Tryst
This trendy coffee house in Adams Morgan serves its hot chocolate with a fresh, floral twist — lavender syrup! At Tryst, you can enjoy your hot chocolate the traditional way, or you can choose to add their house-made lavender syrup, or kick things up a boozy notch by adding creme de menthe!
Where: 2459 18th St NW, Washington, D.C., 20009
Pitango Gelato and Cafe
The second of six places for hot chocolate in DC is Pitango, a Baltimore-based café is known for its rich, thick and decadent cups of hot cocoa made with traditional sipping chocolate from Torino, Italy. Pitango’s hot chocolate is deliciously thick – like sipping pudding or pure melted chocolate. Pitango Gelato’s Hot Chocolate Affogato puts a decadent spin on the humble hot chocolate by pouring molten dark chocolate over ice cream, creating a creamy slurry that you can easily share between a family.
Where: 1841 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, D.C., 20009
Bayou Bakery
It is fascinating to see how many chocolates there are to choose from when whipping up a hot chocolate. This New Orleans-style bakery in Arlington comes in as number three of the six places for hot chocolate. It makes its hot cocoa with traditional Valrhona chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt, all topped off with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Yum! What is Valrhona chocolate? Well, it is a chocolate made in France since 1922.
Where: 1515 N Courthouse Rd, Arlington, Va., 22201
Ice Cream Jubilee
Ice Cream Jubilee seems to lead everyone’s list of most creative and yummy hot chocolates in DC. If you are feeling nutty, try the Nutella hot chocolate made with melted dark chocolate, cocoa and Nutella. (Whipped cream optional!) Another interesting option is the Earl Grey white hot chocolate. It’s made of’white chocolate and Earl Grey tea. Another great option during the holidays was the peppermint cocoa for an extra treat! I love Ice Cream Jubilee because it also has donuts! What else could you ask for? Ice cream, hot chocolate and donuts!
Arcay Chocolates
Arcay Chocolates is Number 5 in the list of six places for hot chocolate in DC, a chocolate shop is better known for their chocolate bars, truffles and bon bons. Still, those in the know will tell you that there is a hot chocolate machine constantly churning their decadent liquid cocoa so you can pop in for a cup to go. Address: 1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002.
Bethesda Chocolates
Bethesda Chocolates has all the chocolate treats you could possibly imagine, such as hot chili sunflowers and bourbon knots, lavender truffles and hazelnut truffles, sopra espresso (melted with chocolate) and of course, hot chocolate made from their own recipe. Founded by Heather Cooper in 2017, Bethesda Chocolates makes its own chocolate treats on site at 8003 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Home – Sometimes the Best of All!
Sometimes you just can’t get out to a cafe but still want that taste of a Washington DC chocolate shop at home. Here are just a few of the best chocolate shops in Washington, D.C. that sell hot cocoa mix in their store and online.
- The Chocolate House
- Address: 1904 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
- Chocolate Chocolate
- Address:1130 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
- L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates
- Address: 1319 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Need Help Finding Hot Chocolate and a Home?
After you try out these six places for hot chocolate in the DC area, you may just want to stay home and drink hot chocolate in your own kitchen. If that is the case then give us a call at 240-401-5577 or email us at lise@lisehowe.com. We are here to make your search easier.