We love winter! The colder weather gives us a chance to wrap up in our winter woolies and indulge in comfort food. Slow cooked feasts, casseroles, hot puddings and that tastiest and sweetest delight, hot chocolate!
Hot chocolates vary widely, some taste more like a cup of Milo made with hot water while others are decadent treats with enough calories to last you through the whole of winter.
We've been on a fact finding mission at ourbrisbane.com, taste testing hot chocolates and bringing you our list of where to find the best, the creamiest, the richest and the most decadent hot chocolates in Brisbane.
We haven't made it to every suburb or café, so please help us in our quest to bring you a list of the most delicious hot chocolates in Brisbane. Add your recommendations in the comments field below.
The best hot chocolates
Salt
If you are looking for a hot chocolate to rock your socks and warm your soul on these cold winter days, try Salt in Nash Street, Rosalie. Their hot chocolate comes in a huge bowl with hot milk and real chocolate to pour in. Just for good measure, there's a little white chocolate on the side. Kerry Heaney describes it as delish! Try the banana caramel pancakes while you are there.
Coffee & Chocolate
These guys must have the biggest selection of hot chocolates to choose from in Brisbane. Coffee & Chocolate's options include original hot chocolate, vanilla hot chocolate, butterscotch hot chocolate, chilli hot chocolate, and dark hot chocolate (there are at least 10 varieties on the menu!). Prices range from $4.50 for a standard hot chocolate, up to $6 for the specialty hot chocolates.
The hot chocolates were beautifully presented with creamy foam (decorated by the barista) and 2 marshmallows on the side. This hot chocolate was made out of real chocolate (not powdered chocolate), so you had to stir the chocolate to melt into the milk, which was DELICIOUS, and it was good for sweetness control (stir in only as much chocolate as you wish). The ambiance was great, and we sat with a view looking out to Queen Street Mall. There is also a selection of hand made chocolates to accompany the hot chocolate for those with a seriously sweet tooth.
La Dolce Vita
We've never seen hot chocolate like this one before! La Dolce Vita makes a hot chocolate that's so thick, it's practically a chocolate mousse. Your tea spoon stands straight up in the cup! While it was rich and creamy and absolutely delicious, this hot chocolate wasn't sickly sweet. Don't know how they do it, but hope they keep up the good work!
Boulevard St Michel
For just $3.50, Boulevard St Michel will give you a tall glass of hot, frothy milk sprinkled with chocolate powder and a shot glass of melted chocolate. That's right! A glass of straight chocolate, ready to be poured and blended with your milk in whatever quantity you desire. Chocolate lovers beware. You're likely to find yourself licking the shot glass to catch every last bit of goodness. Yum. (Note -marshmallows aren't served with the hot chocolate.)
Not in Brisbane but worth a visit
Max Brenner
For the ultimate hot chocolate experience, you might need to make a trip to the Gold Coast to visit Max Brenner. The menu lists dozens of hot chocolate experiences, from Italian thick chocolate to Danish toffee chocolate. There's chocolate with crunchy waffle balls and Suckao ... Suckao is a blend of two words - ‘suck' because you suck your chocolate through a metal straw, and ‘kakao' for the cocoa beans it starts with. You choose dark, milk or white chocolate and are served with blocks of chocolate and a special mug that holds a tea light in its base, to melt the chocolate. You mix as much as chocolate as you want with your hot milk, stir and blend it with your spoon/straw and then enjoy your rich, chocolately slice of heaven.
We'd love to hear about your favourites. Please tell us where you think you can get the best hot chocolate.
We've also got recipes for you to make your own fabulous hot chocolate at home.
I've had the hot chocolate from Boulevard St Michel several times and it is to die for! And for $3.50 you can't go wrong :)