Chicago’s Wintertime Delectables: Hot Chocolate in Chicago

Chicago has a storied history with chocolate and was once known as the “Candy Capital of the World.” eATLAS’ Chocolate Scavenger Hunt visits eight stops that explore the city’s past and present with the delicious treat. 

By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)

On a Midwestern winter’s day, sometimes nothing hits the spot like hot chocolate. While coffee or donut shops can give you a perfectly good cup, there are many places to go when you need a little extra something, either more luxurious or with a bit of international flair. Read below to see where to find the best hot chocolate in Chicago. 

Inside the Wrigley Building on the Magnificent Mile, the Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop has a classic hot cocoa and a sea salt caramel version to go with its assortment of sundaes, shakes, and other gifts. Near the top of Michigan Ave., the U.S. flagship location of Britain’s Hotel Chocolat offers a luxurious take on the beverage, and you can buy its Velvetiser to make it at home. Hotel Chocolat also has locations in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Wicker Park. 

Hot chocolate’s origins date back to pre-Columbian Mexico, and Rick Bayless continues that tradition with house-ground Mexican cacao beans on a trio of drinks at River North’s XOCO. Pair the Aztec, which adds allspice and chiles, with a churro and a dipping sauce of cajeta for a mid-afternoon snack. Nearby is JoJo’s Shake Bar, known for its colorful, heavily garnished milkshakes. The three hot chocolates—classic, double chocolate, and salted caramel—all include a toasted marshmallow and can be given an adult twist with a shot of Jameson or Bailey’s for an extra $6. 

River North has two other places that are known for their hot chocolate. The Chicago outpost of gourmet chocolatiers L.A. Burdick shaves single-source chocolate into steaming milk, and is available in milk, white, dark, and spicy. Leonidas, which also has locations in Lincoln Park, Evanston, and Northbrook, carries on the Belgian chocolate tradition with seven drinks, including a triple chocolate (dark, milk, and white), very dark, and white pumpkin. 

In Old Town, Cocoa & Co. offers six variations of hot chocolate, including the Parisienne, Mocha X’Tasy, and a seasonal flavor. The shop adds an assortment of pastries—croissants, scones, and muffins—and other sweet treats. 

Another exotic take can be found at Chocolat Uzma in Pilsen, where South Asian spices like Kashmiri chile, ginger, Saigon cinnamon, and cardamom are added. Katherine Anne Confections, which can be found in Logan Square and Irving Park, has an astonishing 12 hot chocolates, with cacao levels ranging from 40-80%, several vegan options, and one with locally made Koval bourbon, caramel, and hazelnut. At Uzma and Katherine Anne, you can drink a cup inside or buy a container of the mix and house-made marshmallows to enjoy at home. 

Mindy Segal created a niche when she opened the James Beard Award-winning HotChocolate in 2005 in Wicker Park. After 15 years, she shuttered it and, in 2022, re-opened as Mindy’s Bakery. Her signature hot chocolate grand au lait, made with a hot chocolate ganache, remains on the menu, alongside bagels, donuts, bialys, and other pastries. 

Recently seen on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for its arancini, Sfera puts a Sicilian spin on hot chocolate. The cozy Edgewater restaurant adds a house-made citrus-and-spices syrup that can be paired with one of its cannoli or cupcakes. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be Chicago if someone didn’t try to figure out how to mix hot chocolate with Malort, the notorious liqueur that comedian Josh Gondelman described as a “beverage best experienced posthumously.” In December 2025, Levy Restaurants introduced the concoction, which includes Amaretto and an artisanal toasted salted caramel marshmallow,  near Section 144 of Soldier Field during the Week 17 match between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, a rivalry as bitter as a shot of Malort. Time Out Chicago said that it “balances bitter, sweet and boozy notes, mirroring the emotional roller coaster of watching the Bears in December.”

Lastly, the outdoor Winter Garden atop the Loop’s Pendry Hotel has a Sweet & Savory S’mores experience on Friday and Saturday afternoons throughout the winter. Guests can make their own s’mores beside a fireplace in a private chalet while enjoying a boozy hot chocolate. 

The author is perfectly content with Swiss Miss, but often adds a local flair by slipping in some Frango Mint Chocolate liqueur that can be purchased in the basement of Macy’s on State Street (the former Marshall Field’s store).