Baby, it’s cold outside. Falling temperatures call for a mug of chocolat chaud. But where to find the real deal? When it comes to hot chocolate, Paris generally isn’t a cocoa powder town; a true chocolat chaud tends to be real melted chocolate blended with warm whole milk, which is often deceptively creamy, or, for further decadence, a mixture of milk and cream. Here are five of our favorites for hot chocolate in Paris.
In the summer, crazy crowds gather on the Ile Saint-Louis for Berthillon’s famous ice cream, but in the winter, this old-fashioned ice cream shop is almost abandoned. The emptiness belies one of Paris’ better-kept food secrets: It’s hard to imagine a more decadent cup of cocoa than the chocolate affogato here. You receive a silver platter with a scoop of the ice cream or sorbet of your choice (you can’t go wrong with the salted caramel or classic vanilla) alongside a pitcher of melted dark chocolate, another of frothy hot milk, and a bowl of whipped cream. Then you mix it yourself for a cup that is as chocolate-y or creamy as you like, though guaranteed to be completely over the top. If that wasn’t enough, it’s garnished with a crunchy nut cookie. Be sure you head to the original Berthillon, however, as there are many other spots nearby that will advertise that they sell the brand and are frequently mistaken for the ice cream shop.
For more spots for a decent cup of cocoa, read the full article on Paris by Mouth.