466699 Wed Dec 05 11:16:49 -0800 2007 44 18 Manhattan 0 3182038 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. Wed Dec 05 11:16:49 -0800 2007 80151 emily_r 1 3182214 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. Wed Dec 05 11:59:27 -0800 2007 3182038 32367 secondari 2 3184429 Which flavors have you tried at Vosages? I've been wanting to try their white hot chocolate. Thu Dec 06 07:33:47 -0800 2007 3182214 65585 jackieparis 3 3184475 I really enjoy the Azteca (spicy hot chocolate). It's spicier than Jacques Torres' Wicked, which is a plus in my book. Thu Dec 06 07:45:37 -0800 2007 3184429 10936 kathryn 3 3184479 I didn't like the white chocolate. Tasted like steamed milk. Thu Dec 06 07:47:07 -0800 2007 3184429 10216 Lucia 1 3182227 City Bakery is my favorite, followed by Chocolate Bar. Jacques Torres and La Maison du Chocolat are also worth trying. Wed Dec 05 12:01:45 -0800 2007 3182038 10216 Lucia 2 3182465 Where is Chocolate Bar? Wed Dec 05 13:12:32 -0800 2007 3182227 80151 emily_r 3 3182477 http://www.chocolatebarnyc.com/home.html Wed Dec 05 13:16:52 -0800 2007 3182465 10216 Lucia 2 3182487 City Bakery never makes their hot chocolate hot enough for my taste. The problem is exacerbated by the marshmallow, which I'd recommend skipping. Wed Dec 05 13:19:33 -0800 2007 3182227 18466 a_and_w 1 3182429 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. Wed Dec 05 12:56:10 -0800 2007 3182038 13812 floretbroccoli 2 3182493 Second -- I love the Wicked hot chocolate at Jacques Torres. It's so great that he has a new shop on the UWS. Wed Dec 05 13:20:37 -0800 2007 3182429 104084 LNG212 3 3184396 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. Thu Dec 06 07:22:43 -0800 2007 3182493 13812 floretbroccoli 4 3185119 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. Thu Dec 06 10:49:49 -0800 2007 3184396 104084 LNG212 1 3183032 I really like Mariebelle's. It's not too rich or thick or sweet which sits better with me! Wed Dec 05 16:16:33 -0800 2007 3182038 18705 emily 2 3233790 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! Sun Dec 23 21:39:08 -0800 2007 3183032 140529 misschopsticks 3 3234602 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! Mon Dec 24 10:45:57 -0800 2007 3233790 127218 Olive123 4 5166073 Fourth vote for Mariebelle. Sun Nov 08 19:36:55 -0800 2009 3234602 233059 mahler5 1 3183114 i had a good hot chocolate recently at HOW SWEET IT IS bakery on essex. Wed Dec 05 16:54:25 -0800 2007 3182038 11372 mrnyc 1 3183470 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. Wed Dec 05 19:03:25 -0800 2007 3182038 16919 Fallon 1 3183681 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. Wed Dec 05 20:40:12 -0800 2007 3182038 20881 jens 2 3185513 Another vote for Torres. The only drawback is that it really does make you bounce off the walls for a while. Thu Dec 06 12:47:55 -0800 2007 3183681 85498 nokitsch 3 3186601 Me too for Torres with a homemade marshmallow and a chocolate chip cookie. Talk about chocolate overload :) Thu Dec 06 18:45:30 -0800 2007 3185513 31617 bgut1 1 3186794 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. Thu Dec 06 20:24:20 -0800 2007 3182038 56040 maxine 1 3187203 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. Fri Dec 07 04:37:48 -0800 2007 3182038 10173 guttergourmet 2 3193174 Despana's hot chocolate made with Valor Spanish chocolate a la taza is fantastic and their churros are top notch too! Sun Dec 09 14:45:52 -0800 2007 3187203 10173 guttergourmet 2 3231782 Update: the Dessert Truck's hot chocolate could be a top 3 contender! Sat Dec 22 20:05:20 -0800 2007 3187203 10173 guttergourmet 1 3232007 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. Sat Dec 22 23:05:12 -0800 2007 3182038 145096 sugartoof 2 3232264 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. Sun Dec 23 07:24:23 -0800 2007 3232007 10936 kathryn 2 3233725 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." Sun Dec 23 20:58:56 -0800 2007 3232007 11372 mrnyc 3 3233912 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? Sun Dec 23 23:54:11 -0800 2007 3233725 145096 sugartoof 1 3237258 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. Wed Dec 26 08:55:34 -0800 2007 3182038 56040 maxine 1 3237329 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. Wed Dec 26 09:22:35 -0800 2007 3182038 150427 lizisinflatbush 1 4908617 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! Sat Aug 01 07:24:38 -0700 2009 3182038 10173 guttergourmet 2 4916804 Yes! Yes! yes! This is me dancing in the streets! Tue Aug 04 12:19:17 -0700 2009 4908617 41798 windycity 2 5166726 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! Mon Nov 09 07:09:58 -0800 2009 4908617 1121375 visciole 1 5165515 Zabars "cafe"- the take out shop next to the store- Absolute perfection- less sweet than city bakery, and under $2! Sun Nov 08 14:35:25 -0800 2009 3182038 164988 rkaene 1 5166379 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! Mon Nov 09 00:19:36 -0800 2009 3182038 259393 Jacquelyn 2 5166483 I love the hot chocolate at Grom Gelato in Manhattan and the Chocolate Room in Park Slope. Mon Nov 09 04:25:18 -0800 2009 5166379 1093353 fm1963 2 5169215 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. Mon Nov 09 21:53:39 -0800 2009 5166379 145096 sugartoof 3 5181663 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? Sat Nov 14 13:35:38 -0800 2009 5169215 259393 Jacquelyn 4 5183422 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. Sun Nov 15 12:07:31 -0800 2009 5181663 145096 sugartoof 5 5183665 Wow that's awful! Good to know though, thanks. Sun Nov 15 14:10:21 -0800 2009 5183422 259393 Jacquelyn 1 5166973 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... Mon Nov 09 08:40:04 -0800 2009 3182038 277592 GeraldineNY 2 5182205 City Bakery was indeed excellent. I found Jacques Torres quite boring. Sat Nov 14 18:13:11 -0800 2009 5166973 160718 uhockey 3 5191600 I found Jacques Torres' hot cocoa strangely meaty tasting, which is why I avoid it. Wed Nov 18 09:41:58 -0800 2009 5182205 41798 windycity