The Best Hot Chocolate in Paris

Paris has a reputation for offering some of the best hot chocolate in the world. It has a thickness, and decadence that comes from being crafted from rich milk and carefully melted chocolate. Many of the iconic cafes and patisseries in Paris offer hot chocolate. 

Yet it’s easy to miss when you’re swamped by all the other amazing things on their menu. Especially when you’re contemplating pastries like Mont Blanc or vibrantly colored macarons, which pair perfectly with a warm cup of hot chocolate.   

To keep a great opportunity from passing you by, on your Paris food tour, I decided to dig up the best cafes for hot chocolate. This includes a quick look at what makes each place great, what’s hot on their menu, and why they might deserve the title of best hot chocolate in Paris.  

Angelina Paris

Photo credit: Angelina Paris

Angelina near Jardin des Tuileries is an iconic French café serving one of the best hot chocolates in the City of Light. They’ve spent decades cultivating a reputation for delicious pastries and high-end French hot chocolate. Particularly, L’Africain, which is made from African cocoa beans.  

The most popular thing on their menu is the Mont Blanc. It has an ethereal light meringue, with light whipped cream, and chestnut cream vermicelli, that needs to be on your bucket list.

I take special delight in Angelina’s Éclair Chocolat, which is filled with decadent chocolate cream with a shimmering chocolate glaze. Paring it with their hot chocolate is the closest you’ll come to a death-by-chocolate experience, while still maintaining a pulse.

Angelina €€ – 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France – Open Monday to Friday: 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM

Jean-Paul Hévin

Photo credit: Jean-Paul Hévin

Jean-Paul Hévin is an eponymous boutique café just two blocks from Louvre with an air of elegance and sophisticated and elegant atmosphere, that reflects their dedication to all things chocolate. The ambiance is modern, with sleek décor.  

They use visual lines to draw the eyes to the showcase of artistic pastries they have on display. This use of light and interior architecture transforms their tantalizing tarts, macarons, cakes, and pralines into visual works of art.

They’re well-known for their high-quality chocolate bars, making it a chocolate lover’s dream. Many of which are infused with other flavors that give the chocolate nuance.

The hot chocolate at Jean-Paul Hévin is rich and velvety in a way that coats the tongue. I ordered a spiced hot chocolate. It gave me the perfect cozy warm feeling I needed to start my day on a chilly winter morning.  

Jean-Paul Hévin €€€ – 231 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France – Open: Monday to Friday, from 10 AM to 6 PM.

Pierre Hermé

Photo credit: Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé is a haute pâtisserie, a French way of saying high-end pastry shop, with a decades-long reputation for elegant pastries and vibrantly colored macarons. Herme has even earned the moniker “The Picasso of Pastry” for the use of color that tantalizes the eyes before satisfying the taste buds.

Pierre Hermé has multiple Parisian locations worth visiting. I prefer the brightness of the boutique on Champs-Élysées. The interior decor employs strategic lighting to capture your attention. The clean lines direct you to what’s best while giving the interior a museum-like quality.

The chocolat chaud at Pierre Hermé redefines hot chocolate, with a delicate balance of sweetness playing with the richness of cocoa beans. I recommend having it with whipped cream to take the rich luxury of the experience to an 11 out of 10.

Pierre Hermé €€€ – 86 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris – Open: Daily from 10:30 AM – 10:30 PM.

Ladurée

Photo credit: Ladurée

Ladurée on the Champs-Élysées is an iconic Parisian tea room with a reputation for serving some of the best matcha in Paris. From their ornate tea cups to the lavish décor, everything about it puts French elegance on full display. The interior is adorned with soft pastel hues, floral patterns, and ornate chandeliers, evoking a bygone age.

They are arguably best known for their vivid macarons, offered in a spectrum of flavors. Each is meticulously hand-crafted to have a perfectly crisp shell with an indulgent filling.

This is also the home of the world-famous Ladurée Chantilly. It’s a special type of choux pastry filled with the perfect amount of zephyr-light Chantilly cream. This cream is perfumed with vanilla which adds to the pastry’s sensual aroma. Then the entire thing is lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Ladurée’s cup of hot chocolate is the perfect pairing for their Chantilly. I loved how the full-bodied flavor of the chocolate and the vanilla essence of the cream accented each other with an aroma that’s still embedded in my memory.

Ladurée €€€ – 75 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France – Open: daily from 9:00 AM – 10:15 PM.

Jacques Genin

Photo credit: Jacques Genin

Jacques Genin is a cozy Parisian patisserie nestled in the Le Marais district. They are known for their hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, and chocolate gnashes that are often used to accent their impressive lineup of pastries.

The ambiance in Jacques Genin has a modern yet homey charm that’s emphasized by warm lighting. I found it’s the perfect place for a gentle read of the morning newspaper.

The most popular things on Jacques Genin’s menu start with the Mille-Feuille, Tarte au Citron, and Paris-Brest. Each is an ornate cathedral of carbohydrates and elegant flavor. However, if you’re looking for a secret gem, their seasonal fruit jellies are delightful.

I was delighted to find one made from seasonal strawberries and raspberries. Gently infused with just the right amount of lemon to give it brightness, while keeping the natural sugars from tasting cloy.

Jacques Genin €€ – 133 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France – Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Closed on Mondays. 

Carette

Photo credit: Carette

Carette is in the heart of Paris near the Trocadéro and Place des Vosges. The interior taps into the clean look of Art Deco décor while also feeling cozy. The large windows let in copious amounts of natural light and a perfect view of Paris’s bustling streets. In my opinion, it’s the perfect place in all of France to eat a perfect croissant au beurre and do a little people-watching.

The menu at Carette is as much about pastry as it is about lunch and brunch. You can get croissants, pain au chocolat, and éclairs in the morning. Then enjoy a croque-monsieur, club sandwich, or fresh salad made with seasonal greens for lunch.

The hot chocolate recipe at Carette is a proprietary secret that seems to use full-fat whole milk for the base. It’s blended with high-quality dark chocolate and a little bittersweet chocolate to create an unforgettably rich cup of Parisian hot chocolate.  

Carette €€ – 4 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris, France – Open: Monday to Sunday: 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM.

Chapon Chocolat

Photo credit: Chapon Chocolat

Located in the 7th arrondissement, Chapon Chocolat is an artisanal chocolatier that shows off the very best of French chocolate making. Its wood-lined shelves and vintage décor give it a warmth that differs from the often-institutional feel of other chocolate shops.

You’d be forgiven for falling deeply in love with their pralines, truffles, and pastries. Yet I think it’s their chocolate mousse bar that offers one of the most profound chocolate experiences in Paris. It’s essentially a tasting menu of hand-crafted chocolate mousses served in adorable little pots.

With so many other decadent chocolate offerings, it comes as little surprise that Chapon Chocolat offers an impressively full-bodied hot chocolate. It’s a perfect chocolatey flavor to go with any one of their bright pastries or cakes.

Chapon Chocolat €€€ – 69 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, Franc – Open: Monday to Saturday 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM and closed on Sunday.

Les Deux Magots

Photo credit: Les Deux Magots

Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés has a well-known reputation for being the one-beloved café of artists and writers like Hemmingway, James Joyce, and Picasso. To this day it’s a favorite stop for Americans who want to soak in a little bit of the intellectual ambiance.

For breakfast, I highly recommend the Classique croissant au beurre, which has a perfect flaky texture and buttery flavor. I love pairing it with hot chocolate or black coffee to start my day out on the right foot.

The hot chocolate at Les Deux Magots is richly luxurious. It arrives at your table in a warmed pot, allowing you to pour the chocolate drink at your leisure. Perfect for pacing yourself while doing a little people-watching.

Les Deux Magots €€€ – 6 Pl. Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006 Paris, France – Open: Daily from 7:30 am to 1:00 am