@belleandjerome

Does it get better than this?
This special little delight is from the winter warmers menu at Belle & Jerome's.  Mint hot chocolate!!!!  For as long as I can remember After Eight mints have been a favourite of mine and this hot chocolate is absolutely delicious.  The menu describes this as being topped with crushed up mint matchmakers and although I've had this twice there has been not a matchmaker in sight (I'll admit I was disappointed) but the fresh flavour of this hot chocolate more than made up for it.  Many mint hot chocolates on the market are too sickly to finish but not this...Belle & Jerome rock!!!
I will digress to extol the virtues of this fabulous place, found in Beeston and again in West Bridgeford in Nottingham, Belle & Jerome is the place to go for breakfast, lunch, early bird dining, evening and gourmet nights.  They do fabulous bacon sarnies and my review card on visiting for an evening meal (fab selection of wines too) said only one word...

Nomalicious!!!

If you are in the area pop in and see for yourself and let me know how you get on.  The selection of hot chocolates here include liqueur and luxury varieties and I'm working my way through them all.  I am also firmly assured that they do the best cappuccino around...wonder if its the best cappuccino in the world ever? :)
I love this place and today I began following them on twitter...who knows tomorrow I might move in!

Costa

Costa, Hull
Okay so Costa isn't my favourite hot chocolate in the world ever.  But a shopping trip wouldn't be complete with out one so here we are.  I know, I know, you can tell by the picture that I didnt protest too much, picking the signiture massimo cup!  However, I did decline the cream and marshmallows that turn this huge hot chocolate into a dessert.   Shopping equals stress and stressed written backwards spells desserts so there is method to the madness here.  Love the finishing touches with the cocao stencil but I'd reserve the coffee bean for the cappucino.  Keep shoppers shopping Costa!!! 

Northumberland cheese company makes fab hot chocolate!!!

The Northumberland Cheese Company
My other idea of taste heaven drew to me to this place in the summer of 2011.  I loooooooooooove cheese almost as much as I love hot chocolate.  This was a deliciously creamy cup of gorgeousness topped with frothy cream (canned variety I'm afraid) and then sprinkled with cocao.  Lush,  and a great big mug as you can see, which I really do appreciate.  No sediment left either which is often hard to achieve without much stirring throughout.  As much as I hate to digress I do think you need to drink this with one of their huge slices of cake, closely followed up with a visit to the cheese fridge to buy some favourites and some more unusual offerings from the cheese department.  Fabulous and well worth the map reading to find it.

Stokes, lincoln

Stokes High Bridge Cafe, Lincoln
Lovingly entitled the 'wibbldywobbldy cafe' by my children, Stokes Cafe overlooking the High Street and river in Lincoln is a must visit if only for the ancient decor whisking you back in time, and of course the uneven walls and floors of this fabulous building.  Stokes is one of the last remaining family run businesses on Lincoln High Street and will celebrate it's 110th birthday this year!!!!
Of course it would be rude not to sample a hot chocolate and I chose added cream too.  This was delicious, however, the only downfall was that the last remaining dregs (I don't like to leave any) were rather grainy.  I was pleased to see they were using 'proper' cream though, not the canned spray cream that lots of places choose.  Let me know your experiences of Stokes and I'm sure I'll return again soon.  Happy Birthday Stokes!!!

Grayz tea rooms

Lincoln November 2011

A gorgeous little tea room in Lincoln, a perfect place to stop and reboot before heading down steep hill into the town (although to be fair refuelling after walking back up would be wiser).  A perfect pit stop with a delicious hot chocolate.  Grayz Tea Room is a pretty place with very friendly staff that make you feel extremely welcome even with indecisive children in tow.  The hot chocolate in question was smooth and milky with a thick layer of frothy foam dusted with yet more chocolate.  I do prefer a higher cocoa content but this was fabulous as a quick fix and equally enjoyed by my mini-me in training.  I will definitely visit again, thanks Grayz.

The best hot chocolate in the world ever?

Prague, October 2011

An amazing city, streets filled with gems such as musicians, roasting hams, mulled wine and artist David Cerny's huge bronze alien babies (yes you read that right) and there hidden away towards one end of the famous Charles Bridge is a fantastic establishment called Cukrkavalimonada.  Recommended to us by friends living in Prague we sauntered along the cobbled streets for breakfast.  This was the moment when I decided to share my hot chocolate travels....All I can say is

WOW!!!! 

I think the spoon standing up in the cup just about says it all but this has to be the best (and the largest) cup of hot chocolate I have ever tasted.  It is deliciously dark, smooth, thick and creamy and is a complete meal in itself!  Definitely not a quick cup, this hot chocolate dream is one to savour... uninterrupted....sheer bliss.

The Guardian seem to have this delightful cafe in their 'Top 10 Prague Surprises' and its easy to see why.  Sarah wrote that you should visit "for an unusual hot chocolate you'll never forget - and probably never manage to finish".  Well Sarah I did manage - 3 times!!!!!!

Welcome

Welcome!!!

Hot chocolate...my delicious, luxurious drink of choice.  There are many bloggers out there who focus on chocolate in all its glorious forms, however 

The best hot chocolate in the world ever!!!

 does what it says on the tin.  As I travel the country and in fact the world I hope to bring you hot chocolate reviews to tickle your tastebuds.  And so the journey begins....