Hot Chocolate Tour of St Petersburg, Russia

A Tour Chocoholics Will Not Want to Miss!

During an extended visit to St Petersburg, Russia I made quite the unexpected culinary discovery. I knew about caviar, vodka, Russian champagne, borscht…. I did not know St Petersburg is a great place for chocoholics. During the winter of my "non-discontent" I discovered some GREAT places for hot chocolate. And I am not talking about American a-little-chocolate-in-a-lot-of-milk hot chocolate. I am talking about rich, dark, thick hot chocolate. One hot chocolate is sooo thick the spoon literally stands in it! It is more pudding than hot chocolate.

One treat was discovering that all cafes have their own style of hot chocolate. Following are a few cafes in central St Petersburg with delicious types of hot chocolate. Sure, St Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia with museums, ballet, historical monuments, cathedrals, palaces, gardens… But going to St Petersburg just for the hot chocolate is a worthy pursuit in itself. You can fit in the museums and ballets between trips to the cafes for hot chocolate reveries.

This list is in the order of discovery and not in order of favorites. They are all my favorites! (Just like children!)

Note: If the Cyrillic names do not make it to your screen, the English transliterated name is included with addresses and descriptions. Just look in the windows, you will find your hot chocolate!


1 - Coffee House (Kofe Hauz)

7/9 Nevsky Prospect (One block from Palace Square)
13 Bolshaya Konyushennaya Ul. (Two blocks from Church of Spilled Blood)

Kofe Hauz is a chain of coffee shops, you will see others in the city. There are two types of hot chocolate and one cocoa on the menu. Just so you know, cocoa (spelled cacao) at all the cafes is like wimpy American hot chocolate. If you prefer hot chocolate-lite, this is the way to go. But if you are a chocolate connoisseur do not waste your time and rubles on it. You can have hot chocolate like that at home-with marshmallows.