There are so many things I love about the holiday season. I mean what can beat wearing a sweater, scarf and boots?? That’s saying a lot coming from a CA girl who loves the sunshine. I just love all the lights and decorations that are put up everywhere. And I know there are mixed feelings about this, but I feel so happy when I walk into a store to hear Christmas music playing. Plus, I just love shopping around and buying friends & family gifts! It’s all just such a magical & joyful season for me!

However, if I had to choose one of my favorite holiday activities of all time, it would definitely be cozying up and watching Christmas movies (particularly Elf), with a hot chocolate in hand. Though I choose to drink homemade hot chocolate, I can still appreciate the delicious chocolatey creations of others. And since I heard so many raving reviews about hot chocolate all over Dublin, I’ve decided to do all the hard work for y’all – I’ve adventured all around Dublin trying the claimed “best” hot chocolates. A hard job – you’re welcome 😉

So with that, I present to you this guide…A Guide to the Best Hot Chocolate in Dublin. I’ll begin with some honorable mentions:

The first honorable mention is Clement & Pekoe:

I actually hadn’t been to this coffee shop until I heard they were known for some great hot chocolate. And let me tell ya – I will definitely be back to try the coffee! This is certainly a coffee shop gem of Dublin. Located on South William Street alongside some amazing restaurants, it doesn’t immediately catch your eye. However, the constant traffic of people will tell you otherwise! Like many places in Dublin, the entrance is small but the rest of the coffee shop extends back and opens up. You order in the small cafe front, then walk back to find a seat in a room decorated with books and the various coffee & accessories they sell. Beyond this area is a little coffee bar, and more seating. Anyways, loved the atmosphere and set up. Will be back. But the hot chocolate – such a cute idea! You choose your milk and cream, and it’s served like so:

Looks like just milk with a stick huh? Well stir the stick and wait for the magic…

The stir stick is in a block of QUALITY chocolate. As you stir, it melts into the milk. So the hot chocolate gets more chocolatey with ever sip. So fun!! This this is more of a “make-your-own” hot chocolate, but it’s so nice because they use handmade chocolate from Áine which is so worth the wait.

My second honorable mention goes to another cafe with a fun hot chocolate experience: Accents. This cafe is a popular choice for meet ups, groups or working on stuff on your own. The perfect place to step out of the city rush. When you order a hot chocolate at Accents, all you have to do is tell them what kind of milk and chocolate you’d like. It’s served to you as hot milk with chocolate chips of your choice and marshmallows on the side. They give you the ingredients to build your ideal hot chocolate, making you the chef! The only downside for me was that I felt I didn’t have enough chocolate chips to make a true hot chocolate. But that’s because I LOVE chocolate. So it’s probably enough for any normal human 😉

Despite my love for chocolate, even the third honorable mention was a chocolate overload for me. Ladurée is a french cafe off Wicklow Street, down the road from the holiday shopping madness of Grafton. I honestly would never have stepped into this cafe if it wasn’t for the enticing chocolately goodness I had heard about. Alas, I found myself at a table there, and ordered their hot chocolate. It was LITERAL melted chocolate. The French take their culinary terms quite seriously.

Funny story actually because I had heard they used real chocolate and here I am thinking it was a rich milky hot chocolate; so when I ordered it, I asked if they had almond milk. The waitress then asked me how I wanted the milk – was it for the hot chocolate or just on the side to drink? I was confused and responded, “Oh, nevermind, I’ll just have the hot chocolate” LOL here’s what was brought to me:

The richest, purest, hot chocolate I’ve ever had indeed. This is guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth but isn’t for the light hearted. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, I definitely recommend this delicious dessert in drink form. But heads up – I couldn’t finish it! The single portion is definitely rich enough for two people.

For my final honorable mention, I had to include one of my top coffee shops: 9th Degree. I honestly ordered their hot chocolate out of curiosity. And man was I impressed. It was a normal hot chocolate with coconut milk and it was so perfectly foamed with the perfect chocolately portion. 10/10 would recommend.

And now for my favorite three hot chocolates of Dublin…

*drum roll please*…

3. Scoop Dessert Parlour

I swear I’m not biased. You get to choose from three different types of hot chocolate. The normal hot chocolate is your standard Cadbury’s. It’s nice but I’m a chocolately girl as I’ve mentioned, so this choice doesn’t cut it for me. However, the next two choices will leave you salivating: Belgian Chocolate and Nutella. Oh. My. Goodness.

For the Belgian Chocolate hot chocolate, you can choose between three types of chocolate – milk, dark and white. All three options come with cream and marshmallows, of course. Scoop also provides various milk choices (always a must for me).

Between the Belgian chocolate and Nutella, it’s a tough choice. But I must say the Belgian is my personal favorite. I feel the chocolate chips melt better. Though I won’t complain about the chunk of Nutella I get to eat at the end of my Nutella hot chocolate 😉 With three locations in Dublin (Aungier, Ranelagh, and Smithfield) and the plethora of options, there’s no excuse to not try one of Scoop’s hot chocolates!

2. The Sweetest Thing

This cafe on Bachelor’s Walk is another gem. Quite quaint for the constant flow of people crossing to the northside. When you walk in, you’re greeted warmly by the staff. Then you have the hard decision of what you want because this cafe offers various food & sweet options, as well as coffee. However, their hot chocolate menu is on a whole new level – it’s quite extensive. I struggled to order because I wanted to try them all! Though I felt I should stick with the traditional hot chocolate, I couldn’t resist but get their Guinness Dark Chocolate. You heard that right: Guinness, and chocolate. It did not disappoint.

If a stout hot chocolate doesn’t sound nice to you – don’t cross this place off your list! They still had a list of amazing other options which looked INCREDIBLE. From the classic choices to peanut butter, there is a hot chocolate for everyone. The staff will happily help you in the decision-making process, too. When I went, I didn’t try any of their food or sweets, but it definitely all sounded (and looked) delicious. I’ll certainly be back to try another a hot chocolate AND some treats next time!

1. Butler’s

Hands down. The best. Nothing beats a classic. And I’ve actually tried many of their hot chocolates, with various milks. Still my favorite by far. But I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise – Butler’s knows good coffee, good milk, and good chocolate! Plus, you always get a free chocolate with your order. What’s not to love about free chocolate with hot chocolate??!

So there you have it. My guide to the best hot chocolate in Dublin.

Let me know if you’ve tried any and if you agree – or when you try them, let me know what you think!

But if you’re like me, maybe you just like to make your own hot chocolate in the comfort of your home…so I’m gonna let you in on a little secret recipe of how to make the best homemade hot chocolate:

1. Warm a pot on your hob on medium heat with the milk of your choice (note: you don’t want it to boil – just warm up!!).

2. Once warm, add in the chocolate of your choice to the pot and let it melt. Be careful not to burn it by stirring it continuously.

3. Mix until milk becomes chocolately!

4. Add whatever flavorings you desire. The classic choice is peppermint extract, but I also love to add a bit of peanut butter or Bailey’s!

5. Once the milk and chocolate has been mixed evenly, pour into a mug, and add your cream and marshmallows if desired (maybe even some cocoa powder).

6. Enjoy! – With a loved one, by the fire, on the couch, with your pup, etc. 😉

*You can also microwave milk so it’s hot, then add your chocolate and let it melt as you stir, but I always love doing stovetop hot chocolate. Plus you can make a bigger portion that way 😉

**P.S. I have heard amazing things about Carluccio’s hot chocolate, and a few other places, which I did not get a chance to try. So I will update this list if needbe once I’ve been 🙂 **