Hotel Chocolat

Lots of different & tasty chocolates! Wide variety of products, youll definitely find what you like. Loads of branches all around town.

Such a great place. I came here with two friends, on the suggestion of one of them who had been recommended it as a haven for chocolate lovers (which I definitely am). First off, I love that they do everything here. They grind cocoa and coffee beans and make fresh chocolate, hot chocolate, coffee, mocha. They have daily specials, freshly baked cakes, cookies. The shop upstairs is beautifully laid out with chocolates in all sizes, configurations, packages. Downstairs, is the chocolate café/​restaurant, where all the food has chocolate of some kind in it. We split goats cheese and walnut salads with a chocolate vinaigrette and a duck confit and chocolate wrap (the wrap also has cocoa in it!), followed by a trio of chocolate deserts and accompanied with three types of chocolate drink (hot chocolate, mocha and chilli-​chocolate). Yes, we are chocolate fanatics.
Speaking of the basement restaurant, the food is simple but works well, and some of the flavours are pretty innovative, and there’s certainly scope for further additions to the menu down the line. Indeed, we got chatting with the (off-​puttingly good looking) French chef (or [co-]owner?), who kindly gave us a mini tour of the various equipment used to grind and refine the beans and mix the chocolate, and who told us about his hopes for the future — in particular how he wants to introduce more substantial items to the restaurant menu, such as fish and chicken dishes with chocolate as a vital component. This itself isn’t anything new to cooking in general — after all the Mayans have been cooking with chocolate for centuries — but it would definitely be a welcome change to the generic ideas of chocolate recipes that you find in the likes of Lindt and Thornton shops and cafés.
The next time I’m in Covent Garden, which should be very soon, I will definitely be back here to stock up on some chocolate goodies, and perhaps grab another wrap or salad while I’m at it.

auf dem weg zum musical sind wir hier noch vorbeigekommen und haben uns erst mal ganz stilvoll leckere pralinen gekauft, die wir dann genüßlich während der show verspeist haben.
tolle qualität wenn auch nicht ganz billig. aber kann ich nur weiterempfehlen plus sie sehen toll aus und sind daher ein schönes mitbringsel

I stumbled in here today on a leisurely walk through the city, and decided it was about time to go in, having seen this chain before. As I came in a really sweet member of the staff offered me a sample of some sort of truffle; that tasted quite nice. I mostly went in to see if they had anything with sea salt in it, and when on inspection I couldn’t initially find anything, I asked the girls in the shop and they quickly and sweetly showed me what they had. I bought a bag of salted caramel puddles (£5, which is waay too expensive!) and a slab of milk chocolate (£3.50).
The puddles at first I thought were just okay. After eating a few more though I decided I loved them: D I don’t think they’re worth the £5 price, but nonetheless I don’t regret buying them, as I’d been needing my salty/​sweet fix.
I’ve only had a small bit of the milk chocolate, but I’m not overly impressed. The first bite was pretty nice, but the second bite I didn’t love. As I still have tons left I’ll try a bit more tomorrow and decide whether I truly like it or not, otherwise I’d say Hotel Chocolat is better with sort of specialty chocolate than basics. I’m also not a huge milk chocolate fan; I much prefer dark chocolate, but I was about to meet up with my boyfriend who doesn’t like dark so I wanted to share with him.
I’d definitely go back for more chocolate; the staff were really friendly and helpful, and there’s a LOT of different types of chocolate to choose from.

Finally! A hotel chocolat open at the weekend that isn’t all the way over in West London. All the ones in the city are closed at weekends but now we have one within walking distance of Covent Garden so I can combine a days shopping and eating in central London with replenishing my chocolate stocks.
This one has everything all the others have including a free sample but is just so much more convenient.
Islington next please then I’ll really start piling on the pounds.