I try to always have a hot chocolate at La Maison du Chocolat in NY. I guess you could count that as French and American. Whatever, it lifts my spirits. I prefer it to Angelina's, in fact, and since I am in NY about ten times for every one trip to Paris, this is lucky for me!

Had the wonderful thick Spanish hot chocolate last week in London, on Portobello road at Garcia's. Somehow hot chocolate and London weather, especially doing an outdoor activity like Portobello Road, go together well.

Thanks for this info, ElkeNorEast, I'll keep it in mind for my next trip. Hopefully the weather will be conducive to sipping hot chocolate.

I nominate Jacques Torres in Brooklyn. The jalapeno hot chocolate.

In Paris, another vote for Angelina.
A Mont Blanc along with it??? That's overload for moi! :)
I usually buy the Mont Blanc on the way out at the bakery counter to have later.

At Cocoa et Chocolat on rue Buci is also good for a quickie. It's a chocolate shop, but they have a couple of seats.

In New York, the Union Square Cafe hot chocolate is excellent and they make their own marshmallows.

Also, when in NYC, visit La Lanterna di Vittorio near W. 4th St. Their hot chocolate is served more bitter than sweet style with molten mini marshmallows on top. Delicious!

In Paris again; try the Intercontinental Le Grand - they serve up a little jug of thick hot chocolate with a jug of hot cream/milk for you to make to your own taste. Superb.

Hot Chocolate in Venice that needs to be eaten with a spoon :D

Though better known for its coffee, Tazza d'Oro by the Pantheon in Rome makes a mean hot chocolate. The stuff served at the FCO outlet(s) is a pale comparison.

Cafe Tortoni in BsAs - although the churros didn't do anything for me.

I will try Angelinas next week. ^

Angelina on Rue Rivoli in Paris, although there are others in Paris that come close.

You will not be sorry :)

Burdick Chocolate
 

uhmm?? i agree!! Burdick is the world's finest gourmet handmade chocolate!! yummmy! I love their chocolates. .. I want some hahah..... lol :) :cool:

Seems like piling on, but another vote for Angelina in Paris.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that our kids preferred the hot chocolate at Cacao et Chocolat. It was in December and our apartment was about a block away from the location on rue Saint-Louis en l'ile, so they had plenty of opportunities to warm up with it....

I'll second the Marie Belle recommendation. Some might feel ripped off by the size, but I like the fact that they serve in a small cup (demitasse size, IIRC)--a full cup of real hot chocolate can be a little overwhelming, even if you love chocolate as much as I do. And the little cafe in the back of the shop is usually pretty calm even when the rest of Soho is packed with tourists.

Almost any café in Oaxaca.

Currently sitting at an internet cafe 2 blocks from Notre Dame because I failed to note an address for Angelinas. Hopefully there in 30 minutes or less. ^

OK, took me 45 minutes. I liked it but it was too rich and sweet. I could have had 1/4 cup and been satisfied. I got it to go. Next time I would go in and sit - looked like quite a place.

It is rich; did you add the cream to it? I think that helps cut the sweetness. It could also be that you had it to go... the best way to drink it is at one of the salon du the small tables, sipping slowly, adding the cream. Mmmmm now I want some!

I didn't know about the cream. My visit was too short to sit with a cup. I had to keep moving. Next time, I'll be bringing Mrs BV and I'm sure she'll want to take in the ambiance.

Though not "HOT", per se, I'm a big fan of the frozen "hot" chocolate at Serendipity in NYC. Mmmmmm... My fiancee and I truly enjoy it every time and it's worth the lineup.

thanks for all the advice!
 

I just came back from Paris and tried Angeline's and must day that it give San Gines in MAD a run for the money!
Truly outstanding and worth the Mile Run... altho parisians are getting ready for summer and they kind of give you a wicked look if ordering hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate?
 

In London, I could get awesome hot chocolate all over the place. Not one, but two chains, Caffe Nero and Apostrophe both served really great stuff (Cafe Nero calls this Hot Chocolate Milano). I can't find the equivalent in Vancouver (where I live) or actually anywhere in the USA. What gives? Is there a chain I missed?

I am posting this in FlyerTalk because I need someone who travelled to London cos I cant really explain what I am looking for otherwise :)

Not too far from Vancouver - Seattle is full of chocolate shops. Close to me is a shop called Chocolopolis. It sells "sipping chocolate" in their shop and on their website. I tried a dark sipping chocolate and it is thick, rich and decadent.

There are some incredible hot chocolates (and frozen ones) available in New York.

I've become very partial lately to the mexican chocolate disks for home, dissolved in a bit of hot milk.

I may get flamed for this, but Starbucks has great (to me) hot chocolate. Panera, on the other hand, serves terrible hot chocolate.

ETA: I'm pretty sure I've been to Cafe Nero but that was 5+ years ago. I'm not a coffee drinker and do prefer hot chocolate. That said, I don't remember anything special about it.

Before continuing could the answerers please please indicate whether they'd tested the London stuff I am talking about?

I'm a great fan of the spicy hot chocolate made by a local artisian chocalatier, Chauo Chocolate. It takes a bit of effort to make a spectacular hot chocolate at home. I've had hot chocolate powder from Angelinas (Paris) and the like, and it simply didn't taste the same as in their cafe. So, if you want a cafe worthy hot chocolate, here are the directions for doing so:

1. Heat milk in microwave
2. Take about an inch deep of milk and mix 3 tablespoons slightly rounded of chocolate into it.
3. Stir, put in microwave til it foams up - 17-18 seconds, must watch to see that it doesn't boil over
4. Repeat after stirring, takes 13-14 seconds
5. Repeat, again about 13-14 seconds, watch carefully so it doesn't foam over. The purpose is to fully melt the chocolate into the milk.
6. Foam milk
7. Mix with foamed milk; save some foam to put on top

I have had the Nero one, never heard of the other chain tho!

I find hot chocolate as a rule in North America is far sweeter than in the UK - sickly so in fact. I like dark, rich hot chocolate, and the closest I found was for a limited time when Starbucks (I think, could have been Second Cup) did a dark hot chocolate shot. I don't like Second Cup's regular hot chocolates, Starbucks is ok, but I add raspberry syrup to make it a different drink frankly (and skip the cream, make it with skim milk, have it extra hot, with chocolate curls!)

If I want real hot chocolate, I make my own - 70% good dark chocolate, milk and cream on the stove, shot of alcohol (Bailey's being the house favourite, Cointreau for a Terry's moment!) optional! Green & Blacks is reasonable as a packet option, and I will admit that the 'luxury' Options comes home with me in a suitcase for an at work sweet fix (although it is not comparable to good, counter made hot chocolate).

I am not at all a coffee drinker, but on the few occasions I frequent Starbucks (either I need to use their WiFi, or I got gifted with a Starbucks gift card) I invariably get their hot chocolate. One issue I have with MOST hot chocolates in the U.S., and certainly Starbucks' as well, is that it is too watery, as opposed to milky. I usually remedy this by putting a heavy dollop of Half and Half or creamer into it.

I've never had anything in the US compare to that of what I've had in Europe,
Everything I've had in the US is watery compared to the rich/luxurious hot chocolate across the pond.

I'd like something more local!

Its true but nothing can beat homemade. If you have a superb recipe and technique to make it, you can enjoy it too mush. My mother used to give me Lemontart with hot milk when I got to college. However, I had the best hot chocolate ever in Four Seasons in East Paulo Alto.

I think you need to be looking at Chocolate Shops instead of cafes.

In Seattle, Dilettante is my favorite, but Fran's is an option ... and maybe even Theo?

In Kansas City (and maybe San Fran)Christopher Elbow

In NYC, Jacques Torres

In Anchorage, Modern Dwellers

Granted, none them beat Angelina in Paris, but they're worlds above Starbucks :)

They may use 2% milk by default. I would imagine that Starbucks of all places would be willing to steam whole milk , maybe even with some half and half in it to make your HC.

Have you tried local chains such as Blenz, or Bean Around the World, or even Waves? I don't like hot chocolate much anymore, but have friends and family members who do like the European style (ie thicker, and less sweet) that you reference so am often with people purchasing those items. All of those microchains have their own style of hot chocolate, often referencing European-style chocolate. Have you tried Mink? It's a chocolate shop with a few cafe outlets. Schokolade on Hastings has a German name but I am not familiar with their product. They do have a cafe so worth a try. What about Thierry? Their prices are rather crazy, but their food items quite authentic. Thomas Haas is similarly high priced but similarly authentic; I'm certain that at least one of his locations must have hot chocolate on the menu. I'm not a fan of Faubourg, but they may be worth a visit as well.

And Vancouver has an entire hot chocolate festival! http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/0...ot-chocolates/

It was in fact the horrible 'hot chocolate' usually served in the US which put me off hot chocolate; I used to drink it daily.

There used to be an excellent independent in Vancouver which is now a Bean Around the World location (Cornwall), which served Mexican chocolate mocha, with pepper and cinnamon.

German chocolate producer Schokinag makes drinking chocolate and has a wholesale outlet in the area; you may want to contact them and ask if any local coffee shops purchase their product.

(For a time, Starbucks had a 'drinking chocolate' which is more likely similar to what the OP is referencing)

OP, I'm familiar with all the items you reference in your first post; just had lunch at Apostrophe last week in fact. If you are ever in Edinburgh, try Chocolate Soup. :)

For make at home, try to find Scharffenberger (in some US grocery shops), Schokinag (more difficult to find these days, but again they have a wholesale outlet near you), or Lindt chocolate flakes (not available in Canadian Lindt shops/outlets, but perhaps in US outlets, which carry a more broad range). Avoid anything with added items and look for cocoa and sugar as ingredients.

Edited to add: here are more suggestions http://vancouverfoodster.com/2009/11...hot-chocolate/ I'm not surprised that Thomas Haas came out on top of that list (although I've never had hot chocolate there as I said above) but I am a little biased. ;) Picnic on that list by the way closed; but I believe that Meinhardts may still be doing something with that location.

As a regular hot chocolate drinker, I don't recall Cafe Neros... but I've probably had it. I do prefer to add a shot of vanilla or caramel.

Favourite to home made are Charbonnel et Walker:
http://www.charbonnel.co.uk/products...chocolate.html

I did once have a spiced hot chocolate which was to die for, but I can't recall who was the maker :( I thought Hotel Chocolat, but can't find it there.

Those of us who enjoy coffee might rib you if you said that about their brown dishwater beverage, but I'm quite prepared to believe that Starbucks is capable of making a good hot chocolate. They are two different arts, I might even be tempted to try it sometime if there's not a coffee shop alternative available.

There is no hot chocolate in the world which is better than Italian hot chocolate. Its easy to make it at home and just like drinking liquid chocolate. I found hot chocolate sparrow in MA the best. I found a chocolate that works for ma and isn't too sweet.

The C&W hot choc at their cafe in NY was gorgeous, as was the hot chocolate in the cafe at Henri Bendel's when I was there a few years ago! I'd forgotten about those two!

Hotel Chocolat did do a spiced hot chocolate a few years back, I wasn't keen on it tho.

Starbucks hot chocolate is fantastic. Regardless of what you think of their coffee or their corporate culture - the hot chocolate is delicious. It is like drinking a chocolate bar.

Schokinag Dark Drinking Chocolate was a favorite of mine as well. It required a good amount of stirring to get the product to disperse. The sad news is that Schokinag discontinued it, due to lack of popularity.

Callebaut chocolate shaved up and melted with hot milk is good as well, if you add some natural sugar (Sugar in the Raw etc)

In San Francisco, there is a place along the piers that has a great drinking chocolate as well. Really fudgy, thick, yet smooth. Their products seem kind of arty design looking. TCHO

One of the best I've had while traveling is San Churro but AFAIK it's only available in Australia at their shops. Good stuff with a good touch of spice to it. I can attest that there are a few thickeners in the product to give it that 'rich' appeal.

Then there is one I discovered that comes from France, but I'm going to be selfish and not share the name, as it's just something I want all to myself :)