London cafe sells the 'UK's thickest hot chocolate' but it doesn't come cheap

A cafe in London is going viral for selling the country's 'thickest' hot chocolate, which is an indulgent treat anyone with a sweet tooth must try – but it's definitely a treat

If you have a sweet tooth, there's a cafe in London you'll want to visit. With August almost behind us and autumn on the way, many of us are looking forward to all the comforts that the season brings, including cosy jumpers, delicious soups, and trips to quaint coffee shops where you can sit by the window and watch the rain.

According to one woman on social media, there is one spot in London you absolutely must visit this autumn, especially if you like chocolate. The cafe sells London's "thickest" hot chocolate, and it's an indulgent treat that looks absolutely divine.

Gelateria Danieli is an ice cream shop in Richmond that also sells frozen yoghurt, coffee, and milkshakes. But one of the most popular items on its menu is the hot chocolate, which is so thick it looks more like a whole pot of chocolate sauce rather than the watery drink most of us are used to.

A London-based content creator posting under the name Digital Diary London shared a video of the shop's hot chocolate on Instagram, where she showed what the indulgent drink looked like and said it was perfect for "chocolate lovers".

She captioned her short clip: "Hot chocolate season is closer than you think. Your reminder to try London's thickest hot chocolate for only £4.50. Save if you're a chocolate lover!"

According to the Gelateria Danieli website, their "famously thick Italian hot chocolate" is freshly ground in-house using their own Italian recipe, and is steamed with milk to order.

It is made with fresh milk from the local Northiam Dairy, and as the chocolate used is 70% dark chocolate, it's easy to make it vegan-friendly simply by swapping to an alternative milk. You can also purchase 100g or 300g pouches of the hot chocolate powder to make your own indulgent drink at home.

A signature hot chocolate costs £4.50 for a standard and £7.50 for a large, which is pricier than you'd pay for a bog-standard cup of cocoa. You can also add a marshmallow for an extra £1, and the cafe sells a range of different hot chocolate flavours, including nutty, spiced, and salted caramel.

While this sounds pretty steep for a hot drink, it is much more special than your regular hot choccy. Italian hot chocolate is an ultra-thick version of the drink that is typically made by simmering milk, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and a small amount of cornstarch. The result is a rich and indulgent treat that is less sweet than standard hot chocolates and is more like chocolate sauce than a drink.

Traditionally, Italian hot chocolate would be served with crisp biscuits like biscotti that are dipped into the delicious chocolatey goo. It also often comes with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top.

Reaction

Commenters on the Instagram video were blown away by the hot chocolate, as many of them had never seen anything like it and were eager to try it for themselves.

One person said: "This is what I always thought hot chocolate should be as a kid. Not the sad, majority milk thing. I would happily pay £5 for this!"

Another added: "That's what I want when I ask for hot chocolate." A third wrote: "Now this is what I call hot chocolate and not watery chocolate milk."

Gelateria Danieli is open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Thursday, 10am to 7pm on Fridays, and 10am to 8pm on weekends.