By far the dieter's biggest adversary... choccie is a little brown, delicious sod; make no mistake. And it comes in many irresistible guises, all of which you are powerless to resist.
Dark or white, milk or flavoured there really is something for everyone; even diabetics and those intolerant to dairy get a bite of the action with many chocolatiers accommodating numerous dietary requirements.
So clear an afternoon in your diary and head out in search of London's best chocolate...
Rabot 1745 is the restaurant of well-known chain Hotel Chocolat, named after a 250 year old plantation in St. Lucia. Well positioned above Borough Market, the ambitious menu wants to show that cacao (the unroasted version of cocoa) is not just for pudding. Take the cocoa-gin cured salmon, white chocolate mash, and chopped rump steak burger with cacao beer braised onions; oddly enough they work.
So The Botanist is not a chocolate specialist as such, but we simply had to include it for the hot chocolate. It’s made to their very own specifications from flakes and garnished with a chocolate stirrer from none other than Rococo that gradually melts into the drink. Super-rich and gloopy, chocolate blogs rave about it.
Because chocolate can be educational too, Brixton’s Chocolate Museum has a permanent exhibition which explains its history illustrated by artefacts that date back to the 18th century. There are also detailed accounts of cocoa production and slavery and the history of British chocolate. Not forgetting of course the sweets that are on sale, which are fair trade and from small producers.