Best hot chocolate in the city?

[emily_r]

With the trend of the $5 or even $8 cup of hot chocolate, I'm curious what people think is the top in the city. I've tried the City Bakery hot chocolate and Max Brenner and of course the standard Starbucks hot chocolate, but I'd like to hear about some other places to check out.

[scotty27]

Burdick's, but it's soooo thick.

www.shrinkinthekitchen.com

[sugartoof]

I think it depends what you order at Burdick's.

They pushed on of their specials which was single sourced from a South American country, if I recall, and despite giving me a sample of the chocolate itself, I wasn't thrilled with the resulting cup. It was thin, probably made with water, but I'm not sure, and so bitter I wished I had added sugar. It was also more expensive, and not a "special" as in "special price".

[julilouie]

It's a really crazy intense drink, but somehow delicious. On Spring Street the best chocolate cake in the world cafe sells a "chocolate shot". It is worth a try and very rich dark chocolate.

http://exm.nr/hQ2gdp

[GeraldineNY]

Absolutely hands down City Bakery! I love it and constantly go out of my way to have it. Also, try Cafe Habana in Noho- they have an awesome spicy hot chocolate...

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Cafe Habana
229 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012

City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

[uhockey]

City Bakery was indeed excellent. I found Jacques Torres quite boring.

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City Bakery
3 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

Jacques Torres
285 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

[windycity]

I found Jacques Torres' hot cocoa strangely meaty tasting, which is why I avoid it.

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Jacques Torres
285 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

[lizisinflatbush]

Weird! Did you try the Wicked Hot Chocolate with chiles in it? I really enjoyed it last winter, though I'll confess that this year a couple of times it's been burnt.

[Jacquelyn]

Agree with all the other recs but would also recommend Kitchenette on Chambers. They give you giant homemade marshmallows and it's enough to share!

[fm1963]

I love the hot chocolate at Grom Gelato in Manhattan and the Chocolate Room in Park Slope.

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Grom
2165 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

[daffyduck]

i 2nd grom, i was actually surprised by how good it was. but i havent tried many hot chocolates so i dont know how it matches with others. but i thought it was way better than jacque torres.

[sugartoof]

No idea what their hot cocoa is like, but I'd warn anyone looking to have a meal at Kitchenette. Night and day from the Uptown location.

[Jacquelyn]

Really?? I haven't been in a while but I used to really enjoy their breakfast. Not so much their dinner though. Have you been recently and it was bad?

[sugartoof]

I had a bad experience at dinner with their entrees. The food did not taste freshly prepared, or properly cooked, to the point of concern. Think hospital cafeteria on "southern night". This was probably about a year ago. Never been back, or had the breakfast at that location.

[Jacquelyn]

Wow that's awful! Good to know though, thanks.

[a_and_w]

Wait... are you saying the Chambers Kitchenette is bad? It's been a while, but I had some great lunches there when I worked in the area.

[sugartoof]

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

I believe it was probably good once upon a time. Maybe they've cleaned up their act since?

[a_and_w]

Bummer... thanks for the heads up!

[rkaene]

Zabars "cafe"- the take out shop next to the store- Absolute perfection- less sweet than city bakery, and under $2!

[food4lifex3]

Everything at Zabars rocks, so I'm not surprised!

[guttergourmet]

Happy to report (though my wife and daughter are in tears) that the 9th Street Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man has bitten the dust!

[windycity]

Yes! Yes! yes! This is me dancing in the streets!

[visciole]

I am also very happy to see this one go. Every time I used to walk by it I'd think, Get your craptastic choco-theme restaurant outta my hood!

[lizisinflatbush]

Jacques Torres is definitely the best and most "gourmet," but I definitely enjoy Max Brenner. I met one of their chefs the last time I went in for a late night chocolate fix and they definitely don't use any kind of mix. It's definitely not bad, especially considering the price. Their desserts are usually too sweet/rich, though.

[maxine]

My favorite thing with City Bakery's is that you can order just at "shot" for $2 (used to be 1). It is the perfect size for the rich, thick chocolate.

[sugartoof]

City Bakery is the best I've had, and it takes care of any chocolate urges for days.
The last quarter of the cup once it sits and turns into hot fudge sauce can be a bit iffy in it's intensity, but up until then, it's amazing.

Marie Belle's espresso size nearly killed me it was so dense. I found it uncomfortable to drink, and the texture overshadowed the flavor. It was also served scalding hot, which didn't help. Once it cooled down, I had to remind myself it was hot cocoa.

Max Brenner is a good way to get food poisoning. I suspect he's using generic cocoa powder. His choc. isn't pure enough to fix my cravings, and I'm not even much of a chocolate eater. Meanwhile, the White Chocolate hot cocoa tasted like sweetened warmed milk to me.

I miss the old Dean and Deluca coffee bar offshoot in Soho, as well as the place that was next to Kelly and Ping, which I think was called Untitled or something awful like that. Tasty hot cocoa though.

[kathryn]

Max Brenner works in a pinch because they're open later than a lot of the places mentioned here, but the Italian flavor is the only one worth getting.

[mrnyc]

i never get the CITY BAKERY hot chocolate as is. i always get it cut in half with coffee. it's hotter, much more drinkable and no sludge at the bottom that way.

fyi it helps speed things up if you give them the insider order -- they call that a "two-tone."

[sugartoof]

wow, thanks for that tip. i would have never even known to do that, even though i've worked in offices with coffee machines that would do a half and half. the coffee over powered the cocoa mix ... but i'm guessing citi bakery's chocolate would win in a gang fight.

is it the same price?

[guttergourmet]

Let's see-here is my ranking:

8.Bald Man
7.Cluizel
6.Marcolini
5.Marie Belle (available at Cocoa Bar on 9th avenue too)
4.Payard
3. Jacques Torres
2.La Maison de Chocolate
1.City Bakery
Need to try Vosges. Can anyone weigh in on Despana which I hear is serving hot chocolate with churros? I'll also give honorable mention to Donut Plant's hot chocolate. There was a restaurant called @SQC which unfortunately is now RIP which made a mean hot chocolate. Wonder where Scott Campbell, the chef, wound up? I also did not mention Chocolate Bar because I believe they serve Jacques Torres' hot chocolate. Fauchon, which I believe is looking to reopen, wasn't that great and didn't make the cut.

[guttergourmet]

Despana's hot chocolate made with Valor Spanish chocolate a la taza is fantastic and their churros are top notch too!

[pythagoras]

The Catalonian Enric Rovira a la taza Amargo offers the best in my book!!

[mahler5]

PLEASE let me know where I can find it. I had it in Barcelona and my life has not been the same since.

[sugartoof]

The Despana Valor hot chocolate is wonderful but comes out of a plastic bag.
You're better off buying it when they have it in stock.
It's also a more nutty type chocolate that is thick like a sipping or dipping choc.
Not for everyone, but I love it.

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Despana
408 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

[guttergourmet]

Update: the Dessert Truck's hot chocolate could be a top 3 contender!

[maxine]

I tried the Jacques Torres wicked hot chocolate yesterday and it really was great! I wish it was closer to me. Though I did burn my tongue on it. Tonight I tried the chocolate from the dessert truck - yum! rich and creamy, not Torres, but very good.

[jens]

Jacques Torres in west Soho. They also have a new location on the UWS. Amazing stuff. More like molten chocolate than a hot beverage.

I've had really bad, as in downright awful, hot chocolate at Dean & Deluca. For everyday hot chocolate, Pret really isn't that bad. Much better than Starbucks.

[nokitsch]

Another vote for Torres. The only drawback is that it really does make you bounce off the walls for a while.

[bgut1]

Me too for Torres with a homemade marshmallow and a chocolate chip cookie. Talk about chocolate overload :)

[Fallon]

Just had a mighty fine hot chocolate at Fairway Cafe by Mitchel London. It was $3.50 and served in a oil canister looking contraption but delicious...I highly recommend it.

[mrnyc]

i had a good hot chocolate recently at HOW SWEET IT IS bakery on essex.

[emily]

I really like Mariebelle's. It's not too rich or thick or sweet which sits better with me!

[misschopsticks]

I love Mariebelle's hot chocolate too! Particularly their European style hot chocolate. It's very thick, chocolatey smooth and not sickeningly sweet. I think b/c the "European style" isn't made wth milk, it's not overwhelmingly rich. But beware, b/c it's so thick, it's not really made for gulping, more so to savor in tiny little sips.

I've had their dark, mocha and spicy flavors, and I like spicy the best. Don't get the spicy if you can't handle heat, there's definitely a kick!

[Olive123]

Third vote for Mariebelle. I've had the dark and the spicy, both tasty. Love the room in the back, too. It's perfect to enjoy your cup of deliciousness!

[mahler5]

Fourth vote for Mariebelle.

[floretbroccoli]

City Bakery is especially fun in February when they offer a different flavor of hot chocolate every day.

Jacques Torres's Wicked Hot Chocolate is great if you like your chocolate a little spicy and smoky.

[LNG212]

Second -- I love the Wicked hot chocolate at Jacques Torres. It's so great that he has a new shop on the UWS.

[floretbroccoli]

I was in the UWS Jacques Torres store last night and Jacques was there. When I told him how much I love the Wicked, he gave me a hug. Swoon.

[LNG212]

SO jealous. He was just on a "One on One" with Budd Mishkin on NY1. Very interesting character. I love his chocolates. The macadamia nuts w/dark chocolate are terrific.

[Lucia]

City Bakery is my favorite, followed by Chocolate Bar. Jacques Torres and La Maison du Chocolat are also worth trying.

[emily_r]

Where is Chocolate Bar?

[Lucia]

http://www.chocolatebarnyc.com/home.html

[a_and_w]

City Bakery never makes their hot chocolate hot enough for my taste. The problem is exacerbated by the marshmallow, which I'd recommend skipping.

[secondari]

I love the hot chocolate at Vosges Chocolate (www.vosgeschocolate.com) in soho (132 Spring St). I think the Hot Chocolate at City Barkery is too thick, rich, and filling. It is more like a pie filling really.

In addition to Vosges I also love to frozen hot chocolate at Jacques Torres in Brooklyn (haven't been to the Soho location) but that is more for the Summertime.

[jackieparis]

Which flavors have you tried at Vosages? I've been wanting to try their white hot chocolate.

[kathryn]

I really enjoy the Azteca (spicy hot chocolate). It's spicier than Jacques Torres' Wicked, which is a plus in my book.

[Lucia]

I didn't like the white chocolate. Tasted like steamed milk.