Get us in your inbox

Search
Hot chocolate
Photograph: Shutterstock

The best hot chocolate spots in NYC

Ready to warm up? The very best cups of hot chocolate in NYC feature Cuban rum, house-made marshmallows and even a hint of lavender

Written by
Rachel Pelz
&
Oliver Strand
Advertising

Is there anything better than a cup of coffee from one of New York City’s best coffee shops? Well, maybe a sweet, rich, marshmallow-topped hot chocolate. Served alongside imaginative cookies and pastries at the city’s best bakeries or even as a hot cocktail on a cold night out, a good hot chocolate features the finest chocolate, surprising mix-ins and gooey, melty toppings.

Our favorites also showcase the work of the city’s best chocolate shops, melting milk, dark and white into the perfect drink to sip as you stroll around the city. Grab your scarf, your gloves and your cup—and don’t forget the marshmallow. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best restaurants in NYC

Best hot chocolate in NYC

  • Restaurants
  • Eating

This French-Korean pastry shop offers desserts as breathtaking to look at as they are to eat. Their corn mousse cake—in the shape of an adorable, miniature ear of corn—has probably passed through your feed. Alongside their signature treats, a dairy-free hot chocolate made with Valrhona chocolate is a standout. Notes of nutty buckwheat and a flower-shaped, homemade bruleed marshmallow take it over the top. 

  • Restaurants
  • Eating

Venchi, at almost 150 years old, is an Italian institution with locations all over NYC. In the summer, you can’t miss its gelato; when the weather gets chilly, you shouldn’t take a stroll around the park without their hot chocolate in hand. It’s unbelievably rich on its own, and you can choose to add hazelnut spread or spike it with a taste of rum. 

Advertising
  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • West Village

Cocoa overflows in the hot chocolate at Bar Pisellino, a local take on the Italian caffè. Its offering, which is rich enough to evoke a chocolate fountain, is topped with a dollop of slow-melting whipped panna. A lot of hot chocolates split the difference between sweet sippable treat and dedicated dessert, and this one is proudly the latter. 

Advertising
  • Restaurants
  • Bakeries
  • West Village
  • price 2 of 4

Pastry chef's Umber Ahmad's take on hot chocolate is straightforward and rich: Valrhona chocolate, steamed milk and a toasted housemade vanilla bean marshmallow out of a child’s wildest dreams.

  • Shopping
  • Chocolate and candy
  • Soho
  • price 2 of 4

Enjoy three categories of “drinking chocolates” at this chocolatier chain: Blended (in dark, milk or white chocolate varieties), single source (Bolivia, Brazil) or a spicy dark brew punched up with chili powder. Each is a treat. 

Advertising
  • Restaurants
  • Bakeries
  • Upper West Side
  • price 2 of 4

The original Levain, whose goods are now sold far and wide, is still a hot spot for all manner of sweets. Its comforting hot cocoa is made with French Valrhona chocolate, which pairs perfectly with their signature chocolate chip walnut cookie. 

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Chocolate and candy
  • Soho
  • price 2 of 4

MarieBelle’s Soho boutique serves up hot chocolate made with cacao shavings—not chocolate powder—from its Cacao Bar. Choose from Aztec dark, milk hazelnut, spiced or white chocolate for a totally decadent cup. It also offers each option as a mix to recreate the hot chocolate experience at home. 

  • Restaurants
  • Bakeries
  • Union Square
  • price 2 of 4

Breads makes chocolate in so many ways—but we’re partial to drinking it straight. Their version of hot chocolate is totally classic, made with 35% Cacao Noel solid chocolate disks and a cap of steamed whole milk. 

Advertising
  • Restaurants
  • Cafés
  • Little Italy
  • price 2 of 4

Made with Omanhene cocoa and dried lavender, Maman’s fragrant, floral hot chocolate is a subtle but surprising take on the favorite. Add a dollop of whipped cream and order a pumpkin pie croissant for the perfect walk-around-the-city-on-an-autumn-day snack. 

Looking for more ways stay warm?

Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising