New York is a town that’s spoilt for choice on nearly everything, and hot chocolate is no exception. As the mercury drops, the joyous hot beverage starts popping up on menus across the city. We’ve crisscrossed Manhattan to bring you our favorite hot chocolates, and one larger-than-life chocolate experience. This list is by no means exhaustive, but a good jumping-off point for those looking to dig into the city’s liquid chocolate delights. Hold onto your mittens because it’s about to get hot in here!
Bouchon Bakery
Warm up with a classic can’t-be-beat hot chocolate. The French-inspired Bouchon Bakery is presided over by famed chef Thomas Keller. The small cafe is located just below his acclaimed restaurant Per Se in Columbus Circle. The hot chocolate here is enough to make New Yorkers’ mouths water on the mere mention. Rich and creamy— with chocolate chips at the bottom— this cup of yumminess can be enjoyed in the casual cafe or on the go amid the bustle of Manhattan’s streets and parks. For the ultimate sweet tooth, grab a classic French dessert: think colorful macarons, pain au chocolat or a tarte to enjoy with your chocolat chaud.
Bouchon Bakery at Time Warner Center
Ten Columbus Circle, Third Floor
New York, NY 10019
Dominique Ansel Bakery
This eponymous bakery stands out in this list for its famed, Blossoming Hot Chocolate which originated in the Bakery’s Tokyo outpost. The rich, homemade hot chocolate is served with one of Ansel’s signature marshmallows that “blossoms,” expanding as it fills the rim of the mug with marshmallowy goodness. We should mention, Ansel is the mastermind behind the Cronut (a croissant-doughnut combo of pastry fame!) Word to the wise: don’t hesitate to add a Cronut to the order.
189 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
Milk Bar
Milk Bar has long been on the New York dessert scene with innovative creations and boundary-pushing desserts since 2008. The hot chocolate is no exception. An order of hot chocolate can also be placed with Milk Bar’s Cereal Milk, an “instantly familiar sorta sweet, sorta corny milk flavor at the bottom of your cereal bowl.” Trust the Milk Bar mad scientists; it’s delicious!
1196 Broadway at 29th St.
New York, NY 10001
A Summer Day Cafe
Ready for a more “adult” hot chocolate? A Summer Day Cafe in Tribeca gets it. They’ve created a deliciously sweet and spicy version with, oh yes, a tequila kick. The hot chocolate here is made with heavy cream, dark chocolate, cocoa and cayenne for zest. It even comes with a homemade CBD marshmallow on top! This hot chocolate will unwind even the biggest holiday stress case.
109 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Serendipity 3
Frozen hot chocolate in winter? Uh-huh. This one is so good, it’s worth any brain freeze that might ensue. The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate as they call it at Serendipity 3, comes in a variety of flavors such as peanut butter, or hot salted caramel hot chocolate, mint chocolate and s’mores. The whimsical restaurant has been open since 1954, serving up its unique creations amid an eclectic interior of Tiffany-jeweled inspiration.
225 East 60th Street,
New York, NY 10022
Squish Marshmallows
As the name might imply, the marshmallows are the star here but the hot chocolate is perfect in its supporting role. The small-batch, hand-cut marshmallows at Squish are an irresistibly fun way to customize your hot chocolate or savor on their own. Flavors such as apple pie, rocky road, peanut butter and jelly time, oreo brownie and chocolate-dipped marshmallows, instantly bring out the kid in all of us.
120 Saint Marks Place
New York, New York 10009
230 Rooftop Bar
We’ve saved the most outlandish hot chocolate in New York for last. How about sipping hot chocolate in your own private New York rooftop igloo— for the mere cost of $3,000? The King Cocoa Igloo Package includes an epic 160 oz hot chocolate (designed to share, thankfully) and uses Amedei Porcleana Dark Chocolate, which is one of the most expensive chocolates available; it comes with house-made whip cream, marshmallows, high-end spirits, and… gold shavings. (A bottle of bubbly is also part of the package.) The translucent igloos offer dazzling views of New York City and are furnished with robes, blankets, and fireplaces to keep guests warm.
The good news: if the King Cocoa Igloo Package is a little out of your price range, 230 Rooftop Bar offers less expensive options and no minimums are required to sit.
230 Fifth Ave
(Corner 27th)
New York, NY 10001
Staying in New York City – About The Lombardy Hotel
The Lombardy Hotel is just as iconic to Midtown Manhattan as many of the other historic and cultural attractions in the area. Not only are our rooms comfortable and tasteful, we provide amenities such as a full salon, coffee shop, and exercise room. We also host the American Cut Midtown steakhouse, perfect for a business lunch or dinner on a special occasion. We look forward to hosting you.
