Review: The York Cocoa House

Chocolate. A love-love relationship if there ever was one.

I recently took a trip to a wonderful little cafe in York: The York Cocoa House. For those of you who don't know, York was home to both Terrys and Rowntrees chocolate houses, and the city certainly makes the most of this part of its history.

The cafe opened in November 2011and Sophie, the creator, wanted to set up a place that would celebrate the personal connection people can have with chocolate. What a lovely idea!

On with the review....

The York Cocoa House celebrates chocolate by using it in EVERYTHING, even savoury dishes:

It's not a unique concept, but I think this little cafe was full of charm and certainly takes chocolate-making and chocolate history very seriously!

The main draw after a heavy day's shopping was the hot chocolate here. We sat down in the little cafe section which is to the right of the entrance (central is the gift shop, to the left is where the workshops take place...more on that later!)

The boyfriend ordered a caramel hot chocolate and I got a "moderate" dark one, as I didn't have the courage to go for the 96%! Yes people, that exists!

I was desperate, so I glued my eyes on the little counter to watch them make it. I wasn't disappointed, and was treated to every chocolate lover's dream: a generous handful of chocolate buttons being stirred into hot milk....

Is there any better way to make it?

We ordered a chocolate biscuit alongside (as well as the samples provided with the drinks) and within seconds it was gone!

Creamy, chocolatey and delicious. I can't recommend it enough! As you can see they have all kinds of flavoured chocolate, or you can have a shot of liqueur in to warm up on a cold day.

The rest:

The walls are covered in vintage signs and postcards of old chocolate bars and companies, which gives the whole place a retro feel.

I loved the cash register in particular:

Here is a list of the workshops they have going on a regular basis:

But, if you're just passing through, then you can make your own chocolate lollipop almost every day. 

The gift shop is a great place to hunt down some unusual flavours...

We got to try this. It is the first time my boyfriend hasn't eaten the second half of something...and definately not for me! These aren't the only flavours though, and the gold and silver dusting gives the truffles a delightful sheen:

So, why am I doing a review of the York Cocoa house? 

- Firstly, I am in the process of moving to York, so get ready for lots more local reviews! 

- Secondly, it is a really unique little cafe. It's a great place to stop off during a day of shopping for a simple drink. I often find if you don't want a pub or a meal then it can be difficult to find somewhere that isn't Costa!

- Finally, it celebrates a part of York that is one of the many things I love about it: the history!

Have you ever been to the York cocoa house? Or even come across another chocolate cafe?

www.yorkcocoahouse.co.uk

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