12 Places in London Every Chocolate Lover Should Know
If you really love chocolate, London is a dangerous place to explore.
There are historic chocolatiers hidden inside beautiful arcades, independent shops making chocolates by hand, places serving hot chocolate so thick you could almost eat it with a spoon, and even chocolate makers where you can watch the process happening in front of you.
So this isn't simply a list of places where you can buy a box of chocolates.
These are 12 places worth knowing if chocolate is one of the main reasons you would happily cross London.
Some are perfect for truffles.
Some are about hot chocolate.
Some are luxury chocolatiers.
And a few offer something you won't get from an ordinary chocolate shop.
1. Dark Sugars for a proper chocolate fix
Brick Lane
Dark Sugars is probably one of the first places to put on your list.
Its Brick Lane shop is known for handmade chocolates, truffles and an indulgent hot chocolate topped with chocolate shavings. The brand also has its Cocoa House in Greenwich. Its current official site confirms both London locations.
It's also one of the most consistently recommended chocolate shops in London, with Visit London including it in its current chocolate-shop guide and describing its rich hot chocolate and handmade treats.
If you're already exploring Brick Lane, this is an easy stop.
Just be prepared for the possibility that you leave with considerably more chocolate than you intended to buy.
Go for: handmade truffles and the hot chocolate.
2. SAID dal 1923 for ridiculously thick hot chocolate
Soho
If you think hot chocolate should taste more like melted chocolate than a warm drink, this is the one to know.
SAID dal 1923 is an Italian chocolate house with roots going back to Rome in 1923, and its Soho location is known for an intensely thick Italian-style hot chocolate.
Current 2026 London hot-chocolate coverage puts SAID at the top of its recommendations, describing the drink as being so thick you could almost need a spoon.
This is very different from a standard café hot chocolate.
It's rich, dense and very much a dessert in its own right.
Go for: the classic Italian hot chocolate.
3. Charbonnel et Walker for London's chocolate history
The Royal Arcade, Mayfair
Sometimes the place itself is part of the reason to visit.
Charbonnel et Walker was founded in 1875 and its flagship London store is inside the Royal Arcade on Old Bond Street. The company still lists the Royal Arcade location on its official store page.
It's one of Britain's oldest luxury chocolatiers and is particularly famous for its truffles, including its Pink Champagne Truffles.
Visit London currently includes it at the top of its London chocolate-shop guide.
So if you want chocolate with a little London history attached to it, this is an obvious stop.
Go for: the Pink Champagne Truffles and classic chocolate boxes.
4. Melt Chocolates where you can watch chocolate being made
Notting Hill
Melt is a particularly good choice if you want the chocolate-making process to be part of the experience.
The Notting Hill shop has its kitchen on site, meaning you can actually see chocolates being produced rather than simply choosing something from a shelf.
Current London chocolate guides continue to highlight this as one of the reasons Melt stands out.
Melt currently has London locations in Notting Hill and Holland Park, making it particularly easy to combine with a West London day out.
And if you happen to be exploring Portobello Road, the Notting Hill shop makes for a very convenient chocolate stop.
Go for: handmade chocolates and watching them being made.
5. Rococo Chocolates for playful British chocolate
Marylebone
Rococo has been part of London's chocolate scene since 1983, when Chantal Coady founded the company on King's Road.
Today, its Marylebone shop is on Moxon Street, and the brand's current store information also highlights its chocolate experiences and hot chocolate.
Rococo is a little different from the traditional luxury-chocolatier approach.
The chocolates are often playful, colourful and inventive, while the shops themselves have a distinctive character.
It's also a good choice if you're buying a gift because you can build your own selection rather than simply picking up a standard box.
Go for: inventive chocolates, gifts and hot chocolate.
6. William Curley for high-end chocolate
Soho
If you want something more refined, head to William Curley.
The award-winning chocolatier currently has a Soho boutique at 33 Smiths Court, as well as a concession at Harrods. Its official site lists chocolates, cakes, confections and pâtisserie among what you'll find there.
This is one for people who take chocolate rather seriously.
The chocolates are beautifully presented, the flavours are more sophisticated and the shop is small enough to feel like a proper chocolatier rather than a large retail operation.
And you're right in Soho, so it is easy to combine with lunch, dinner, shopping or a West End show.
Go for: couture chocolates and pâtisserie.
7. Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse for luxury French chocolate
Borough Yards
You don't have to go to Paris to try Alain Ducasse's chocolate.
There is a London boutique at Borough Yards, near Borough Market, where you can find the brand's high-end chocolates.
Current London chocolate coverage highlights its single-origin ganaches, truffles and pralines, making this one of the more luxurious stops on the list.
And the location is excellent for a day out.
You can explore Borough Market, walk along the Thames, visit Tate Modern and then stop here for chocolate.
Go for: luxury French chocolates, ganaches and pralines.
8. Melange Chocolate for an independent Peckham find
Peckham
Not every great chocolate destination has to be in Mayfair or Soho.
Melange Chocolate is an independent chocolatier in Peckham, making it a good choice if you want to discover somewhere outside the usual central-London chocolate circuit.
It's listed as a current London chocolate shop and maker, with its Peckham location on Maxted Road.
This is the kind of place that works particularly well if you're deliberately looking for London's smaller independent food businesses.
You aren't just ticking off another famous name.
You're discovering a local chocolatier.
Go for: handmade chocolates and something different from the big luxury names.
9. Knoops for choosing your own hot chocolate
Covent Garden and other London locations
Knoops takes hot chocolate in a completely different direction.
Instead of simply ordering “a hot chocolate”, you can choose the cocoa percentage and milk, allowing you to decide how intense and dark you want your drink to be.
Its Covent Garden location is currently operating at 2 New Row, and current 2026 hot-chocolate coverage places Knoops among London's leading choices.
This is particularly good if you're someone who finds normal hot chocolate too sweet.
Want something darker?
You can.
Want something creamier?
You can.
Want to see just how intense 100% cocoa can be?
You can do that too.
Go for: a hot chocolate made exactly to your taste.
10. Adam Handling Chocolate Shop for chocolates in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
If you're already spending the day around Covent Garden, there is another chocolate stop worth knowing.
The Adam Handling Chocolate Shop is on Maiden Lane and currently operates as a dedicated chocolate shop. Adam Handling Chocolate Shop - Covent Garden
It gives you another reason to wander slightly away from the main Covent Garden Piazza and explore the surrounding streets.
And because you're surrounded by restaurants, theatres and cafés, it's an easy addition to a wider West End day rather than a destination that requires a special journey across London.
Go for: chocolates and a convenient Covent Garden stop.
11. Rabot 1745 for chocolate in Borough Market
Borough
If you're already going to Borough Market, add chocolate to the itinerary.
Rabot 1745 is Hotel Chocolat's cocoa-focused restaurant and shop at Borough Market, and it takes a more food-led approach to chocolate.
Current 2026 hot-chocolate coverage includes Rabot 1745 among London's notable hot-chocolate destinations, particularly for its single-estate cocoa from Saint Lucia.
So this isn't just somewhere to buy a box and leave.
It's a good place to stop when you're exploring Borough Market and want to make chocolate part of the meal rather than simply a souvenir.
Go for: hot chocolate and cocoa-focused food.
12. Andrea's Hot Chocolate for a specialist hot-chocolate stop
East London
If the thing you actually care about most is hot chocolate, rather than buying chocolates to take home, Andrea's is worth knowing.
It's a small specialist destination in East London, currently operating at The Courtyard on Ezra Street at weekends. Andrea's Hot Chocolate
It is a much more niche recommendation than the big London chocolatiers on this list.
And that's exactly why it belongs here.
If you're the person who is constantly searching for the next great hot chocolate rather than another box of truffles, this is the kind of place worth putting on your list.
Go for: specialist hot chocolate.
Where should you go if you're a serious chocolate lover?
That depends on what you're actually craving.
If you want truffles and handmade chocolates, start with Dark Sugars, Melt or William Curley.
If you want luxury chocolates, try Charbonnel et Walker or Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse.
If you want hot chocolate, I'd put SAID dal 1923, Knoops and Dark Sugars near the top of the list. Current 2026 hot-chocolate coverage specifically highlights all three.
If you want something independent and less obvious, try Melange Chocolate.
And if you want to make chocolate part of a wider London day out, Borough Market, Covent Garden, Soho, Notting Hill and Brick Lane all give you plenty of other things to do nearby.
You don't have to visit a chocolate shop just to buy chocolate
That's probably the biggest takeaway from London's chocolate scene.
You can make a whole afternoon out of it.
Start with a thick hot chocolate in Soho.
Walk through Covent Garden.
Pick up some handmade chocolates.
Continue towards the Thames.
Stop at Borough Market.
Then finish the day with another chocolate.
Nobody said you had to be sensible.
And that's what makes London such a good city for chocolate lovers.
There are historic chocolatiers, independent makers, luxury French chocolate, Italian hot chocolate, cocoa specialists and tiny shops that you might otherwise walk straight past.
So whether you're looking for the perfect box of chocolates, an unforgettable hot chocolate or simply somewhere new to satisfy your sweet tooth, London has plenty of places worth exploring.
Just don't blame us when you start planning your next chocolate crawl.
Planning your next London day out? Discover more neighbourhood guides, hidden gems, food spots and things to do on LondonYaar.com.
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