Unforgettably luxurious, this is where to find the best hot chocolate in London.
London’s tea and coffee culture is well known, and you’ll find chic, bustling cafés across the city – but decadent hot chocolates are another speciality that the capital can add to its food and drink offering. These spots will help sweeten the grey winter days ahead. Let us take you on a tour: these are 10 of London’s best and richest hot chocolates.
Knoops
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Knoops is inspired by founder Jens Knoop’s relationship with chocolate in his homeland Germany, which ranks second in the world for annual chocolate consumption. The Knoops hot chocolate uses a percentage-based menu to blend each cup according to individual preferences and cravings, offering cocoa blends ranging from 28 per cent white chocolate to 100 per cent extra dark chocolate. ‘Knoopologists’ prepare the hot chocolate by melting chocolate flakes with your choice of milk and extras, whether spices, fruits or marshmallows. Following the success of its flagship store in Rye, East Sussex, Knoops expanded to London in 2020 and is fast becoming one of the UK’s hotspots for a sweet fix. But this isn’t just a winter hangout: when the temperatures start to heat up again, pop in for a chocolate affogato or freshly blended milkshake. And for a hearty home brew, head online to purchase Knoops’ rich chocolate flakes (with vegan options available).
Gelateria Danieli
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Tucked away in Richmond, the turquoise exterior of Gelateria Danieli – an Italian coffee, ice cream parlour and chocolate shop – stands out. Its hot chocolate, dubbed the ‘thickest hot chocolate in London’ by TikTok’s foodie lovers, stays true to the Italian way – meaning it serves cups of literal ‘hot’ or melted chocolate. While waiting for your hot drink to brew, browse the beautiful selection of handmade truffles, Belgian chocolates and candied marzipan fruits in the parlour’s ‘chocolate library’ – each delicately curated and ribboned, these boxes make great gifts, too.
The Connaught Patisserie by Nicolas Rouzaud
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For the chic, Parisian-like patisserie experience head to the experts at Mayfair’s The Connaught Patisserie by Nicolas Rouzaud. Marbled tables and countertops, and delicate pink walls make a pleasant space for an afternoon pick-me-up or a weekend treat. Professionals in all-things-sweet, the hot chocolate here is a sophisticated approach – and don’t ignore the delicately handcrafted patisseries, from fig tarts to almond Paris-Brest. Headed up by award-winning executive pastry chef Nicolas Rouzard, these little tarts look like pieces of art – you’ll likely want to snap a quick picture or two before devouring.
William Curly Soho
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William Curley, the famous chocolatier and Master of the Culinary Arts (awarded by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts) uses only the world’s finest natural ingredients, all sourced from local producers, to create his award-winning chocolates. Try his famous products – including the luxury ‘couture chocolates’ and delicious hot chocolate – in his iconic orange-fronted Soho chocolate shop, or at historic Harrods. An innovator by nature, there’s always something new to try at William Curley, with continued releases of new chocolate cakes (and all other kinds of confections) served up alongside trusted and loved classics.
Dark Sugars
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An infectiously warm ambiance seeps out of Dark Sugars, as the strong cocoa perfumes meet dance music. Owners Paul and Nyanga spent three and a half years travelling in South America and West Africa, visiting farms and working with the Ghana Cocoa Board to research the harvesting process of cocoa beans. Proudly offering the finest Ghanaian chocolates in London, Dark Sugars began selling just two flavours (coffee and walnut; stem ginger and honey). Now, bowls of cocoa-dusted truffles (think hazelnut praline and white saffron; pink champagne and vodka orange) line their windows, with a similar variety offered in the vegan range. Pairing indulgence with education and creativity, Dark Sugars only uses the highest quality cocoa in their hot chocolates and top them with a dramatic scattering of chocolate shavings. It doesn’t get better (or more chocolatey) than this.
Italian Bear Chocolate
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Soho is home to another of London’s charming chocolate shops, Italian Bear Chocolate. Honouring Italian cultural heritage in each and every chocolate product, its recipes have been carefully developed over the last 10 years. Whether it’s hot chocolates, chocolate cakes or strawberries, it’s all coated in a thick layer of freshly melted chocolate. Italian Bear Chocolate also assures no hidden ingredients, with all chocolate produced locally. Don’t be put off by the (likely long) queue, it moves fast and the famous triple chocolate mocha is worth the wait.
Hotel Chocolat
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It will probably come as no surprise that Hotel Chocolat is on our list, having long established itself as a global favourite for a sweet fix. The British chocolate manufacturer dates back to the early 1990s, when founders Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris embarked on a journey to source original, authentic and ethical chocolate. Over 30 years later, the brand has 126 stores across the world, with cocoa products stemming from the Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia. Always a great place to try unusual flavours, Hotel Chocolat even offers a mince-pie flavoured hot chocolate – an ideal way to get into the festive spirit.
Chin Chin Labs
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If you’re looking for a fun way to brighten up a grey winter afternoon, add Chin Chin Labs to your London agenda. Innovatively fusing science with gastronomy, Chin Chin Labs first came to attention after creating Europe’s first nitrogen ice cream parlour, where liquid nitrogen freezes your ice cream scoops in front of your eyes. Chin Chin Labs uses similar theatrics with their famous hot chocolate, where a blow-torched marshmallow tops the rich drink. Choose from tonka bean, Valrhona chocolate or apple-crumble pie flavours, with truffle crumble and glossy cherry toppings. In keeping with the concept, glass beakers, measuring cylinders and pipettes line the funky interior.
carpo
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Piccadilly’s pick for a luxury chocolate stop, carpo has opened in London. Founded in Athens in 1991, the Greek deli and coffee bar is now bringing premium chocolate, specialty coffee and hand-picked nuts to London, following existing stores in Dubai and Athens. carpo assures quality first by sourcing ingredients from small-scale suppliers, with hampers and packaging made from materials sourced in Paris and Italy. Browse the two-storey concept store with a warm mug of hot chocolate in hand and surrounded by piles of hand-crafted chocolates.
Badiani
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Iconic Badiani gelato stores are scattered across central London, each painted in a vibrant hue – from electric blue to sunshine yellow or candyfloss pink. The store designs tease what awaits on the menu: rich, high-quality chocolate; row upon row of ice cream trays; a creperie; and an espresso machine for deluxe affogatos. This winter, alongside their signature hot chocolate (served in a tall glass mug topped with whipped cream and a branded wafer biscuit) try the new pistachio hot chocolate, featuring pistachio cream. We recommend also trying their famous milk-chocolate gelato cookie, ideal for dipping.
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