Warm your hands, heart and soul with toasty sweet concoctions picked by a local who knows.
We Torontonians know well that braving the elements is all the more fun when enjoying steamy drinks and snacks outside. When it comes to the most tried-and-true favourite delicacy to accompany ice skating or a family walkabout, the answer is hot chocolate.
With the colder season upon us, not only is it the perfect time to support local businesses, but hot cocoa is a memorable treat that adds a bit of magic to any excursion. The choice is yours—where’s your next chocolate warm-up?
1. Soma Chocolatemaker
📍 King West & Distillery District
Roasting and winnowing their own cacao beans, Soma has had a commanding, award-winning presence as chocolate makers in Toronto since 2003. Their variety of drinking chocolates is definitely worth a try.
What to order: Soma’s drinking chocolate options are each made with a high reverence for what this drink means to so many. In their own words, “Humankind has been drinking chocolate since the Olmec civilization, and there have been many fascinating variations since.” Try the MAYA spicy drinking chocolate for a fiery twist on a classic.
2. Mary’s Brigadeiro
📍 Danforth
This Danforth chocolate business is famous (as seen on Dragon’s Den) for its handcrafted brigadeiro chocolates and creations inspired by Brazilian traditions. With pure cocoa and premium ingredients, it’s no wonder Mary’s Brigadeiro has entered the world of chocolate-in-a-cup.
What to order: Mary’s Signature Drinking Chocolate — enjoy it fresh in-store or make it at home. Let’s just say this “hot chocolate” drinks like a meal.
3. Chocosol
📍 St. Clair West & St. Lawrence Market
This bean-to-bar chocolate shop on St. Clair West recently opened a second location inside St. Lawrence Market. Chocosol focuses on sustainable and ethical dark chocolate, using volcanic stone wheels to grind the cacao.
The ingredients are “horizontally traded from forest gardens rooted in the Indigenous spiritual ecology of the Americas”—all of which are marked on the packaging.
What to order: Drinking chocolate. Try the Unsweetened Cocoa (99% Cacao) or the Oaxacan Cinnamon & Five Chili Bomba for a bit of spice. The Jaguar version (99% albino cacao) even won Gold in the International Chocolate Awards: World Drinking Chocolate Competition in 2020.
4. Stubbe Chocolates
📍 Wychwood
This Wychwood chocolate shop specializes in truffles, chocolates, pastries and cakes made in the German tradition. They go all out for the holidays with hot cocoa bombs, chocolate ornaments filled with truffles, and more.
What to order: The Hot Cocoa Bomb Set of four — each filled with marshmallows for a fun, family-friendly treat at home.
5. Bobbette & Belle Artisanal Pastries
📍 Leslieville & Leaside
With two locations, a cookbook, countless media appearances and over a decade of experience, Bobbette & Belle knows their classic pastries and beyond.
What to order: The rich and creamy hot chocolate. Warning: You may not be able to resist also picking up a box of their macarons or cupcakes.
6. The Grand Order of Divine Sweets
Beautiful treats on Queen West! The Grand Order of Divine Sweets is a neighbourhood hub producing delicious baked goods and chocolates inspired by fantasy, sci-fi, and comics.
What to order: Hot chocolate bombs — available in classic and creative flavours like caramel sea salt or peppermint.
7. Soul Chocolate
📍 The Pocket, East End
Soul Chocolate is a small factory and shop operation in the East End that makes single-origin chocolate bars and products from bean to bar.
What to order: Try one of their many hot chocolate flavours — Classic, Mayan (with nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla and salt), or Peppermint for a festive touch.
8. Millie Desserts
Starting with crepes in Kensington Market, Millie Desserts is known for combining French technique with Japanese flavours and methods. Their creative desserts now include a unique take on hot chocolate.
What to order: Hot Chocolate Bombs made from 100% sustainable Belgian chocolate — drop one into the hot milk of your choice.
9. Cacao 70
📍 Multiple Locations
With several Toronto locations, Cacao 70 is a reliable chocolate emporium that takes hot chocolate seriously. Coffee, fondue, cocoa powders — the list goes on.
What to order: The Factory Hot Chocolate, served with a side of hot milk, or the Champurrado — a dark hot chocolate with a spicy cinnamon punch.
10. Le Gourmand
This Fashion District café is a bustling spot to people-watch or warm up during winter window shopping along Queen West. Le Gourmand’s hot chocolate menu includes six versions, from classic milk to an extra-dark 85% cacao.
What to order: Indulge in the Nutella Hot Chocolate — and don’t forget one of their famous chocolate chip cookies for later.
11. Hot Shot Chocolate
This Little Italy chocolatier offers workshops, events, and chocolate catering — all made with 100% sustainable, traceable cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Ecuador.
What to order: A Hot Chocolate Jar (single or 1L serving sizes) featuring a mix of couverture chocolate, cocoa, and fine sugar — perfect for gifting or making at home.
12. Norm and Lenore
This chocolate café in The Junction offers handmade small-batch chocolates and dessert-inspired espresso drinks.
What to order: Hot Chocolate Stirrers — flavoured chocolate spoons that melt perfectly into warm milk for a cozy at-home indulgence.
13. Venerosa Gelato
📍 Downtown
Known first for its gelato, Venerosa has taken the hot chocolate world by storm with its focus on quality ingredients and natural flavourings.
What to order: The S’mores Hot Chocolate — a rich, house-made cocoa topped with toasted marshmallow cream and whipped cream.
14. Avoca
📍 Leaside & East End
A family-run business with locations in Leaside and the East End, Avoca offers handmade, fair-trade chocolate, gelato, and ice cream.
What to order: A milk or dark hot chocolate bomb layered with chocolate, marshmallow, and powdered cocoa inside — perfect for a cozy night in.
From artisanal chocolatiers to cozy cafés, Toronto’s hot chocolate scene proves that winter really is the city’s sweetest season.
This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in March 2021.
