Midtown Gems: Bryant Park Hot Chocolate Crawl

It’s five o’clock on a December afternoon and the crowds on Fifth Avenue have you seeking refuge, fast. You duck around the corinthian columns of the New York Public Library and find yourself at  Bryant Park’s Winter Village. You realize that what you’d like before pre-dinner drinks with friends is something warm and sweet…and chocolate. A hot chocolate, and maybe not just one. So you invite them instead to your own self-guided hot chocolate crawl to find the perfect one.

See below for our favorite hot chocolate stops in Bryant Park’s Winter Village.

Puts Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to shame: Crepe Café (D9)

Choose from sixteen different hot chocolate combinations including rose, coconut, and cinnamon flavors. For those who prefer a more traditional blend, order the most popular of the bunch: Nutella hot chocolate.

For your Paleo diet: This Pie Is Nuts (F3)

Looking for a cup of cocoa free from gluten and artificial sweeteners? The most original (and health-conscious) hot chocolate award goes to This Pie is Nuts on the northern side of the park. The stand’s Mexican Drinking Chocolate is made with almonds, coconut and a blend of secret spices. Instead of sugar, This Pie is Nuts uses dates as a natural sweetening agent.

The Designer Label: Max Brenner Chocolate Bar (I2)

With chocolate shop Max Brenner, it’s all about indulgence. Closest to the New York Public Library, the kiosk’s thicker-than-thick Italian hot chocolate gets its dark, pudding-like consistency from vanilla cream and dark chocolate. No Swiss Miss here.

Hot Chocolate Mixologists: No Chewing Allowed! (K12)

The baristas at No Chewing Allowed! are happy to divulge the secret ingredient to their rich and creamy recipe: a single cocoa truffle. The small powdered ball melts beneath a steaming layer of house-made hot chocolate mix. Refrain from tasting before the cocoa truffle dissolves into liquid, as chewing is not allowed, according to shop policy.

When you’re looking to top it all off: Wafels & Dinges (A7)

Any day of the year you can find Midtown professionals lining up for a sugary waffle on the go from Wafels & Dinges, but come December, a cup of Belgian hot chocolate is the order of choice. The drink is hiding under a leaning tower of whipped cream, so don’t be surprised if passersby gesture towards “a little something on your face right here.” Ignore them: You’re saving it for later.