Bracegirdle's House of Fine Chocolate is somewhere that all hot chocolate connoisseurs should visit. Bracegirdles have Cafes at Glenelg, Toorak Gardens and their new location at Mclaren Vale. I visited the Toorak Gardens outlet with a mission to have their hot dark Belgian chocolate with Chilli. I could have had my choice of white chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Another delicacy special to Bracegirdle's is the Chocolate Sipper which is warmed chocolate sipped through a straw, where the chocolate is kept warm with a candle.

The hot chocolate came in a generous mug with a brown froth and a chocolate sprinkling shaped to look like a chilli. A marshmallow was included with the mug. The taste of the chilli and cinnamon in the chocolate was great and the chocolate was creamy, rich but not overpowering. This was a great hot chocolate for a rainy day and the best your reviewer can remember. It was well worth the $6 and I look forward to returning to sample the chocolate sipper.

The Chocolate Bean on Union St Adelaide is a specialist chocolate shop with an array of different hot chocolates. Their menu is online. There is also an array of wonderful looking desserts and fairly plain savoury dishes which will not steal the limelight from the chocolate. The shop allows dining on two floors. The ground floor is a little ramshackle but the first floor is neat and cosy.

The hot chocolates come in 3 sizes for $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50. I had a medium sized hot chocolate with orange and that was served in a generous mug. It came with a bubbly froth with a dollop of cream in the middle and chocolate sprinkling on top. It was milky and not particular rich but I was glad of this given the large mug. The orange flavour was a delight although it got a bit sweet toward the bottom of the mug.

There were no marshmallows or chocolates served with the drink. The Mug came with a square saucer which was a stylish addition.

This was a pleasurable visit and I will return to try some other flavours.

Viva Espresso is a small coffee shop on Pirie St in the Adelaide central business district. Its specialty is cones of chips (aka frittes or french fries) which I have sampled on a number of occasions. They also have a small selection of sandwiches and other meals. The coffee shop has a coffee bean roasting machine in the corner which gives the shop a nice ambiance and aroma.

The Hot Chocolate is presented well. It comes with a pink marshmallow and a white marshmallow in a smallish ceramic cup. The froth is good with a chocolate stripe over the froth. The chocolate is rich but not bitter. The cost was only $3.20 but mugs of hot chocolate were also available. I would be happy to have this standard hot chocolate every lunchtime.

The pink and white marshmallows seem to be somewhat of a standard in Adelaide coffee shops. I have a sweet tooth but I find it sufficient to dunk only the white marshmallow. The pink one is for the girls and my partner usually obliges by relieving me of this confectionery.

Spats Café is a place of special memories for your reviewer. He first took his Lady Myrtle Marmaduke there on their first date 20 years ago. The Café is much like it was then. It is a place of great character and charm and perfect for intimate coffees and dinners. The Marmadukes returned there recently.

The two hot chocolates on the menu were the standard hot chocolate ($6.00) and the hot chocolate with Baileys Irish Cream ($9.25). As readers will know Merkel Marmaduke never shies away from new hot chocolate experiences so he chose the hot chocolate with Baileys. It was worth the expense. The hot chocolate came in an elegant glass with a handle and a saucer. It came with a marshmallow and was topped with cream sprinkled with cinnamon and cocoa. The hot chocolate was creamy and the Baileys gave it just the right sweetness and intoxicating after taste.