Drinking hot chocolate at Max Brenner is an intimate ceremony—a love affair with a frothy, steaming mug of rich cocoa delight. Young kids should try the Choco Pops drink: crunchy chocolate wafer balls bobbing in dark, white, or milk chocolate. 841 Broadway, maxbrenner.com
Raising the bar on hot chocolate, Le Vosges Haute chocolatier Katrina Markoff has made it her mission to create the perfect cup of molten chocolate heaven. The mugs of rich chocolate shavings, cream, whole milk, and frothed cocoa with thick foam—very, very thick foam!—don’t disappoint. 132 Spring Street, vosgeschocolate.com
Stepping into The Chocolate Room is like stepping into, well, a chocolate room. Dark, warm, and cocoa-scented, this haven is an experience for all the senses. Try the Dark Hot Cocoa, made with 61% Belgian chocolate, or add Ancho, chipotle, cinnamon, and cloves to your mug for extra heat. And Classic Hot Chocolate is, of course, a classic. 86 Fifth Avenue and 269 Court Street, Brooklyn, thechocolateroombrooklyn.com
Don’t let the long lines at Jacques Torres sway you from indulging in one of the best hot chocolate experiences you can get. The spicy Wicked cup of chocolate is a local favorite, but we suggest you go with the straight-up Classic—like drinking a ridiculously delicious melted chocolate bar. Various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, mrchocolate.com
Of course City Bakery, which hosts one of the best chocolate festivals in the city, would have to feature prominently on any NYC hot chocolate list. The kids rave about the marshmallows—they are gigantic, homemade, and melt gorgeously in the mug. 3 West 18th Street, thecitybakery.com
At the magical candy land that is Dylan’s Candy Bar and Café, go up the candy-covered stairs, wade through the sea of delicious sweets to the café, and head toward the cupcake tables. There, order yourself a big mug of hot cocoa made from the premium Belgium chocolate shavings of Dylan’s own candy bars. 1011 Third Avenue, dylanscandybar.com
