So you love chocolate? Doesn’t everyone? Whether your guilty pleasure is a Snickers bar or you’re seriously contemplating a career as a chocolatier — at least in your fantasies — you’ve come to the right place.
Chocolate is for life, so indulge your tastebuds all year round at these chocolate restaurants and cafés, and the best places to enjoy chocoholic afternoon tea. Plus, where to walk off the calories afterwards.
Best Chocolate Restaurants and Cafes in London
Restaurants occasionally introduce chocolate menus for a limited period — especially during Chocolate Week — but these venues are the only ones entirely dedicated to chocolate.
What: Rabot 1745
Where: Borough Market, 2-4 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL
We told you about this restaurant and bar, in which every menu item contains a part of the cacao tree and freshly roasted cocoa is judiciously used as a spice, when it opened in 2013. It’s owned by Hotel Chocolat and named after its Saint Lucian plantation, serving Modern British food influenced by Caribbean and West Indian cuisines. Take a look at the menu and tell us you're not tempted.
What: Hotel Chocolat Cafés
Where: 4 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9HB (with another cafe in Euston station)
Hotel Chocolat has outlets all over London, but also owns a café with a simple, choc-centric menu in Covent Garden. Try cakes such as ‘65% supermilk millionaire’s shortbread’ and ‘rocky road superhighway’ along with chilli-spiked hot chocolate, spiced milk cocoa, ‘peppermint and cocoa shell infusion’, cocoa beer, or a cocoa gin with a twist of lemon or orange.
What: Said
Where: 41 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 9QL
We’ve already told you how besotted we are by the hot chocolate at this Italian chocolate shop — but the stylish venue also serves an imaginative range of food and drink, including chocolate cakes and ‘chocolate and cheese salad’.
What: Artisan Du Chocolat Boutique
Where: 236 West End Lane, West Hampstead, NW6 1LG
This swish boutique has a small café area where you can taste your way through a well thought-out menu of chocolate fondant, macaroon, ice cream, sundae, cheesecake and even delicious cacao pulp juice. The hot chocolate also get top marks, with flavours ranging from gingerbread to English mint.
What: Café Godiva at Harrods
Where: Second Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL
This Belgium chocolate brand’s own eatery inside the luxury store is a piece of pure chocolate heaven. Choose from a large selection of cakes, pastries, desserts, crêpes, fondues, hot chocolates and delightful choc ice cream-and-whipped cream concoctions called ‘chocolixirs’.
What: Choccywoccydoodah
Where: 27 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, WC2H 9AP
Renowned for its extravagant, over-the-top chocolate and cake designs that are guaranteed to impress at parties and special occasions, this fantastically-named shop also has a small café. It serves a small range of chocolate cakes, brownies, cookies, pastries, fondues and hot chocolates.
Still hungry for more? Enjoy our full list of London's Best Chocolate Shops.
Best chocolate afternoon teas in London
You can find more chocolate-themed afternoon teas on the excellent Afternoon Tea website, but try these fabulous ones for starters.
What: Afternoon Tea Inspired by Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Where: One Aldwych Hotel, 1 Aldwych, WC2B 4BZ
When: Daily
Cost: £45/ £56 with a glass of champagne or cocktail; £35 children under 12
To celebrate the West End musical (now over, but the afternoon tea lives on), this fun, highly imaginative afternoon tea takes inspiration from the Roald Dahl classic, and is suitable for both children and adults. Sample such wonders as golden chocolate eggs with vanilla cheesecake and mango; chocolate caramel milk; lime, toffee apple cake pops, and cocoa bean financier.
What: Chocolate Afternoon Tea
Where: The Landmark London Hotel, 222 Marylebone Road, NW1 6JQ
When: Daily
Cost: £48, or £63 with a glass of champagne
Located in the heart of an impressive eight-story glass roof atrium, the Winter Garden restaurant serves a magical afternoon tea choc-full of sweet treats. The sumptuous menu includes coconut and chocolate macaroon; banana, pecan nut and milk chocolate cake; blood orange and dark chocolate mousse, and milk chocolate dacquoise sponge.
London has no shortage of amazing afternoon teas. Here are some more of our favourites.
Best chocolate walks and tours in London
View this post on Instagram
So you’ve eaten enough chocolate. Why not walk it off… er, with more chocolate?
What: Chocolate Ecstasy Tours
Where: All over London! Most tours start from Mayfair, Chelsea, Covent Garden, Soho and Piccadilly.
When: All through the week and weekends too. Check the calendar for current availability.
Cost: £39-£59 depending on the tour.
This leading chocolate tour company, founded by respected chocolate expert Jennifer Earle, offers luxury walks during which you’ll learn about an area’s history while tasting and shopping for gourmet chocolates. You’ll sample truffles, caramels, pralines and more during a gentle one-mile walk through beautiful streets, arcades and boutiques. The small group walks are led by passionate and highly knowledgeable chocoholics; and dairy-free, gluten-free and alcohol-free options are available on most tours.
Get a glimpse of what you can expect with our video of Chocolate Ecstasy Tours.
Best hot chocolates and best chocolate fondues in London
Yes, we've covered this too. But there are so many delectable hot chocolate and chocolate fondue options in London that they warranted their own articles. Click through and enjoy but be warned: may cause extreme salivation.
- London's best hot chocolates
- London's most decadent hot chocolates
- The best chocolate fondues in London
And there's even more...
- Interested in this history of chocolate? We went on a mission to discover which is the oldest chocolate shop in London.
- London has a McVitie's biscuit factory! Join us for a peek behind the scenes to see what the daily creation of 180 tonnes of chocolate digestives looks like.
- Take a gander at London's first vegan chocolate factory (set up by an accountant, no less).
- Head to Islington for a chocolate cafe that's almost entirely vegan.
- Watch the chocolate waterfall in action at this south London doughnut factory.