We may not love Melbourne’s cold, but it’s the perfect excuse to indulge in a steaming cup of hot cocoa. Sure, you can enjoy hot chocolate any time of year (no judgment here) but there’s something special about cradling a warm mug in both hands, savouring its silky richness as it melts away the chill.
Good thing Melbourne has plenty of cold days—because we’ve got a ton of deliciously different hot chocolates to work our way through. Melbourne may be world-famous as Australia’s coffee capital, but let’s not neglect its blooming hot chocolate scene.
Leading the charge is Mörk Chocolate, the uncontested OGs of Melbourne’s artisanal cocoa culture. Founded in 2012 by Josefin Zernell and Kiril Shaginov, Mörk has been brewing exceptional hot chocolate blends for over a decade—and since 2015, their North Melbourne brew bar has been a holy site for chocolate aficionados. For many Melburnians, a velvety Mörk hot chocolate has become a cherished winter ritual, drawing crowds year after year.
“I love when the cool weather comes in and our hot chocolates come back,” Zernell said. Being Swedish and a chocolatier gave her a very different view on chocolate when she came to Australia.
“When we first started, people here didn’t take chocolate seriously,” she said. “It was weak, lukewarm, made for kids. The experience wasn’t at all considered. Being from Stockholm, I’m used to someone making something special from hot chocolate. We wanted to use pure, ethically sourced ingredients to make a drink you can feel good and conscious about.”
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Ready for something special to warm you up? Here’s the rundown of Melbourne’s best, from ethically sourced craftsmanship in a cup to cheesy choc, viral sensations and even a boozy little number.
Mörk
North Melbourne, Chadstone, QVM, CBD
Mörk’s Campfire Hot Chocolate sends you off on a journey. Sit down. Watch as they capture beechwood smoke in a stemless glass—the scent hitting you before the first sip even touches your lips. Your beaker arrives: 70% dark chocolate, molten and thick, topped with a blistered marshmallow and a dusting of blackened salt.
“The power that scent has, the memory, it can transport us back in time to childhood, camping and drinking hot chocolate around the fire,” Zernell said. “It’s salty, bitter and sweet, with fruit and acidity from the chocolate. A very balanced drink.”
For the fully-fledged Campfire Hot Chocolate experience (smoke, salt and all), you’ll need to visit Mörk’s North Melbourne or Chadstone locations. But for a sip on-the-go, their takeaway version packs the same smoky-sweet intensity in a to-go format.
Then there’s Zernell’s love letter to her adopted home: the Australian Natives drinking chocolate. This blend weaves native botanicals, with notes of tangy lilly pilly, spicy pepperberry, aromatic strawberry gum, into rich cocoa, paired with a velvety macadamia milk sweetened with wild honey and salt. One sip evokes her first Australian dawn—the crisp air, the perfume of lemon myrtle and the thrill of flavours never tasted before.
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Rong Cha
18 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD
Remember that iconic hot cocoa from The Simpsons Movie—the one Flanders made Bart with a scorched marshmallow and chocolate shavings? Well, Rong Cha, known for its decadent Thai desserts, brings that same inventiveness to their S’more Hot Chocolate, a full-sensory winter miracle. It starts with a base of fudgy brownie chunks, followed by a pour of rich hot chocolate, a pillow of house-made marshmallow fluff— torched to caramelised perfection. Top it off with a scoop of ice cream melting into the warmth, finished with a crisp cracker and a snowfall of freshly grated chocolate.
Pidapipo
Carlton, Fitzroy, CBD, Windsor
Our winter-favourite indulgence is back: Pidapipo’s cult-favorite hot chocolate. The gelato wizards work their magic with 70% dark chocolate, topped with marshmallow-studded fior di latte gelato and caramelized hazelnut croccante—every bite a perfect hot-cold symphony.
“It’s been fun seeing how much people love our hot chocolate,” co-founder Lisa Valmorbid said. “As always, we’ve used only the best quality ingredients, and made sure to keep those nostalgic elements alive with marshmallows folded right through the gelato. It’s the best addition to Melbourne’s winter days.”
In other news, Pidapipo’s viral hot chocolate just got a vegan makeover—because nobody should miss out on the fun. This limited-edition version keeps all the decadence of the original for those with dietary restrictions, swapping in creamy soy milk and topping it with their cult-favorite vegan pistachio gelato, finished with a crunch of Australian pistachios. It’s exclusive to the Fitzroy store from Friday 6 June to Monday 9 June, with just 100 cups available. Set your alarms—this is first in, best dressed!
Good Daze Canteen
316 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
The Good Daze are finally here with the geniuses behind Thai mango sticky ice and Korean hwachae gelato having worked their magic on hot chocolate. Their limited-edition Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate reimagines Argentinian dessert traditions as the ideal winter sip. The base is a luscious blend of Whittaker's 72% Ghana dark chocolate, with a cloud of salted dulce whipped cream and swirled caramelized banana jam, finished with crunchy roasted almonds. It's Buenos Aires meets Melbourne in a cup—and it's absolutely worth it.
Bar Bellamy
164 Rathdowne Street, Carlton
Bar Bellamy's Verte Chaud is the boozy winter warmer Melbourne never knew it needed. This sophisticated sipper balances herbaceous Chartreuse with minty Fernet Branca Menta and cardamom-spiced amaro, all smoothed with creamy macadamia milk. For the full experience, add the salted cream float spiked with honey eau de vie—the perfect nightcap to enjoy by candlelight.
Act fast ‘cause this Verte Chaud will only appear on the winter menu for a limited time (scan their socials for announcements). Keep an eye out for their exclusive bottled 2024 vintage. "As it's been aged, the flavours have fully integrated and become even deeper and more complex," co-owner Oska Whitehart said.
Ruben's Deli
Kings Arcade, 978 High Street, Armadale
This New York-style deli might be famous for its Reuben sandwiches and house-smoked salmon, its buns and babka drawing queues out the door—but come winter, they unveil a secret weapon: the Babka Hot Chocolate. Ruben's Deli's Callebaut chocolate is melted into their rich Italian base, crowned with cinnamon-kissed whipped cream, crunchy babka rusk and a cinnamon quill. It’s liquid babka in a cup. What more could you want?
URKU,
126 Greville Street, Prahran
URKU approaches chocolate with the reverence of a master sommelier by sustainably sourcing single-origin cacao from Ecuador’s ancient groves, where each harvest tells a distinct story. Their Pintado hot chocolate is a taste of living history, made exclusively from 100-year-old heirloom trees. Select between full-cream milk or macadamia mylk to complement the 75% cacao’s intricacy, or experience their signature revelation: a pure cacao brew using just water, where the beans’ profile shines unfiltered.
"These cacao beans unlock a world of flavours: dark sugar and warm hazelnut notes, a hot chocolate that is naturally creamy on its own," co-founder Sebastián Alarcón Pinto said. "Our recipe is cacao forward, showcasing its earthy and floral notes, balanced acidity and subtle bitterness."
Sonido
69 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Hot chocolate with cheese? (You read that right). Melbourne’s most interesting hot chocolate experience comes from Colombia. At Sonido, they honor the authentic tradition: a frothy Corona chocolate (whipped to perfection with an olleta and molinillo) poured over fresh white cheese until it transforms into a stretchy, salty-sweet sensation.
“Hot chocolate is a big tradition in Colombia. The brand everyone has at home is Corona... It's standard practice to serve it with cheese,” owner Carolina Talero explains. The outcome is a drinkable dessert with some serious cheese-pull appeal—find one at their Fitzroy cafe, Arepa Days or Todo Coffee.
Askal
167 Exhibition Street, Melbourne CBD
A taste of Filipino tradition has arrived at Askal this winter with their limited-time Tablea Hot Chocolate—a decadent spin on the classic cacao drink. Crafted with Mörk’s ultra-dark 85% cocoa and sweetened with house-made condensed milk and earthy coconut sugar, it’s a creation that embodies Melbourne and Manila.
“We felt it was appropriate to feature a rich and decadent hot chocolate as a post-dinner beverage, as tablea, or pure cacao, is a popular beverage for breakfast or merienda (snack time) in the Philippines,” says Chef John Rivera. “Working with our good friends at Mörk and using their extra-dark blend of cocoa lightly sweetened with dark coconut sugar makes it extra special.” Don’t wait, this collaboration is only here for a season.
Le Petit Marché by Entrecôte,
146 Greville Street, Prahran
Le Petit Marché’s Chocolat Chaud pays homage to Angelina’s legendary 120-year-old recipe—the same that draws Parisians to queue rain or shine. Their interpretation stays gloriously faithful: real melted chocolate steamed with rich Jersey milk, served with a generous side of crème Chantilly for lavish self-indulgence. Enjoy it solo, or with a buttery croissant (for dunking purpose) or delicate madeleine.
"It’s rich, thick, and unapologetically indulgent—like drinking a melted chocolate bar but in a very chic way," marketing manager Ricky Sam says, "A little escape to Paris, without the airfare."
Kaneffi
174 Chapel Street, Windsor
Kaneffi, the undisputed home of Dubai chocolate in Melbourne, has now entered the hot cocoa arena. For the uninitiated, this Middle Eastern sensation combines creamy milk chocolate with nutty pistachio and crispy kadayif (shredded pastry) for a symphony of textures. At Kaneffi, they’ve transformed the trend into an empire: Dubai Chocolate croissants, strawberries and now—the pièce de résistance—their Dubai Hot Chocolate. This liquid homage captures all the magic of the original, topped with a fragrant sprinkle of crushed pistachios, rose petals and crispy kadayif. As stunning to look at as it is divine to sip.
Smith & Deli
107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood
You know Smith & Deli—the legends behind Melbourne’s most magnificent vegan tiramisu, stacked deli sandwiches and nostalgia-packed glazed donuts. So it’s no surprise their vegan (and gluten-free!) S’mores Hot Chocolate is pure plant-based wizardry. A winter special, this cup of dairy-free decadence lets you choose your perfect plant milk base, then piles on a sky-high swirl of torched marshmallow meringue and a cinnamon cookie 'log' for that campfire feel—proof that dietary needs never mean being left behind.
JC Pâtisserie Boulangerie
17 Henry Street, Abbotsford
JC Pâtisserie Boulangerie brings a taste of Parisian chocolat chaud to Melbourne, inspired by the legendary Carette café in Paris—where thick, velvety hot chocolate is an art form. Their take is a blend of dark and milk Belgian chocolate with cream and whole milk, whisked to a silken pour. Served with a cloud of proper French Chantilly cream on the side (because restraint has no place here), this is winter indulgence for true cocoa devotees. Now warming cups all season—très magnifique, non?
Brunetti Classico
380 Lygon St, Carlton
Image: Brunetti Classico | Supplied
If you’re in Carlton and are looking for the perfect warm sip, pamper yourself with Brunetti Classico's Cioccolata Calda—a luscious Italian hot chocolate crafted for moments of pure decadence. Made with slow-melted premium chocolate imported directly from Italy, this velvety drink follows a generations-old recipe for depth and richness that lingers on the palate. Enjoy it traditionally smooth or topped with a dollop of airy panna. For those who can’t bear to part with the cup, Brunetti offers the same artisanal blend in a take-home powdered mix so every cozy morning or midnight craving can taste like a nonna-approved hug.
Main image credit Brunetti Classico | Supplied
Extra reporting by Arshia Anand
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