The Best European Hot Chocolate Places

Live your dolce vita with a cup of hot cocoa every morning? Forget it! Whipped cream and marshmallows make it just too luscious for real gourmands who enjoy the sweetest temptation in Europe's best chocolate places. Follow their footsteps!

Today Paris takes pride in the gold standard of hot chocolate at the Angelina's on Rue Rivoli. For 7 Euros you can drink the thick African chocolate cream with just enough milk to slide from your cup. French high society ladies and tourists from worldwide ask for chocolate l'Africain because waiters only tend to look at you when you say something en francais. As other stops of the Parisien chocolate tour Berthillion, Café le Paix and Ladurée are also worth seeing.

Cioccolata calda (Italian hot chocolate) differs from chocolate chaud which has much deeper flavour. The reason for this deviation is that Italians consume cornstarch instead of real chocolatepowder as condenser. Drinking cioccolate calda means you taste the bartender's gusto because he takes the lead how cacao, sugar, milk or cream are mixed. The only thing costumers can define is the warmth. If you search for the most aboriginal Italian hot chocolate go to Pellacchia Caffé, on Via Cola di Rienzo, Rome. Also in the City of Seven Hills, Caffé Sant’Eustachio attracts with its unique coffee flavour in hot chocolate. Bar San Calisto in Travestere quarter is the haven of budget tourists because a cup only costs 1.5 Euros.

The Spanish blend the two styles. Their hot chocolate contains almost the same amount of French chocolate but there is enough cornstarch to make that cup of hot chocolate puddinglike. According to travelog information the best hot chocolate in Spain can be drunk at the center Madrid, in Chocolateria San Ginés where the famous churros should be tasted, as well. In Barcelona let's head up to Cacao Sampaka, on Carrer del Consell de Sent. There is a difficult choice waiting for everyone whether they like 70 per cent chocolate with cinnamon or 80 per cent chocolate of spicy flavour.

For drinking Swiss chocolate pay a visit to Grand Café in Lugano, Switzerland. At the home of Belgian chocolate, Brugge allures visitors from all around the world where they can taste as much chocolate as they want in every shop around the corner. De Proeverie is highly recommended for chocolate lovers because their hot chocolate is absolutely up to them. Every costumer is welcomed to a make new blend of thick, melted hot chocolate, fresh milk and whipped cream served in separate cups and plates.

And what about Eastern Europe? Well, the old Austria-Hungary is also famous for some terrific chocolate places. For starters Vienna is the best choice where they can go in real Viennese mood to Sacher, Frauenhuber or Mozart Coffees for hot chocolate specialties with rum, orange liqueur or amoretto. The price depends on flavouring and ranges from 4 to 7 Euros. In Prague St. Tropez, Ebel and Café Louvre offer delicious hot chocolates for 40-80 CZK. At last but not least Budapest should be discovered as a hot chocolate hot spot, the city center seem to be full of little cafés serving hot chocolate, but the greatest of all is Noir Choco Bar next to Andrássy street. That mountain of fine chocolate can be rarely seen!