see Fionna's stocked full with choices. For those that can afford $18.00 lb....please support Fionna's so they are around when I am in better financial condition.
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Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
I thought I knew my British candy but Fiona's has so many varieties that I've never seen before and have only read about in books, including humbugs, sherberts, treacle toffees, chocolate fruits and Hawick balls. The poor girl at the store (not Fiona) had to deal with all of my questions, but she knows her stuff and I think she's tried most of the candies (if not all).
Fiona's tiny shop is devoted to candies and cookies (mainly candy) from the UK (with a few stray jars of Australian licorice). There are about 120 clear jars of candy ($4.49 for a quarter lb.) organized by type: nutty, hard, minty, toffee, gummy, licorice, fudge, etc. Your typical British candy bars are well represented from Smarties to Aero (most of these aren't too hard to find). The British seem to not like sour candies as much as I do - very few candies are sour (too bad). They didn't have any sour Valentine's candies (and not much for V-Day in general). I like malt balls and they only had two kinds (plus the Maltesers).
In the end I picked out several candy bars (most of them are $1.89), a bag of assorted fudge and some Dip Dap (reminds me of Fun Dip). Cadbury came out with a candy bar that looks like Nestle's Aero called Bubbly. I like Aero better; Bubbly has a chalky taste. Revels also intrigued me - the mystery sweet - the flavor is a surprise!
If you buy over $10, you get a free bag of British sweets and a stamp on your card. Collect five stamps and get a $5 credit. On Mondays, get TWO stamps and TWO free bags of candy with your $10 purchase! It's like Sanrio Double Stamp day only better.
Their website has descriptions of their candy, so you may want to study it first before visiting for the first time.
As for the actual candy, it's okay - not the fault of the shop. I wish someone would open a French or German candy shop!Listed in: Candy store and tour central
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Review from Steve L.
We had a couple of hours before our show time for "Wicked!" at the Orpheum, so we came downtown to walk around and grab an early dinner. I found a parking spot on Sutter, and my daughter and her friend spotted Fiona's right across the street.
My wife wanted to do some shopping, but the girls wanted to check out the candy shop. My daughter told my wife not to worry, Daddy will take us there (Yes, she knows me).
As many reviewers mentioned, this is a pretty small shop. There are labeled jars of candies along the wall behind the cashier, and these jars are arranged by candy types, such as "Nutty," "Minty," "Hard," "Licorice," "Fizzy,".....Also a nice selection of Mars and Cadbury chocolates from the UK. They don't carry the usual bulk candy one would see at many serve-yourself-pay-by-the-ounce places. Most are imported candies from the UK.
My daughter didn't have to do much persuasion for me to buy them candy for the show. I let girls buy 4 ounces each, which they can mix up to 3 varieties. They made sure they chose different varieities so they can try each others. If you buy over $10, you get a free bag of fudge. With the girls' purchases, we were short by a couple of dollars, so I "had" to step up (my reasoning, explained to my wife), and bought 4 oz. for myself, consisting of acid balls (nice and tart), West Indian Limes, and sour apples. Each of our orders were packed in nice ribbon-wrapped heavy weighted paper bags, which we didn't open until the show started.
A nice place for a stop for candies. The kids and I were happy!Listed in: Something for the Sweet…
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Review from Kristina R.
San Francisco, CA
I passed by this tiny, British candy store several times without even looking twice. Yesterday, however...I looked for the Mrs. Field's cookie shop. No cookies...but instead, I found Fiona's.
Or more specifically, Fiona's DAD. That's what it said on his nametag, at least.
He was a charming fellow, and had a disarmingly sweet demeanor...pretty much worth the five star rating right there.
It was like he stepped right out of Braveheart. But instead of attacking me with big swords in a Mel Gibson schlong-perm, he started handing me rhubarb cream sweets in cute pink girly bags while saying things like "and I tank ya, darlin'" in an awesome Irish accent.
I'm not even sure if that's really what he said...he could have said, "You smell and look like sewer bile" in that accent. I wouldn't have even flinched.
(And if the accent was English, I apologize. Just replace "Braveheart" with "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Mel Gibson" with "Hugh Grant." My bad!) -
Review from Amy C.
http://www.youtube.com...
I know a shop that's small but sweet
Fiona's so cute, it can't be beat
Its got UK treats that you desire
Sets the sugar urge on fire
I want candy, I want candy
Go to see it when you're in town
Ain't no pinker shop around
You're my shop, just what the doctor ordered
So sweet, you make my mouth water
I want candy, I want candy
Bonbons and toffees, there's nothing better
And Aussie licorice, for not too much cheddar
Some day soon I'll make you mine,
Then I'll have candy all the time
I want candy, I want candy
I want candy, I want candy...Listed in: My Favorite Food Group: SUGAR, Yelpy "Poetry"
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Review from Genevieve Y.
San Francisco, CA
Date & Time: Saturday November 1, 2008 @ 2pm
Company: Michael
Crowd: European Tourists
Decor: Cozy Postage-Stamp Sized Space made even Smaller w/ the ShopGirl's Boyfriend Parked on A Chair @ The Entrance. Shelves of European Chocolates & Cookies. Behind the Counter are Jars & Jars of Candies
Service: Slow but Sweet
Devour: Milky Bar from Switzerland & Creme Sandwich Cookies
Skip: Mini-Licorices from Australia in Raspberry, Apple, Strawberry Flavors
Total: $14.50
Note: With Any $10 Purchase You get to Chose from a Basket Full of Treats. I Chose a Package of Caramels & Get Your Card Stamped -
Review from Shauna S.
I love this place because they've got something for all of the special people in my life. Whether it's the Holland Mints for my BF, the vast array of imported Cadbury chocolates that my parents adore or the Coconut Toasted Teacake that I need to treat myself to, this store has us all covered. It's a small spot but they have so much great stuff here that the small quarters don't phase me. All that matters is the delicious candies and chocolates.
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Review from Rinky N.
East Bay
Okay, I did try to move into Fiona's. But it is a small shop and it was impossible for me to hide in a corner.
Fiona's is the BIGGEST smallest candy shop I've been to. Even though I am a huge See's candy fan (ha ha in more ways than one); I strayed one morning while hanging out in SF with a choco/shopaholic buddy.
We thought we'd just get a little bit of this or that. But the moment we stepped into Fiona's we were completely entranced. We felt like Hansel and Gretel (or in our case Gretel and Gretel) gawking at the candy house. Rows and rows and rows of clear jars contained every possible chocolate, chewy, gummy, sticky, sour candy ever invented.
Most of the candies are European (I think the chocolates are US).
Whenever we asked about the candies the kind counter person gave us samples. After 8 (?) or more samples, our teeth were beginning to vibrate and the sugar rush made me feel like I was on a pogo stick.
So we did stop.. I got mint chocolate malt balls, chocolate pistachios and UFOs. The UFO's (see my pic) are this flat colored disks with a fizzy tablet inside. The disks look like pastel-colored condoms or foam packaging thingamajigs. The kids I gave them to LOVED them.
Thanks Fiona's for a wonderful experience. Thanks for the samples and your patience. A sweet time with sweet people!
