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Where to Find the Best Hot Chocolate in Chicago

Posted on December 12, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Sidney Madden

Sidney Madden

Hot chocolate in a Chicago mug

Hot chocolate in a Chicago mug. (Brian Noe / Flickr)

Looking for something sweet to keep you warm? Here are some of our favorite neighborhood spots to get hot chocolate — courtesy of the Hey Chicago team and readers.

Named one of the best hot chocolates in America, the North Side shops sell salted caramel and Mexican flavors as well as homemade marshmallows. Reader Eric G. says the drink is rich, so get a small!

Reader Richard G. says the seasonal hot chocolate at the Italian restaurant is “thick, not too sweet, profoundly rich and as perfect as it's possible to get. Plus, it comes with a little cookie for dunking.”

The Guadalajara–inspired menu includes creamy hot chocolates with add-ons of espresso, Mexican eggnog, or Kahlua syrup.

A hot chocolate gift package

A hot chocolate gift package. (Michael Tercha / Tribune / Getty)

Before pastry chef Mindy Segal was creating cannabis-infused treats, her first restaurant, Hot Chocolate, was a favorite among Chicago diners. She still sells hot cocoa drinks at her bakery and blends online.

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Among the South Side cafe’s drink specials are peppermint and classic hot chocolate.

Enjoy Bob’s Belgian Hot Chocolate out of a commemorative mug (and vote in the second round of our Christkindlmarket mug bracket).

Inspired by South Asian flavors, order flavors like spicy Kashmiri chili or classic dark chocolate.

Reader Victoria K. is raving about the citrus Sicilian hot chocolate and homemade vanilla citrus marshmallows.

Sip on a classic hot chocolate or Mexican hot chocolate blended with steamed milk and topped with fresh whipped cream.

Plus, chains have some good options, too. Reader Annie A. is nostalgic for Caribou Coffee’s hot chocolate and has been sipping on Stan’s lately.

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