Cocoa Nuts
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ARTiSA
ARTiSA specialises in all things sweet. Beautifully decorated with hanging light bulbs in glass jars, mirrors and traditional windows and woodwork, this gourmet cafe is burrowed away in a corner of Plaça Reial. The hot chocolate is rich and thick and can be accompanied with churros or melindros. If a hot chocolate isn’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, there are freshly made cakes, such as lemon pie, cheesecake or warm chocolate coulant, as well as crêpes, pastries and artisan ice cream that might do the trick.
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Caelum
Situated at a fork in the road in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, close to Plaça del Pi, this charming cafe serves up a multitude of confections. “Many of our products, including the pastries, cakes and marzipans, are made by monks and nuns in monasteries across Spain,” explained waiter Esteban Carajelo. “Following the traditional Catalan recipe, our hot chocolate is made with water and cocoa,” he added. Built above 14th-century Jewish baths, the stone walls of this little haunt are steeped in history and offer a quiet refuge where you can warm up on a winter’s day.
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Chök
Specialising in all things chocolate, from cookies and cakes to handcrafted truffles and chocolate-drizzled potato chips, Chök is paradise for anyone in need of a sugar fix. “This building was originally built as a chocolate factory in 1850, and has always been used by chocolate-related businesses,” explained sales assistant Gianluca Fava. “We opened here four and a half years ago and have kept many of the original Modernista features, such as the stained glass windows and woodwork,” he added. The creamy hot chocolate is freshly made each day and pairs perfectly with the kitchen’s signature ‘chök’, a gourmet doughnut that comes in more than 40 different flavours, including crème brûlée, nutella, cheesecake and apple strudel.
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Faborit
Housed within Casa Amatller, one of Passeig de Gràcia’s most spectacular buildings, the interior of this cafe offers a contemporary contrast to its Modernista exterior. “The building was designed by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch in 1898 for the chocolatier Antoni Amatller,” explained Elisabet Aisa, from the Casa Amatller museum. Faborit, in keeping with tradition, specialises in chocolate-based products and drinks. The homemade hot chocolate comes with a range of sweet treats, including cakes, cookies, and traditional Catalan melindros and carquinyolis (Catalan biscotti). If you fancy braving the outdoors, there is a terrace at the back of the building, perfect for enjoying a few moments of peace along one of the city’s busiest streets.
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Granja Dulcinea
Originally opened in 1939 as a bodega, Juan Mach and Elvira Farràs from Seville converted the space into a chocolatier in 1941 and are still involved with the business today. The establishment has kept its old-fashioned style with original woodwork and decorative floor tiles, and old photographs of the family and famous customers hang around the shop. Over the years, this local haunt has earned itself a reputation as one of the best chocolatiers in the city. “Our hot chocolate is unique as it is made with a mixture of African and Spanish cocoa, hot water and a drop of milk to make it less bitter,” explained waiter Cristian Palacios. “It is served with fluffy whipped cream and a choice of melindros (lady fingers), churros or Mallorcan ensaïmada.” Not only a chocolate oasis, this cafe also produces a variety of traditional desserts, such as crema catalana, rice pudding and warm apple pie.
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Granja M.Viader
The xocolata calenta (hot chocolate) at this traditional Catalan coffee shop in the Raval is legendary. Opened by the Viader family in 1850, the recipe for this hot drink has been passed down through five generations. “Our hot chocolate is made using only water and cocoa to give it a thick texture and dark chocolate taste. We serve it with homemade whipped cream and Catalan melindros,” said Jaume Espuny, the great-great-grandson of the founder, Marc Viader. Black-and-white family photographs and pictures of the original family farm in the village of Cardedeu line the walls, as well as famous advertising campaigns of Cacaolat, the popular chocolate milk invented by the Viader family.