These days, it feels like there’s a national day or celebration for almost everything, but anything to do with chocolate is a cause we can get behind. To mark National Chocolate Week, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite chocolatey treats from across the capital for you to sink your teeth into. Read below to see where you can get your chocolate fix.
Coal Shed, Tower Bridge (above)
What: If you want to look pretty in pink this Chocolate Week, head to Coal Shed where you’ll find this ruby chocolate bar, filled with a raspberry mousse. The dessert is topped with roasted white chocolate, yuzu curd, fresh raspberries and a refreshing raspberry sorbet.
Food-porn factor: 7/10
Where: One Tower Bridge, 4 Crown Square, SE1 2SE
Galvin Green Man, Chelmsford
What: Using Valrhona chocolate, this sweet-toothed offering from the Galvin Brother’s gastropub consists of a salted caramel and Valrhona chocolate tart. A perfectly indulgent end to a menu which includes the likes of sirloin steak served with truffled potatoes.
Food-porn factor: 7/10
Where: Main Road, Howe Street, Great Waltham, CM3 1BG
The Game Bird, St James’s
What: At The Game Bird, you’ll find the Valrhona Chocolate Bounty, which is a twist on the much-loved British chocolate bar. The dessert consists of a coconut mousse which sits atop a chocolate sponge, and arrives accompanied by a refreshing coconut sorbet.
Food-porn factor: 7/10
Where:The Stafford London, 16-18 St James’s Place, London, SW1A 1NJ
Hai Cenato, Victoria
What: At Jason Atherton’s Italy-via-New-York joint, you’ll find this chocolate treat that’s sure to send you stomach-first into a food coma. Finish up your meal with the baked chocolate and coffee fondant, topped with butterscotch and served with vanilla gelato.
Food-porn factor: 7/10
Where: 2 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ
Hawksmoor, Knightsbridge
What: The stunning ‘Ambassadors’ Reception’ dessert from Hawksmoor is inspired by a certain famous chocolate and hazelnut treat (think dodgy 1980s adverts). You’ll also be doing your bit for charity by ordering one (not that you needed an excuse), as 50p from each dish served goes towards Social Bite, a charity which helps to feed and employ the homeless.
Food-porn factor: 10/10
Where: 3 Yeoman's Row, SW3 2AL
Hix Oyster & Chophouse, Clerkenwell
What: Known as ‘credit crunch’ ice cream, this tooth-achingly sweet dessert gets its name from restaurateur Mark Hix, who opened Hix Oyster & Chop House in the middle of the financial crisis. It consists of vanilla ice cream drizzled with honeycomb and choc pieces.
Food-porn factor: 8/10
Where: 36-37 Greenhill Rents, London, EC1M 6BN
The Ivy Kensington Brasserie, Kensington
What: Camera phones at the ready, as this dessert from The Ivy’s Kensington location is tailor-made for Insta. The chocolate bombe is melted with a hot caramel sauce at the table, to reveal its vanilla ice cream and honeycomb centre. Sit back and watch the ‘likes’ roll in.
Food-porn factor: 8/10
Where: 96 Kensington High Street, W8 4SG
Maxwell’s, Covent Garden
What: Put your sweet tooth to the ultimate test with Maxwell’s Freakshake From Mars. A chocoholics dream, the shake blends chocolate, caramel and Mars bars and is then topped with lashings of whipped cream, and a heavy sprinkling of caramel pieces.
Food-porn factor: 8/10
Where: 34 King Street, WC2E 8JD
Mr Bao, Peckham
What: Mr Bao is giving its eponymous dish a sweet twist this Chocolate Week. Guests can tuck into golden and crispy deep-fried bao buns for dessert, which are topped with a toasted large marshmallow, crushed biscuits and lashings of oozy melted chocolate.
Food-porn factor: 9/10
Where: 293 Rye Lane, SE15 4UA
Fiume, Battersea
What: Francesco Mazzei’s riverside restaurant Fiume is marking choc week with a delicious addition to its dessert menu. Check out this fluffy, glazed doughnut ring topped with smooth pistachio ice cream coated in rich chocolate sauce and a roasted pistachio crumb – can we order five please?
Food-porn factor: 9/10
Where: Circus West Village, Sopwith Way, SW8 5BN
South Place Chophouse, South Bank
What: At South Place Chophouse, pastry chef Nelson Sa has created a sensational looking chocolate bomb. The gold-dusted chocolate bomb is melted at the table by your server to reveal its gooey centre, perked up with coconut shavings and chunks of pear.
Food-porn factor: 8/10
Where: 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF
Theo Randall at The Intercontinental, Mayfair
What: Head to Mayfair to mark Chocolate Week, by tucking into a torta caprese from Theo Randall’s eponymous restaurant. The chocolate and almond cake from the island of Capri is rich in flavour and is served alongside a scoop of creamy roasted almond ice cream.
Food-porn factor: 7/10
Where: InterContinental Park Lane, 1 Hamilton Place, W1J 7QY
If you love sweet treats all year round, take a look at our pick of the best afternoon teas in the capital.