Loco for cocoa: Where to find Cork's best hot-chocolates
Denise O'Donoghue enjoying a hot chocolate at Lab 82
It's Easter: The shop shelves are overflowing with chocolate eggs and sweet treats and kids big and small are enjoying an opportunity to indulge their sweet tooth.
However, while eggs are the go-to treat for the season, there’s another chocolate-centred food that we as a nation have been making to perfection — hot chocolate.
You may think a hot cup of cocoa is more of a winter drink, but I would argue a creamy sip of hot chocolate on a chilly spring day is the perfect pick-me-up for young and old, an ideal family excursion at any time, but particularly over the Easter holidays.
I recently posted on Instagram looking for recommendations for Cork’s best hot chocolate and I was not disappointed by the responses.
I made a list and started a taste test tour ahead of the school holidays. With the cost-of-living crisis really bedding in, I was keen to ensure the pricier recommendations were worth the extra cash, be it for taste or overall atmosphere and experience.
Below you will find a mixture of humble hot chocolate only and some more photogenic concoctions, but all have one thing in common: They were all delicious and worth the splurge.
Is there a more colourful spot to enjoy some hot chocolate than Lab 82? Located across from Kent Station, Lab 82 is the perfect pitstop for a family en route to the train for Fota Wildlife Park or beyond.
I popped in on a Saturday morning for breakfast, one of the busiest days in a spot also known for its brunch menu, and washed down my meal with hot chocolate.
As well as the tasty food menu, Lab 82’s interiors alone are worth a visit. A variety of statues and wall art adorn the cafe’s walls. We were lucky to get a table and while being served, one member of staff told me the hot chocolates are as popular as ever — the comforting classic is a treat we can still justify to ourselves, it seems.
I ordered the hot chocolate for €4.50 and it was a happy medium between classic hot chocolate and a more ornate Insta-friendly offering.
The clear mug was covered with chocolate sauce on the inner surface, filled with hot chocolate and topped with cream, three large marshmallows and another drizzle of chocolate sauce, but nothing that made physically drinking it difficult.
Despite the richness of the ingredients, Lab 82’s hot chocolate tasted light, creamy, and was gone in a flash. It’s easy to see why it remains popular among customers.
Nestled at the end of Cork Airport’s runway is a quaint and popular tea room that you will rarely find empty.
The Workshop has become an institution for breakfast, lunch, and coffee, and its hot chocolate menu is a thing of beauty. Prices start at €3 for a kid’s hot chocolate or €4 for a regular, all served with cream and marshmallows, and its specialist varieties include popular flavours like Terry’s Chocolate Orange, After 8, and Snowball. On a Sunday afternoon, I opted for the largest choice on the menu: An XL Hot Chocolate for €5.50. Go big or go home, right?
I was presented with a huge mug piled high with cream and small marshmallows. All of The Workshop’s hot drinks are served in eclectic, mismatching mugs and teacups. The Workshop takes pride in their vintage collection, opting for pre-loved ware instead of new crockery as a sustainable choice and it adds to the experience.
My hot chocolate was housed in an hourglass-shaped mug that reminded me of a large jug. The hot chocolate itself was creamy and a little on the sweet side compared to others featured here, likely due to the cream. It certainly had the most cream on top of any I tried but it wasn’t an obstacle.
Despite the size of the mug, this hot chocolate vanished surprisingly quickly. It was not too heavy and was a lovely post-lunch treat. The surrounds too deserve a mention. The Workshop houses a range of cabinets and curiosities that are a welcome backdrop to any dining experience and quite a few mementos within are available for purchase too.
The Winthrop Arcade is one of my favourite places to walk through in Cork City. Located between Winthrop St and Oliver Plunkett St, it is Ireland’s oldest covered shopping arcade and it dates to 1926. Nestled within its walls is COCOA, which, after I asked for suggestions, was one of the most frequently recommended hot chocolates.
Due to its petite location, it doesn’t seat a huge number of guests but we were lucky to find a table “outside” (outside the shop but still covered by the arcade’s roof). Although it is beside one of the busiest streets in the city, it’s a peaceful spot and a great location for a quiet cuppa.
Its Proper Hot Chocolate costs €3.50 (3), or €4.20 for a large cup, making it one of the more affordable options I tried. A child’s hot chocolate is €3, with cream costing an additional 10c. I opted to go without cream (it was my third hot chocolate of the day, I was fit to burst) and what I received was a straightforward and traditional cup of cocoa — much like the name suggests. It tasted more like dark chocolate than the others I tried elsewhere but it was a rich and enjoyable flavour.
Cork’s oldest tea room is more than deserving of a visit to sample their hot chocolate — and it’s probably the best value one I tried. Located just off St Patrick’s St, visiting Fellini’s is like stepping back in time to Cork’s golden age. A refuge from the hustle and bustle of Pana, Fellini’s boasts a high ornate ceiling and is a beautiful cafe to spend some time in.There are three hot chocolates on the menu: Viennese Hot Chocolate (4), Dark Aztec Chocolate, and their signature Fellini’s Hot Chocolate, which I opted for.
While some hot chocolates on this list fill large mugs, this is the only one that had enough for two. Placed on the table before me were an empty mug a small dish of marshmallows and chocolates, and a full-to-the-top glass jug filled with creamy and delicious hot chocolate. My first pour filled the cup, with enough left in the jug for a second full cup of hot chocolate. The drink was a comforting and classic hot chocolate and certainly the best value I tried, practically two for the price of one.
Meanwhile, my companion chose a Viennese Hot Chocolate, also €5, which came with a dollop of cream on top. Though it did not match the Fellini Hot Chocolate in volume, it was more than satisfying. He described it as “basically liquid Nutella” and a much thicker formula than expected. It was a delicious and decadent option and reminded me of the hot chocolates I’ve seen on Tiktok from Parisian cafes.
As I mentioned above, I received a huge number of recommendations for hot chocolate on social media but I was unable to visit them all. Here are five of the most-mentioned places in Cork and beyond that remain on my must-visit list.
- Wundercaffee, Farran, Co Cork.
- Ó Conaill Hot Chocolate at Dinky Donuts, Marina Market, Cork City.
- Laduree, Dawson St, Dublin City.
- The Sweetest Thing Chocolate Café, Bachelor’s Walk, Dublin City.
- Jack Monday’s Coffee House, Thomondgate, Limerick City
