Such a great place. I came here with two friends, on the suggestion of one of them who had been recommended it as a haven for chocolate lovers (which I definitely am). First off, I love that they do everything here. They grind cocoa and coffee beans and make fresh chocolate, hot chocolate, coffee, mocha. They have daily specials, freshly baked cakes, cookies. The shop upstairs is beautifully laid out with chocolates in all sizes, configurations, packages. Downstairs, is the chocolate café/restaurant, where all the food has chocolate of some kind in it. We split goats cheese and walnut salads with a chocolate vinaigrette and a duck confit and chocolate wrap (the wrap also has cocoa in it!), followed by a trio of chocolate deserts and accompanied with three types of chocolate drink (hot chocolate, mocha and chilli-chocolate). Yes, we are chocolate fanatics.
Speaking of the basement restaurant, the food is simple but works well, and some of the flavours are pretty innovative, and there's certainly scope for further additions to the menu down the line. Indeed, we got chatting with the (off-puttingly good looking) French chef (or [co-]owner?), who kindly gave us a mini tour of the various equipment used to grind and refine the beans and mix the chocolate, and who told us about his hopes for the future - in particular how he wants to introduce more substantial items to the restaurant menu, such as fish and chicken dishes with chocolate as a vital component. This itself isn't anything new to cooking in general - after all the Mayans have been cooking with chocolate for centuries - but it would definitely be a welcome change to the generic ideas of chocolate recipes that you find in the likes of Lindt and Thornton shops and cafés.
The next time I'm in Covent Garden, which should be very soon, I will definitely be back here to stock up on some chocolate goodies, and perhaps grab another wrap or salad while I'm at it. read more