York Cocoa House

We stopped here on a rainy afternoon in York and were thrilled to sit out the rain in a lovely, quaint room and have some delicious chocolate! Didn’t try any of the food, though it all looked pretty delicious, but had some truly amazing hot cocoa, and sampled a few of the specialty chocolates. There was a huge range of types of hot cocoa, from their house hot cocoa to varying degrees of dark chocolate hot cocoa, and all of them sounded amazing.
I ordered the «luxury» version of their house hot cocoa (the «luxury» version had marshmallows and extra chocolate shavings), and my friend ordered a hot cocoa with mint liqueur. We both thoroughly enjoyed our drinks, and it was a perfect way to spend our last hour in York.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was that when they got crowded, they seemed to be a bit disorganized and overwhelmed. We checked in to be seated, then were overlooked for a bit because we were standing off to the side to be out of the way. But things got sorted soon enough and the rest of our visit was great.
Next time I’m in York, I will definitely go back for their «afternoon chocolate,» an afternoon tea-​type deal with scones, etc. They also have flavored hot chocolates, with any of the flavors of chocolate they make — orange, chili, peppermint, caramel — the choices seem endless and slightly overwhelming! You can also get it with tea or coffee, if you’re not a choco-​holic, but I’d definitely recommend the hot cocoa!

Cold nights and winter blues got you? Well fear not dear Unilocalers as Cocoa House is here to the rescue!
This has to be one of my favourite coffee/​tea/​chocolate rooms in York for mainly two reasons:
1. it serves probably the yummiest hot chocolate in town
2. it stays open past 4, for us of a southern Med disposition who enjoy going for a coffee after work.
York Cocoa House is proud of their chocolate and their shop and it shows. There is a wide selection to please all palates (as well as tea for those who just fancy a cuppa!) and I have to say the brownies are divine here! Currently my favourite chocolate is Madagascar but if you are stumped for a decision (or just want everything) the staff are very knowledgeable and and friendly to assist in your choice!
Recommend to both visitors and residents, and well done cocoa house for bringing up the chocolate standard in York and carrying it’s sweet tradition in such a great way!

OK, I don’t usually go for the full five stars from an initial visit, especially one that was as brief as this, but I was sorely tempted to do so after trying out York Cocoa House. My word, you guys. I’m not one of those that considers themselves a ‘chocoholic’. Sure, I get a wee craving every now and then, but I don’t think about it much — so when I do have an inkling to indulge, I like it to be super worth it.
This is super worth it.
For starters, the shop feels like some kind of Victorian tea room. Everything about the café is quaint — you’ll find little knick knacks decorating the space, cute little tables, a counter with the most exquisite looking cakes, tubs of chocolates, and trimmings all around. The Willy Wonka-​esque vibe is infectious, and I’m sure that the ladies serving me found my joy rather amusing — I was being particularly squealy and high pitched. It’s very exciting.
So, my reason for visiting was a tip off from fellow Unilocaler Anna F, so I am indebted to her for the nudge. Tori W and I, whilst nipping over to see our York Unilocal friends (Nik H too!) *just* made it over to these guys before close. We picked the traditional hot chocolate and the white chocolate, to go halfsies on, so we could try each one. All I can say is ‘wow’. They fill up half a cup with chocolate buttons, for starters, and then topped the drinks up with delicious hot chocolate mix.
I think they cost about £3 ish for a standard sized cup, which is pretty fair, and there’s even treats on the counter to try. If you’re in York, or even looking for an excuse to visit, it has to be done! We enjoyed ours whilst having a glorious late afternoon wander, and there couldn’t be a better way to enjoy the city on a wintry evening. Sweet, smooth, more-​ish, full on chocolatey, and delectably yummy. Do it immediately!