The hot chocolate at Citi cafe found most delicious in the city.
I remember the days, before I became a semi-dependent coffee drinker, when I enjoyed nothing more than to rip open a package of chocolate powder and make myself a steaming cup of hot chocolate during the chilling winter months. I still enjoy hot chocolate once in a while, and in Kyiv there are a handful of places that serve up really delicious hot chocolate. And I don’t mean the type that originally came in powder form – I mean the truly molten chocolate kind.
Unfortunately, I have been told that one of Kyiv’s best cafes specializing in chocolate treats – Markiza Shokoladnitsa – recently closed its doors for good – along with the pricey Ukrainian restaurant next door – Kossak Mamai. Luckily, I have found several other cafes that serve rich, steaming hot chocolate, and one in particular certainly deserves the title “Best.”
The first two note worthies are right across from each other in Passazh – Mokko and Nouvelle. Coffee-themed Mokko is a trendy spot which seems to attract younger crowds. During the cooler months it has cozy outdoor seating. The decor resembles the kind of interior of an 18th or 19th century trading vessel that would have been used to ship coffee beans from colonies back to Europe. Somehow, as I was perusing the menu, I did not find hot chocolate on the menu. However, a quick check with the server confirmed that they do serve it. A cup of hot chocolate at Mokko costs Hr 15 and is well worth it. The portion is small, which is fine, because it is very dark and rich.
Nouvelle is a high-end chocolate boutique and French restaurant with a classy yet subdued interior. It is certainly a nice place for a romantic meal. When I stopped by to taste their hot chocolate, it was decorated festively for Valentine’s Day, with tasteful red hearts and other ornaments dangling from the wall lamps. The service was very polite and refined. The hot chocolate came in a lovely porcelain cup and was markedly different from the kind served at Mokko. The portion was a bit larger, with a price to match – Hr 21. The chocolate itself tasted more like milk chocolate, with a different consistency – I could see little pockets of air in the chocolate and feel granules on my tongue. I think there may have been a trace of butterscotch as well.
My favorite, unbeatable choice for hot chocolate in all of Kyiv is a little cafe that sits under Dva Gusya on Khreshchatyk. If you want to have a quick bite to eat or take a moment to warm up, Citi cafe is just the place. Conveniently located right off of the Maidan, the mini cafe has nice booths and big windows looking onto Kreshchatyk. The tables are small, but cozy. The place looks unremarkable from the outside – like any other cozy coffee place, serving a small menu of basic lunch foods and coffee drinks. But then I actually saw their menu, which has a list, including pictures, of eight different hot chocolate options. The list includes hot chocolate served with ice cream, vanilla syrup, two types of nuts, caramel, and other ingredients. The portions of the thick, molten hot chocolate are perfect. I prefer the hot chocolate with vanilla or nuts, or just served plain. And to sweeten the deal – no matter which variation you pick, your choice will cost you a mere Hr 10.50.
Citi (7/11 Khreshchatyk)
