Travel Journal

Best Hot Chocolate in Paris: 5 Cafés & Chocolatiers

©Cafe Verlet

Paris has no shortage of wonderful cafés, but when it comes to a proper chocolat chaud, there are a few addresses that we think are especially worth knowing. Here are five of our favourites for the colder months.

November 11, 2026

There are a few things we particularly look forward to when winter arrives in Paris, and a good hot chocolate is definitely one of them. Especially after a morning spent walking around the city, when it’s cold enough to make you want to find the nearest café and stay there for a while.

And we’re not talking about a cup of warm milk with a little cocoa powder stirred in. In Paris, hot chocolate can be a serious affair. Thick, rich, sometimes almost like drinking melted chocolate, and often served with a generous helping of whipped cream.

We also think that where you drink it is half the pleasure. There are the grand old cafés where you can spend an hour watching Paris go by, and the smaller chocolate makers where the focus is entirely on the quality of the cocoa.

©PLAQ

PLAQ Chocolat

4 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris

If you’re serious about chocolate, PLAQ is one address you should know. Tucked away on Rue du Nil in the 2nd arrondissement, this independent chocolate maker takes a rather different approach from the traditional Parisian tea room.

At PLAQ, chocolate is made from scratch, starting with carefully selected cocoa beans that are roasted and transformed into chocolate in the workshop itself. The production area is visible to visitors, so you can actually see how the chocolate is made.

Their hot chocolate is all about the flavour of the cocoa. You can order it with milk for a richer, creamier drink, or with water, which allows the more delicate flavours of the chocolate to come through. It’s an interesting comparison, especially if you’re used to the sweeter hot chocolates served in traditional cafés.

We particularly like the atmosphere of Rue du Nil, a small street that has become something of a destination for food lovers, with excellent independent shops and restaurants nearby. PLAQ is a lovely stop if you’re exploring this part of Paris, and we’d definitely recommend taking home a few chocolate bars.

©Les Deux Magots

Les Deux Magots

6 Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 75006 Paris

There are some cafés in Paris that we love as much for their history and atmosphere as for what’s on the menu, and Les Deux Magots is certainly one of them.

Located on Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this famous literary café has been welcoming artists, writers and intellectuals since the 19th century. Over the years, its tables have been frequented by the likes of Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Today, it’s still one of the most recognisable cafés on the Left Bank, with its red banquettes, attentive waiters and wonderful views of the square.

Their traditional hot chocolate is served in a small pot, accompanied by a cup on a silver tray, so you can pour it yourself. It’s a rich, comforting drink, and the little ritual of serving it is part of the experience.

We love Les Deux Magots on a cold afternoon, particularly after wandering through the bookshops and galleries of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Yes, it’s a famous address, and you’ll certainly find plenty of visitors here, but there’s something rather lovely about settling into a corner of such a historic café and watching the world go by.

©Château de Berne

Carette

Place du Trocadéro, Place des Vosges & Place du Tertre

Carette has become one of the most talked-about addresses for hot chocolate in Paris, and it’s easy to understand why.

Founded in 1927 by Jean Carette, the original tea room opened on Place du Trocadéro, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Today, the maison also has locations on Place des Vosges and Place du Tertre in Montmartre.

Carette is known for its elegant interiors, beautiful pastries and wonderfully indulgent hot chocolate. Thick, smooth and rich, it’s particularly good with a generous spoonful of whipped cream on top.

There’s something very traditional about the whole experience, from the polished service to the beautiful surroundings. It’s the sort of place where ordering a pastry alongside your chocolate seems almost compulsory.

Our favourite setting would have to be the Place des Vosges location. Tucked beneath the historic arcades of one of Paris’s most beautiful squares, it’s a lovely place to stop after exploring the Marais, especially when the weather turns cold.

And if you’re visiting Paris for the first time, the original Trocadéro address is hard to beat for its iconic location.

©Café Verlet

Café Verlet

256 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris

Just a short walk from the Palais Royal, Café Verlet is one of those Parisian addresses that feels wonderfully unchanged by time.

The maison dates back to 1880 and is particularly well known for its coffee, which it continues to roast using traditional methods. But beyond the coffee, it’s also a lovely place to stop for an afternoon hot chocolate.

Inside, the atmosphere is quite different from the larger Parisian cafés. With its dark wood, old-fashioned furnishings and intimate setting, Café Verlet has the charm of a traditional French coffee house. The décor retains elements of its 1920s character, making it feel like a little piece of old Paris.

The menu includes hot chocolate alongside an extensive selection of coffees, teas and pastries, so it’s an ideal stop for an afternoon break.

What we particularly like about Verlet is its location and atmosphere. After visiting the Louvre, wandering through the Palais Royal gardens or exploring the shops along Rue Saint-Honoré, it’s a lovely place to escape the crowds for a little while.

And while it may be better known for its coffee, we think it’s exactly the sort of traditional Parisian address worth keeping in your notebook.

©Alain Ducasse

La Manufacture de Chocolat Alain Ducasse

40 Rue de la Roquette, 75011 Paris

For our final address, we’re heading to the 11th arrondissement, where Alain Ducasse has created a rather extraordinary chocolate workshop.

Hidden away in a small cobbled courtyard near Bastille, La Manufacture de Chocolat is dedicated to traditional chocolate-making techniques. Here, cocoa beans are roasted, ground and transformed into chocolate on-site, using carefully restored vintage machinery.

The result is chocolate with a real emphasis on flavour, texture and the character of the cocoa itself. The maison is known for using relatively little added sugar, allowing the natural flavours of the beans to take centre stage.

The hot chocolate is particularly rich and intense, making it a good choice for those who prefer a stronger cocoa flavour rather than something overly sweet.

We love the idea of visiting the manufacture not simply for a drink, but to discover a little more about the work behind the chocolate. The workshop itself is fascinating, and the boutique is filled with beautifully made chocolate bars, pralines and other treats.

It’s also a wonderful place to pick up a few gifts, especially in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Although, if you’re anything like us, it’s unlikely that everything you buy will make it home!