Monsieur Truffe is a chocolate café founded by owner Thibault Fregoni, who started with a chocolate stall at the Prahran market. There are now two shops, the original one at Smith street and the second, L'atelier de Monsieur Truffe, at 351 Lygon Street, East Brunswick. After stepping through the beaded curtain at 90 Smith street, you can see the shelves along one side of the cafe stocked with a variety of goodies: Monsieur Truffe chocolate bars, white and dark couverture, neat little bags of chocolate covered almonds, nuts and pralines, chocolate hazelnut spread, chocolate themed books and greeting cards and powdered hot chocolate to take home. It is obvious Monsieur Truffe has a passion for chocolate.

Some say the hot chocolate here is the best in Melbourne. Their 70% House Blend is recommended for a first-time visitor. For those who like it darker an 85% version is available. They serve the hot chocolate in a small Japanese-style cup with a little spoon. It is not an overly huge serving but with quality chocolate a little goes a long way. I find the House Blend extremely satisfying, a smooth rich beverage, neither too bitter nor too sugary, that goes down a treat.

They also serve tea, coffee, pastries and treats such as the plain, almond and chocolate croissants, puddings, and scrumptious looking gluten-free chocolate brownies. I can't help admiring the range of mendiants, disks of chocolate studded with nuts and fruit, in white, milk and dark versions - ideal if you are feeling full and just want a delectable morsel to sample. I tried the dark chocolate version with almonds and it was freshly nutty with a light coating of chocolate, not too overpowering, just a great balance of flavours.

If you find yourself in the vicinity feeling frazzled and tired I would suggest coming in here, sitting down with a hot cuppa and relaxing while the hustle and bustle continues outside.

Highly recommended if you love chocolate as much as I do.

Opening hours
8am - 5pm Monday to Friday
8.30am - 5pm Saturday
9.30am - 5pm Sunday

Approximate cost: $Around $5 for a hot chocolate; around $4 each for the brownies and croissants; $2.70 per mendiant