Overview
Now that Brisbane is finally starting to feel the winter chill, we know the eyes are beginning to wander and the urge to commence the winter season’s dalliance with luscious, bone-warming, indulgent hot chocolate is increasingly difficult to resist.
Don’t feel guilty; it’s only natural. We condone this love affair with liquid chocolate goodness, because before we know it, September will be upon us and it’ll be all CrossFit and boot camps. So to make your deliciously dangerous liaison easier, we’ve done the hard work for you and hunted down our top ten picks this season that will be sure to quell your sweet tooth.
Bitter Suite
Bitter Suite’s peanut butter hot chocolate is definitely a CP staff favourite and is the perfect bevvy to sip and savour huddled up close to one of the flaming gas fire heaters. Literally tasting like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups melted down and mixed with milk, this hot chocolate is faultless. Although be prepared to ask for a top up of dairy; once you hit the peanut butter mound that forms at the bottom of the mug, it's akin to eating it straight out of the jar. But totally worth every calorie.
75 Welsby Street, New Farm
Noosa Chocolate Factory
The Noosa Chocolate Factory really is your one-stop shop for all your chocolate needs. Blocks and balls with every fruit and nut filling imaginable line the walls in milk, white or dark chocolate. But it's their range of hot chocolates in every possible combination that will keep you coming back this winter. With eight hot chocolates of varying intensity, we suggest their insanely delicious fresh rocky road hot chocolate, super sweet white hot chocolate or, if you're trying to be good, their '73 percent skinny hot chocolate' made with Noosa Chocolate Factory's half-strength dark chocolate and Maleny Dairies' skim milk.
144 Adelaide Street, Brisbane
John Mills Himself
John Mills Himself is a place that takes their hot chocolate seriously, with skilful baristas that know their stuff when it comes to pouring out a perfect cup, lovingly extending the milk until just the right frothy consistency. Our picks are definItely the 70 percent dark hot chocolate (with a hint of bitterness, it's indulgent but not overly sweet) or the rose hot chocolate, which pretty much tastes like a liquid Cadbury Turkish Delight only a trillion times better. Sprinkled with a thick layer of chocolate shavings on top (practically another shot's worth), these babies will never fail to omit an OMG groan.
Access via 55 Elizabeth Street laneway, Brisbane
Sisco BCL
This is like hitting the motherload of chocolate bounties. Served in what is practically a soup bowl, Sisco's thick, rich and smugly sweet hot chocolate is liquid gold and a chocolate lover's dream. In fact, you could totally eat it with a soupspoon. Maybe even lick the bowl after. We won't judge. Alternatively, they also offer a chilli chocolate chai, which is a sensory overload of spice and chocolate. It's like Christmas in July.
1/500 Boundary Street, Spring Hill
Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar
The newbie in Brisbane dessert bars has pretty much hit the nail on the head with their Belgian hot chocolates. Made on milk, white or dark, it's like drinking a slightly more viscose chocolate fondue. Plus, Cowch's Deluxe version comes stuffed with mini marshmallows (the ones that bring back wonderful childhood memories) and lashings of whipped cream. Each sip transports you to a state of "I don't care that I have whipped cream on my nose this is so good" chocolate bliss.
2/179 Grey Street, South Bank
The Burrow
Having just updated their menu, The Burrow now uses the Melbourne brand Mörk Speciality Hot Chocolate, proclaimed to be cacao artisans (and yes we are inclined to agree) using cocoa beans sourced from Sur del Lago in Venezuela, to make their mugs of magic. Our recommendation is to go for the 'even darker' 85 percent cacao. It's one for the real hot chocolate connoisseur; there is only a subtle hint of sweetness, and it is intensely bold, nutty and earthy.
37 Mollison Street, West End
Campos Coffee Qld
Thank goodness it’s that time of year again where Campos brings out the big guns. Even the most dedicated of coffee drinkers' eyes start to wander from a cup of fragrant Campos coffee to a cup of their Italian-style hot chocolate. We couldn't think of an apt enough describing word for the smell, so to put it in a sentence, it's like when you reach that point in baking preparation when you have to melt the dark chocolate and add butter or cream to make a ganache and your nostrils are filled with an incredible intense chocolaty waft... yeah that smell. And it pretty much tastes that way too.
11 Wandoo Street, Fortitude Valley
Passiontree Velvet
Passiontree Velvet is the new concept chocolatier, patissier and tea room that just opened at Westfield Carindale shopping centre. A more refined sister to Passiontree in the CBD (who also serve an orange hot chocolate that tastes like a molten Jaffa), they make hot chocolates using couverture chocolate (high-quality chocolate that’s rich in cocoa liquor or solids and has a cocoa butter content of at least 32 percent). Our choice is the glossy and seductive 70 percent Real Dark, which is pretty much pure unadulterated chocolate and has the perfect balance of bittersweet earthy notes without sacrificing that intense chocolate hit.
Shop K202/1151 Creek Road, Carindale
Theobroma Chocolate Lounge
We realise this is a franchise store, however, when you get to choose whether your hot chocolate (of which there are seven to choose from and four types of hot chocolate mocha) comes in either a cup or 'mug 'n' warmer' then there's not only taste factor but novelty to consider. Theobroma's chilli hot chocolate is the hands down winner and a perfect winter warmer with that zing of spiciness at the end of each mouthful.
Little Stanley Street, South Brisbane
Chocolateria San Churro
Okay, yes, we know, it's another chain, but seriously, dulce de leche hot caramel? While not technically a hot chocolate, this one deserves a mensh', using San Churro’s own famous dulce de leche caramel and creamy full fat milk. It's sweet, eyes-roll-to-the-back-of-your-head milky goodness and certainly not for the sugar faint-hearted.
Shop 2/161 Grey Street, South Bank