Delicious Decadence: 10 Cozy Cafes for Hot Chocolate in Seattle

Bellden Cafe

Sip scrumptious cocoa and support a great cause while doing so at Bellevue’s Bellden Café. Located in the heart of Old Bellevue on Main Street, this café was a Reader’s Digest 2020 Finalist for Nicest Place in America. Serving tasty breakfast and lunch items, coffee, pastries, and of course, cocoa, this café has a unique mission. Bellden Café partners with non-profit organizations, creating signature drinks to highlight different organizations and donating a portion of the profits from the sale of the drink. It also operates as a community hub, especially during the pandemic, collecting donations and goods to support its neighbors in need. When you order from Bellden Café, you get wholesome, delicious food and drinks while giving back to the community. Definitely a win-win!

10527 Main St.
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-698-1597
Online: belldencafe.com

Fran's Chocolates

Among their four boutiques, the Fran’s U-Village locale displays chocolate like a jewelry store displays diamonds; but don’t let the fancy interior intimidate you. The chocolate displays are a testament to the love put into these delectable treats. If you can manage to pry yourselves away from the selection of truffles, place your order for Dark Hot Sipping Chocolate. With a 3 oz. and 5 oz. option, your petite connoisseurs are sure to enjoy a belly full of chocolate-y goodness. Each cup comes with a perfect mound of whipped cream and an additional chocolate square for the road.

University Village
2626 N.E. University Village St.
Seattle, WA 98105
206-528-9969

Downtown Seattle
1325 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
206-682-0168

Old Bellevue
10036 Main St.
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-453-1698

Georgetown
5900 Airport Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108
206-508-4535

Online: franschocolates.com

Chocolati

If you're looking for a cup of hot chocolate that is thick and creamy and oh-so delicious, look no further than Chocolati. This popular cafe, with locations in Greenwood, Wallingford and Green Lake as well as the Downtown Library, doesn't serve hot cocoa made with water or milk. Nope. They serve what is technically known as "drinking chocolate." In addition to house faves like the Dark House Hot Chocolate with dark chocolate marshmallows, the cafe offers a robust menu of specialty hot chocolates. Get your chocolate-y cup infused with lavender, raspberry, Irish cream, peanut butter, peppermint, cayenne...the list goes on. Psst...be sure to save room for one of their delish truffles or add a slice of quiche or a croissant to your order to balance out all the sweetness. 

8319 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
206-784-5212

7810 E. Greenlake Dr. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
206-527-5467

1716 N. 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206-633-7765

Online: chocolati.com

Chocolat Vitale

After tasting Chocolat Vitale’s traditional European drinking chocolate, you’ll never look elsewhere for cocoa! This Ballard café features traditional European hot chocolate that always receives rave reviews. The sinfully rich drinking chocolate is concocted from a blend of pure Swiss and Belgian chocolate. This decadent drink contains no cocoa powder–it’s made from 100 percent pure chocolate. The café serves hand-crafted drinks using its chocolate and Velton’s Coffee. You can also enjoy other eclectic food and beverages while shopping its thoughtfully curated selection of art and collectibles.

Good to know: Due to current COVID restrictions, the store is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12:30–6:30 p.m. You can also shop online and bring the classic European drinking chocolate to your own kitchen.

6257 3rd Ave. NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-297-0863
Online: chocolatvitale.com

Indi Chocolate

Nestled within the busy corridors of Pike Place Market you’ll find a chocolate paradise! Indi Chocolate offers a wide range of cacao-based products including teas, spice rubs, mixology kits and body care products, all created using small batch, single origin dark chocolate directly sourced from international farmers and cooperatives. Tantalize your taste buds with a cup of their single origin drinking chocolate. Or, for the ultimate chocolate-y experience, order the ultra-rich sipping chocolate. This beverage has an entire bar’s worth of chocolate in it and offers a thicker texture than traditional hot chocolate. All of their products originate from beans sourced from around the world, giving unique flavors and textures for every chocolate connoisseur.

Good to know: Indi Chocolate offers a virtual Make Chocolate at Home Masterclass. You receive the ingredients and expert instruction to get you started making your own chocolate at home.

Pike Place Market
1901 Western Ave., Ste. D
Seattle, WA 98101
425-243-2089
Online: indichocolate.com

Bakery Nouveau

Bakery Nouveau knows chocolate–and just about every other treat under the sun! World renowned baker, William Leaman, opened the first Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle and has expanded to two other Seattle area locations. You might be in the mood for a delicious hot cocoa, but don’t forget to bring your appetite. The bakery’s expansive menu is filled with baked goods, sandwiches, pastries and of course, chocolate. Take home some of Bakery Nouveau’s handcrafted bars or chocolates, made fresh, in-house with its signature chocolates. Choose from a rotating selection of mouthwatering morsels, including fan favorites like salted caramel or coconut ganache. The bakery’s chocolates are truly works of art!

West Seattle
4737 California Ave. S.W.
Seattle, WA 98116
206-923-0534

Capitol Hill
137 15th Ave. E.
Seattle, WA 98112
206-858-6957

Burien
426 S.W. 153rd St.
Burien, WA 98166
206-717-2100

Online: bakerynouveau.com

Arosa Cafe

Located in Madison Park, Arosa Cafe has been serving up delish cups of espresso and hot cocoa to families for over 21 years. This warm and friendly neighborhood cafe uses a proprietary, microroasted blend from Fonte Coffee in their handcrafted cups of Joe, imported Swiss chocolate in their mochas and hot chocolate and organic milk (including soy, rice and almond).

Good to know: Arosa Cafe mixes fresh shaved chocolate into each steaming cup of cocoa and serves world famous Belgian Liege snack waffles that are so naturally sweet, you won't even miss the syrup. And don't forget about their grilled panini sandwiches, made with a tangy olive oil blend and only the freshest ingredients.

3121 E. Madison St., Ste. 101
Seattle, WA 98112
206-405-0605
Online: arosacafe.com

Dilettante Mocha Cafe

Chocolate can be very personal; a debate between whether dark or milk chocolate is better can polarize a conversation. This is why Dilettante made our list for best places to grab hot chocolate; you get to choose your favorite. With six (very difficult) choices; extra dark, Mexicano, dark, ephemere dark, milk and white, every visit to Dilettante is different. With melting pots behind the counter, each cup of hot chocolate is melted down to liquid perfection. This is the perfect place to bring your mini-chocolate lover to determine where their chocolate loyalties lay (nudge nudge – white chocolate).

Good to know: The Kent Station Dilettante location has an enormous brick fireplace located directly outside the store that is a delightful place to cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate on a cool evening.

Westlake Tower
1601 5th Ave., Ste. 100
Seattle, WA 98101

Downtown Seattle - Denny Regrade
818 Stewart St.
Seattle, WA 98101

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
17801 International Blvd.
Sea-Tac, WA 98158
206-433-7476

Kent Station
514 Ramsay Way
Kent, Wa 98032
253-852-3555

Bellefield Office Park
1450 114th Ave. S.E., Ste. 120
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-451-4086

Online: dilettante.com

Caffe Umbria

With three locations open in Seattle, Pioneer Square, Westlake and Ballard, Caffè Umbria offers the Italian take on hot chocolate. It’s a thicker, spoonable chocolate that’s served with whipped cream. In addition to a “moka bar,” drip coffees and number of traditional espresso-based Italian drinks served in colorful Italian ceramics, Umbria’s Ballard location offers baked goods from Le Panier and Macrina, light lunch offerings from Volterra, a Tuscan-inspired restaurant next door and a good selection of Italian wine and beer.

Pioneer Square
320 Occidental Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98104
206-624-5847

Westlake 
1201 Westlake Ave. N.
Seattle WA 98109
206-708-6141

Ballard
5407 Ballard Ave. N.W.
Ballard, WA 98107
206-420-3945

Online: caffeumbria.com

Dubsea Coffee

Take a trip a little off the beaten path and find your way to the Greenbridge neighborhood nestled in White Center. Dubsea Coffee is well worth the trek, and is settled comfortably among bright and colorful housing and the vibrant local community center. A cup of hot chocolate is filled with rich, deep flavors and is topped with a hazelnut whipped cream.

9910 8th Ave. S.W.
Seattle, WA 98106
206-708-6806
Online: dubseacoffee.com