NYC: Best Hot Chocolates
Over the past two years, I’ve tried 100+ cups of hot chocolate in NYC, and these are the cups I believe are worth mentioning! The majority of the cups below are on the richer side, but there are some milkier, “Swiss-Miss“ like cups here too. Click here to see each spot by neighborhood on a map and here for a full list of my 2023 ratings..
MarieBelle (484 Broome Street)
MarieBelle in Soho is a charming french chocolate shop with a cafe in the back where you can sit down to enjoy afternoon tea, or of course, a cup of hot chocolate. They offer nine varieties that all start with a dark, milk, or white blend of shaved chocolate, milk powder, and sugar. I tried the Plain Milk, White with Tahitian Vanilla, Spiced, and Hazelnut. Each 4 oz cup costs $8. My favorite flavors of the four I tried were the Plain Milk and White with Tahitian Vanilla. I would skip the Hazelnut. You can enjoy their hot chocolate to-go, or dine in. If you visit during the holidays and wish to dine in, I recommend making a reservation.
See my full review here.
L.A. Burdick (156 Prince Street)
L.A. Burdick offers five hot chocolate flavors, each made from a blend of steamed milk and chocolate bar shavings. I tried their Milk, Dark, White, and Spiced (everything but the Single Origin). My favorite was the Dark, which was rich and bitter, with the White coming in close second. The spiced had too much of a kick, making it difficult to appreciate the flavor of the chocolate. You can enjoy their hot chocolate in the shop, or get it to-go. I recommend also trying one of their “Burdick Cookies,” which I believe are some of the best chocolate chip cookies in NYC!
See my full review here.
La Maison Du Chocolat (multiple locations)
La Maison du Chocolat is a French chocolatier with boutiques in NYC in Midtown, on the Upper East Side, and in Penn Station. At their Upper East Side location, they offer two hot chocolates, the Guayaquil and Caracas, both of which are a dark variety. I liked the Caracas which was just a bit less bitter more, but not by much! You can also enjoy a complimentary side of their homemade whipped cream. The Upper East Side location offers both table service as well as cups to-go.
See my full review here.
Fan Fan Doughnuts (448 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn)
If I *had* to choose a favorite hot chocolate in NYC, it would be this cup from Fan Fan Doughnuts. They offer just one variety, that’s made from a Belgian dark chocolate, and is topped with a toasted homemade marshmallow, and served with doughnut croutons (I recommend asking for these on the side). It’s rich, thick, and bitter, with a touch of sweetness from the marshmallow as it begins to melt into the drink. Of course, I also recommend trying one of their fabulous, small-batch doughnuts while here!
See my full review here.
Caleta (131 Avenue A)
Caleta is an ice cream shop by day, and wine bar by night in the East Village that happens to have a phenomenal seasonal hot chocolate. It’s a rich, thick (ganache-like), bitter hot chocolate topped with a torched homemade marshmallow. It’s available for dining in, and to-go, and is a must try.
See my full review here.
The Color of Chocolate at Urbanspace Vanderbilt (230 Park Avenue)
The cup from City Bakery that sparked my love for hot chocolate is BACK for a limited-time only, with a new name and location. Maury Rubin, the owner of City Bakery launched “The Color of Chocolate” in November 2023 at Urbanspace Vanderbilt in Midtown. He’s serving multiple flavors, and I tried all three that were available on opening day: the milk vanilla bean, dark, and white. I loved each, with my favorite being the dark. Maury will be there through at least the end of the year, and I recommend ordering a small 4 oz cup of each flavor so that you can experience all of them!
See my full review here.
Bar Pisellino (52 Grove Street)
Bar Pisellino is a classic Italian bar from the team behind I Sodi and Via Carota that’s best known for its wine, cocktails, and light bites. They serve a traditional Italian-style hot chocolate made from a blend of milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and cornstarch topped with homemade panna (Italian whipped cream). It’s incredibly thick, but flavor-wise, isn’t that rich. It reminded me of a warm chocolate pudding. I enjoyed the cup, and the atmosphere, but personally prefer a more intense chocolate flavor.
See my full review here.
S’mores N’More in Bryant Park’s Winter Village (41st street and 6th Avenue)
There are many hot chocolates to be found at Bryant Park’s Winter Village, but my favorite is from S’mores N’More at the Lodge! Their hot chocolate is made from a blend of dark cocoa, semi-sweet chocolate, and milk, and can be topped with whipped cream, candy, and/or a torched homemade marshmallow in the flavor of your choice! I kept my cup fairly simple, topping it with a funfetti marshmallow and highly recommend this combination.
See my full review here.
Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th)
Gramercy Tavern’s seasonal hot chocolate is European-style, meaning it’s thick, rich, and bitter, almost like a melted chocolate bar . It’s topped with a divine homemade cinnamon marshmallow that melts into the steamy drink. It’s available for dining-in only, and is definitely on the more expensive side, but if there’s one hot chocolate you’re going to splurge on, it should be this one!
Jacques Torres (66 Water Street)
Jacques Torres is a chocolate shop that is best known for its homemade truffles, chocolate chip cookies, and hot chocolates. They offer four hot chocolate flavors- the Classic, Wicked (spiced), Snowball (classic + a scoop of ice cream), and Frozen (classic blended with ice). I tried all four flavors, and my favorite was the Wicked, which is spiced with ancho and chipotle chilis. The hot chocolate base is rich, bitter, and velvety, with a melted-chocolate bar consistency, and the spice adds depth of flavor without muting the intensity of the chocolate. I also enjoyed the Classic, and the Snowball for a more decadent treat. The Frozen tasted like water ice, and I would personally skip it.
See my full review here.
The Chocolate Room (269 Court Street)
The Chocolate Room in Cobble Hill is a chocolate lover’s paradise. This family owned-and-operated shop sells brownies, cookies, sundaes, truffles, fudge, and more, and it’s all handmade daily in small batches on-site. Their hot chocolates are made from a blend of cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, and sugar, and are steamed and blended to silky perfection. They can be topped with homemade marshmallows and/or whipped cream. I tried the milk with marshmallows, spiced with whipped cream, dark with oat milk, and white. Each was excellent, with my favorite being the spiced! While here, I also highly recommend trying their brownie sundae.
See my full review here.
Cocoa Store (873 Broadway 6th Floor)
Cocoa Store is a speakeasy-like chocolate boutique located on the sixth floor of an office building in Flatiron selling a beautiful assortment of artisan chocolate bars, truffles, caramels and more, as well as an excellent Venezuelan hot chocolate. It’s rich and bitter with a drinkable consistency and intense chocolate flavor, and I highly recommend checking it out.
See my full review here.
Glace by Noglu (1266 Madison Avenue)
Glace by Noglu is an ice cream parlor on the Upper East Side that opened in Spring 2023. They’ve kicked off their first fall season with a few different hot chocolate offerings. I tried the S’mores Hot Chocolate which features their classic hot chocolate and torched Italian-style marshmallow fluff. The marshmallow was exquisite, and the hot chocolate itself was lighter and milkier, like a gourmet Swiss Miss.
See my full review here.
From Lucie (263 E 10th Street)
From Lucie is a charming bakery inspired by the French countryside located in The East Village. They’re best known for their floral cakes which are as beautiful as they are delicious. They just launched a seasonal hot chocolate (“Chocolat Chaud”) that’s made with a 64% chocolate ganache and the milk of your choice, and is finished with the vanilla bean whipped cream they use on their cakes. The drink itself is rich, but lightened by the generous scoop of whipped cream. It’s dark but not bitter, and is a delightful cup to sip on a cold day- and bonus points for the adorable mug!
Davey’s Ice Cream (multiple locations)
When it comes to hot chocolate, Davey’s Ice Cream knows what they are doing! Their seasonal cup is made with Guittard chocolate, milk, and cream, and is topped with homemade marshmallows and chocolate shavings. It’s rich, thick, and bitter, and is served at the perfect hot temperature to allow the marshmallows to slowly melt into the drink. This hot chocolate exceeded my expectations and I’ll definitely be back for another cup!
Martha’s Country Bakery (multiple locations)
Martha’s Country Bakery has been around for more than 54 years, and when it comes to baked goods, they do it all! I stopped by their Williamsburg location to check out their hot chocolates, and tried 4 of the 5 that they offer. I tried the Dark, Peanut Butter, Nutella, and Mexican- all but the Red Velvet. The Dark was rich but drinkable, and I enjoyed it! The Peanut Butter was unique, with a naturally nutty flavor, almost as if it was made with peanut-infused milk. I was impressed by the Nutella, which had a strong Nutella flavor without being too thick or rich. The Mexican was too spicy and had many loose spice leaves floating around, and I’d skip this one.
Frenchette (241 W Broadway)
Frenchette and Frenchette Bakery both serve a European-style, thick, rich seasonal hot chocolate topped with a homemade Chartreuse marshmallow. It’s bitter and decadent, and is generally one of my favorite cups in the city, although it can be a bit inconsistent (not always hot, sometimes darker than others). It can be enjoyed to-go from Frenchette Bakery, or for dining-in at Frenchette restaurant.
Via Porta (522 Hudson Street)
Via Porta is a small cafe in the West Village serving pastries, coffee, sandwiches, and prepared foods run by the team behind L’Artusi. They have a seasonal hot chocolate spiced with cloves, nutmeg, and bay leaf with a hint of orange, topped with a homemade marshmallow. It’s rich, and the spices added great flavor, but I personally could have done without the orange. Nonetheless, it’s a great hot chocolate to try in the neighborhood!
See my full review here.
Mah Ze Dahr (28 Greenwich Ave)
Mah Ze Dahr is a bakery with locations in the West Village, Midtown, and FiDi. Their seasonal hot chocolate is light and milky, like a high quality version of Swiss Miss, and is topped with a homemade torched marshmallow. It’s sweet, and easy to drink. While I’ll always prefer a more rich and bitter cup, this is a great option for something lighter, or for kids!
Butterfield Market (1150 Madison Ave)
Butterfield Market is a gourmet market with a beautifully curated selection of your typically grocery store items, prepared foods, a sushi counter, a frozen yogurt window, a coffee-stand, and more! They have a rich, drinkable hot chocolate that you can have topped with one of their homemade marshmallows, and it’s one of my favorites in the neighborhood!
Amorino (multiple locations)
Amorino is an Italian Gelateria with an international presence, serving some of the thickest hot chocolate around! It’s a traditional Italian style hot chocolate made from a blend of cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and milk, and while it looks rich and intense like a melted chocolate bar, it actually more closely resembles a warm chocolate pudding! You can enjoy it plain, as an affogato with a scoop of gelato, or topped with whipped cream. I enjoyed it best plain.
See my full review here.
Lysée (44 E 21st St.)
Lysée is a two-story French-Korean dessert shop in Flatiron with table service on the ground level, and a museum-like pastry gallery and to-go counter on the second level. They have a phenomenal seasonal hot chocolate that happens to be dairy-free. It’s made from a blend of dark chocolate and oat milk, and is topped with a torched homemade marshmallow. It’s rich, bitter, and has a unique buckwheat-like flavor. It’s one of the most expensive cups I’ve had, priced at $11.50, but is worth the splurge.
See my full review here.
Thierry Atlan (436 W Broadway)
Thierry Atlan is a French chocolatier in Soho best known for its bon bons, truffles, and macaroons. They have a fantastic authentic European-style seasonal hot chocolate that’s thick, rich, and bitter like a melted chocolate bar. I highly recommend checking it out!
No Chewing Allowed (Urbanspace Holiday Markets)
No Chewing Allowed is a chocolatier that pops up in Urbanspace’s Bryant Park, Union Square, Columbus Circle, and World Trade Center holiday markets. Their hot chocolate is rich, bitter, and velvety, and even has one of their truffles melted into it to make it extra chocolate-y. Of the four hot chocolates I tried at the Union Square holiday market, this was my favorite, and the least expensive.
See my full review here.
Daily Provisions (multiple locations)
Daily Provisions offers a seasonal hot chocolate made from a blend of milk and their homemade chocolate ganache that’s topped with homemade whipped cream. The hot chocolate is thick and rich. It isn’t too sweet, but isn’t bitter either, and the whipped cream has a delightful saltiness that brings out the flavor of the chocolate. It’s a great cup to indulge in on a cold winter day.
See my full review here.
Stick With Me Sweets (202A Mott St)
Stick With Me Sweets is an adorable, 9-year-old, chocolate shop in Soho that serves a fantastic rich and slightly bitter hot chocolate with a drinkable consistency topped with two homemade marshmallows. They offer a vegan hot chocolate base made with oat milk that is equally great. It’s made to order, so expect a longer-than-usual wait time after ordering (10 minutes?) but it is worth it!
See my full review here.
Rigor Hill Market (227 W Broadway)
Rigor Hill Market is a small grocery/provisions shop with a small cafe menu in Tribeca owned and operated by the One White Street team. When they launched a seasonal hot chocolate, I knew it would be good, but I didn’t know it would be THIS good. The hot chocolate is thick, rich, and bitter with a hint of cinnamon and other fall spices, and is topped with a mountain of torched homemade marshmallows. This is the only cup I rated a 10/10 in my 2023 search for New York City’s best hot chocolates.
See my full review here.