If you’re a fan of Hot Chocolate like I am, then you will love this self-guided walking tour of London, stopping off to sample some of the best Hot chocolates I could find.
I’m always on the lookout for the ultimate Hot Chocolate, so if you find one not on this tour, then let me know! This walk will take you through the back streets and main thoroughfares of London. You will walk through quirky Soho and bustling streets like Cambridge Circus. This is a perfect walk to do with children as you can bribe them to walk just a little further with a treat at the end. When I created this tour for my children (well for me really!) there were lots of eye rolls and moaning, especially when I gave them taste test cards for them to fill out. Yes, I did take this rather seriously!
Dark Sugars Hot Chocolate
The only Hot Chocolate I did not fit into this walking tour was just too far to walk from this part of London. I would highly recommend visiting Brick Lane in East London to visit Dark Sugars Chocolate shop. There is no seating unfortunately but their Hot Chocolate is amazing and worth the effort. Even with a take away cup, the style and flair of the servers making this hot chocolate make it one not to miss. The hot chocolate itself is made with powder and milk but their USP is scooping a very generous handful of freshly cut shards of white, milk and dark chocolate and laying them on top of the hot chocolate. Not only do you get to eat some of the shards before they melt but the chocolate then melts into the drink giving it a wonderful chocolatey flavour.
Restaurants on Oxford Street
I would recommend having some food before you start as some of the Hot Chocolates are very sweet. A fantastic place to eat is at the rooftop bar on the terrace of John Lewis on Oxford Street. Alternatively, there are many restaurant and street food options in Kingly Court on Carnaby Street just a 5 minute walk away. If you do eat at Kingly Court, just follow the walk from that point. There is no need to back track to the start unless you want to visit Liberty department store (definitely worth it).
Start of the Walk: Oxford Circus to Carnaby Street
Begin at Oxford Circus (junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street). Walk down Regent Street and turn left onto Great Marlborough Street. You will pass the beautiful Liberty Department Store which is definitely worth a detour to go in and browse. If you’re visiting in autumn or winter, the Christmas shop on the top floor is amazing! It opens up from September and is a must-see attraction.
Walk past Liberty and turn right onto Carnaby Street. This is pedestrianised and very safe. Note that there is a back entrance from Liberty straight onto Carnaby Street but it is hard to find. I tend to just use the entrance by the flower stall.
Walk ¾ of the way down Carnaby Street and turn left onto Broadwick Street. This is opposite the entrance to Kingly Court, so if you have eaten here, this is where you can pick up the walk. You will find the first café to stop at along Broadwick Street on the right hand side.
Italian Bear Chocolate Cafe
Our first stop was at the Italian Bear Chocolate Cafe. This is a tiny café just off Carnaby Street which serves THE most delicious, authentic Italian hot chocolate. It is not the cleanest café I have been to and the servers not the most attentive but look past that and the hot chocolate more than makes up for it. They ladle white, milk and dark melted chocolate over the cups which drips onto the saucers. The hot chocolate is thick enough to stand your teaspoon up in and if you shut your eyes you could actually be in Italy. Top tip: Book a table on their website before you go or you could be in for an hours wait for a table!
Broadwick Street to Soho
Turn right when leaving the café and turn immediately right onto Lexington Street. Follow this street until the end (you will see Bill’s Soho on the right hand corner). You need to cross over, slightly to the left onto Great Windmill Street. Soho Parish Primary School is on your left and an alleyway to Smiths Court opposite the school. This does not look like it leads anywhere but walk down the alley and turn right which opens up into a beautiful little courtyard surrounded by shops. At the end you will spot our second café.
William Curley Patissier Chocolatier.
This tiny shop is in the midst of a hidden gem of a courtyard. Tables and chairs are scattered around the courtyard with a few shops around. You wouldn’t know you are in the middle of one of the busiest areas of London. The Patissier sells chocolates and drinks but only one table inside – it is much nicer to sit outside anyway. We ordered the Aztec Hot Chocolate which was spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. We only ordered one between our group of 5 as we were all so full after our previous drinks! Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great hit for the children as the spices were a little too strong for their taste. I would love to try a different hot chocolate in a different flavour though and I would definitely return to the courtyard as there was another café to sit and relax in.
Soho to Greek Street
You can decide whether to walk out the way you came or exit via Farriers Passage just next to the café. Either way, Walk down Brewer Street to the right all the way to the end. Be aware that now you are in the heart of Soho so you may need to avert any children’s eyes occasionally (some of the shops can be a little risqué!). Turn left at the end of Brewer Street and soon turn right onto the pedestrianised Meard Street. It was lovely to wander through the busy streets as they were full of talking, laughter and people enjoying themselves. At the end of Meard Street, turn left onto Dean Street and immediately right onto Bateman Street. Follow this to the end (crossing over Frith Street), turn left and you will find the third café almost immediately on your left.
Chin Chin Dessert Club
We entered the tiny shop of Chin Chin Dessert Club a little hesitantly as it just looked like an ice cream parlour (it’s speciality) but we ordered the hot chocolate and were in for a treat! The server poured the hot chocolate into the takeaway cup and then scooped an enormous amount of marshmallow fluff on top. He then preceded to flamboyantly flambee the marshmallow with a blowtorch until it was deliciously crisp on top and gooey underneath. We all huddled around a table to have a taste (again, we only ordered one between the 5 of us!) and dipped into the gooey mess to try and reach the chocolate. The children loved it. Very sweet and sticky with a hint of the chocolate from underneath. I personally found it too sweet but it was perfect for the others.
Greek Street to St Martins Lane
This is the busiest section of the walk. Turn right out of Chin Chin Dessert Club and walk down Greek Street to the end. You will see the famous French Bistro L’Escargot on your right and the Prince Edward Theatre on the corner. Walk diagonally across through Moor Street until you reach Cambridge Circus. This is an extremely busy junction with the Palace Theatre on your right. You need to cross over to walk down Charing Cross Road where you will see the House of Spells gift shop on your right and further down, one of my favourite cafes, Ole and Steen (great pastries, not so great hot chocolate!). Turn left onto Great Newport Street until you see a junction with Caffe Concerto on one corner. This is a good choice for an afternoon tea for another day. Turn right onto St Martin’s Lane until you see a small lane on the left with Knoops café two shops in.
Knoops Café
The hot chocolate here can be designed to your taste. It took me a few minutes to get my head around the menu as there are so many options. There are no frills or fancy toppings, just good quality chocolate. I went for higher percentage milk hot chocolate with caramel notes. Next time, I will try one with a higher percentage of dark chocolate as it was a little sweet for me.
There are no tables inside Knoops and only a couple outside. My advice would be to get your drink and walk down St Martin’s Lane to reach St Martin in the Field Church. Here you can sit on the steps and people watch to your hearts delight as it is opposite Trafalgar Square.
When you leave the café, turn left and left immediately again, back onto St Martin’s Lane. On your left is a tiny passageway that opens up into Goodwin’s Court – a hidden alley with cottages in. You feel like you are in a Victorian novel and can imagine it as a set for A Christmas Carol.
St Martins to Trafalgar Square
The last and very short leg of the tour is to end up in Trafalgar Square. Turn left on St Martin’s Lane to walk past the London Coliseum (amazing opera and ballet performances here). You will then need to cross over William IV Street, past The Café in the Crypt (an amazing café worth visiting) to find yourself at St Martin’s in the Field Church. The steps here are a perfect place to sit and people watch or cross over to Trafalgar Square to watch the world go by or enter The National Gallery to finish your afternoon.
Our findings from our Hot Chocolate survey were that the hot chocolate from the Italian Bear Chocolate Café won hands down for its deliciousness. The courtyard itself won over the William Curley drink. Chin Chin Dessert Club suits younger tastes, Knoops was lovely but not special enough and finally, Dark Sugar has a flamboyant drink but nowhere to sit and enjoy it.
Enjoy your taste testing!
Leave a Reply