As the weather gets colder, visiting famous New York City sites or strolling through Central Park is a lot nicer with a steaming cup of hot chocolate to sip on. In this guide, I’ll show you the top places to find that perfect cup of hot chocolate. You can take it with you or maybe choose to get cozy inside some of these warm and welcoming cafés.
Videos by TravelAwaits
The Best Places To Get Hot Chocolate In New York City
Brooklyn Farmacy And Soda Fountain
Take a step back in time at this nostalgia-filled soda fountain in Brooklyn. Housed in a 1920s apothecary store, Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain is a family business run by siblings. Their menu consists of all the regular soda fountain fare, including egg creams, milkshakes, and 15 different sundae concoctions.
But you’re here for the hot chocolate. They have your regular hot chocolates with the option to add lots of whipped cream or toasted marshmallows. Then, they have their specialty hot chocolate menu with fun flavors like s’mores, minty Pete (the brother’s name), and salty caramel.
They also serve frozen hot chocolates (quite the oxymoron, but stay with me here.) These are milkshakes with cocoa powder blended in. I highly recommend the Fluffernutter frozen hot chocolate. It is a chocolate peanut butter milkshake spun with Farmacy’s cocoa mix and then topped with toasted marshmallows. This greatly reminds me of a hot chocolate I really enjoyed in Chicago.
MarieBelle’s Cacao Bar
You read that right: a whole bar dedicated to cacao (the seed from which cocoa and chocolate are made). Enjoy your time in this space that blends the classical with the modern. You can enjoy a classic afternoon tea, a perfect Parisian-style coffee, or any number of their signature pastries.
And then, there’s the hot chocolate; Oprah Winfrey’s favorite, to be precise. This one is thick and delicious owing to the use of pure cacao shavings rather than a cocoa powder. MarieBelle’s Aztec Hot Chocolate is on Oprah’s list of favorite things. Their concoctions contain 60 percent South American single-origin pure chocolate rather than cocoa powder. They also have three other flavors: white chocolate, milk hazelnut, and spiced chocolate.
Come check out this super decked out café at Christmas and head to the back for the hot chocolate. Rumor has it that free samples are available, so you can try before you buy.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
This one wins for prettiest hot chocolate, hands down. It’s also pretty darn tasty too. At Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho, you must try the blossoming hot chocolate. This hot chocolate comes with their signature marshmallow flower, which blooms inside your cup. Take a picture fast because once it hits the hot chocolate, it blooms open and melts into your yummy drink.
It’s very likely you’ll encounter a line when you arrive. They have a loyal fan base of locals and tourists alike. But I can assure you, it is well worth the wait.
Maman
Here’s your fancy hot chocolate fix. Maman has several locations in New York, including the Bryant Park location. Along with its regular hot chocolate, they also make a lavender hot chocolate. This one is made with Omanhene cocoa and dried lavender, with cocoa sprinkled on top. The lavender gives it a fragrant and unique scent making for a surprising yet tasty hot chocolate.
Serendipity 3
This one is known for its “World Famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolates” (there it is again!). Serendipity 3 serves these in huge bowls with two spoons — yep, they are big enough to share for sure. With 13 different flavors, you are sure to find something for everyone. Choose from flavors like birthday cake, cotton candy, mochaccino, and Fruity Pebbles Frrrozen hot white chocolate.
They also have your classic, standard hot chocolate that is actually hot. Try these in mint and white hot chocolate too.
230 Fifth
Get your winter wonderland fix at the rooftop bar complete with personal igloos to keep you warm. These igloos are heated and available on a walk-in basis or to reserve. They offer a beautiful view of the city while keeping you warm on the rooftop.
230 Fifth is indeed a bar. You didn’t think I’d end this without at least one of the best places to get a spiked hot chocolate, did you? They have a boozy hot chocolate that is spiked with Irish cream and then topped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Or you can try their mint boozy hot chocolate, which is spiked with mint liquor and topped with marshmallows.
If you’re visiting New York City this winter, be sure to check out a few of these while you are touring around the city. Get inside and warm up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, or take it to go while you visit all of the hot spots.
There are also great spots that serve hot chocolate spiked with an alcoholic drinks!
