In search of Greenwich’s best… Hot Chocolate

It’s the drink Britain has never really warmed to…hot chocolate. We’ve always been a nation of tea lovers, only lately becoming coffee fanatics thanks to the chains that dot every high street, including Greenwich. But hot chocolate? That’s a bit French, isn’t it?

Yet it is amazing just how many secret hot choc lovers are out there. And even the most macho among us are not afraid to ask for some extra marshallows on top. I went in search of SE10’s champion hot chocolate for Greenwich.co.uk and here’s what I found…

Costa (inside Waterstones), Greenwich Church Street

Situated upstairs at Waterstone’s, Costa takes up a large corner of the first floor, facing Greenwich Church Street. Like any chain, the turnover of staff is rapid, leading to impersonal service. So it proved when I popped in on an arctic-like Thursday morning, craving a relaxing hot choc. Although I was in Greenwich, I could have been at Euston Station, Heathrow or any other cloned Costa outlet.

The relaxing part soon went kaput too when I ordered a small £2.20 hot choc. “Would you like whipped cream with it?” I was asked. “Yes, please.” Within a a few seconds, the drink in a tall glass was placed in front of me at the counter. “That’ll be £2.55,” said the manager. “Shouldn’t it be £2.20?” I questioned, surprised. “You wanted cream and that’s 35p extra!” As he hadn’t mentioned the extra charge when offering it to me – very naughty, I say – I said I didn’t want it, and he took it away and made one without cream. Not a good start. I didn’t like it served in a glass, either. For me, glasses should be used for cold drinks only.

“Where’s your chocolate from?” I then asked. “Head office, they send it to us,” the manager replied. “No, which country?” Blankly, he looked at me before guessing an answer….”I don’t know, Belgium maybe?” The drink just wasn’t worth it either, lacking depth and flavour, the taste forgotten as I walked down the stairs. They also do medium and large sizes -£2.50/£2.70 (memo to Waterstone’s: replace the carpet, guys…it’s badly torn in places and having strips of black tape over parts of it is ugly. What’ll the Queen think if she pops in for the latest Katie Price blockbuster in April?)

Red Door Cafe, Turnpin Lane

Situated in Turnpin Lane, I have to admit I have a soft spot for this quirky little gem. I follow owner Kate Hill-Smith on twitter (@katereddoor) and you can tell from her chatty tweets that it’s a labour of love, posting photos of scrummy cakes, new nic nacs on the glass shelves, and before and after shots of her partner Edward’s haircut.

She says that “people come in for coffee, and a bit of cake and some cheek.” But what about the hot chocolate? It’s wow excellent. It turns out to be Monbana Hot Chocolate from France, highly rated on the internet, with cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast and S America. It’s smooth, and moreish. I sip it slowly, sitting downstairs at the back of the cafe on a two seater sofa among an eclectic mix of furniture: a mahogany plant stand with a skull on top, a row of two old-style cinema seats rescued by Kate’s mum from a Plymouth skip, and a couple of glass tables.

The brick walls are painted red and white. There are red chili lights lit up. To my left, sitting on a wooden bench with a rug on top, is a mysterious young foreign women reading a book by Swedish crime author Hakan Nesser, her feet stretched out on the bottom step. Edward is running the show today, sometimes wearing the bemused look of an English lecturer at a red brick university. I love the place – they’ve also just installed wifi – as there’s something unique about it. It’s even more special as their hot choc rocks. It costs £2, larger cup £2.20.

National Maritime Museum Cafe

Greenwich park looks particularly stunning as I walk along to the cafe, blown away by the mixture of cold, cutting wind, brilliant blue skies, naked trees and greenery. I arrive just after 1pm and the cafe is rammed. There’s the usual mix of plummy yummy mummies with newborns and space age pushchairs, students glued to their smart phones and smiley grandparents on outings with relatives. And there’s the obligatory crying baby, too. (I don’t mind, I married a former baby).

There’s a five minute queue, but I know the wait will be worth it. I’ve already tweeted that I really, really like their hot choc. It comes one size only, served in a mug (love that!), and costs £2.25. Or £2.02 if you’re a National Maritime Museum member and use your 10 per cent discount. It is worth it (every penny), frothy on top with a lovely silky, chocalatey flavour. London-based Union Hand-Roasted coffee seems to be taking over Greenwich, and their chocolate will soon follow. This special one is their “thinking chocolate”, using cocoa from a growers’ co-operative in Ghana.

The sun is streaming through the huge windows, and the cafe quickly empties after the lunchtime rush. The staff are special here too, always very jolly and keen. There’s also free wifi for two hours with no strings attached (unlike at Cafe Rouge). “Are you finished?” asks the young waitress, looking at my empty mug. Sadly, I have to confirm that I am.

Verdict

I reckon the hot chocolate at the NMM Cafe is the Daddy, followed closely by Red Door’s offering. Costa? It trails way, way behind…even if they do serve marshmallows (for an extra 35p, mind you).

You can follow Benb111 on Twitter for news and pictures from around Greenwich. Benb111 is supporting Old Brewery Head Chef Dan Doherty, who is running the London Marathon for Sense, the brilliant deafblind charity. Please back Dan: justgiving.com/Dan-Doherty