Halloween means candy, but it also marks the unofficial start of hot chocolate season. Once the wind starts coming off the river, a proper cup of chocolat chaud is one of the city’s great small pleasures. To find the best hot chocolate in Montreal, we started with Tastet’s hot chocolate list, made in collaboration with Cacao Barry, which details exactly what goes into each cup. Here are nine favourites, from bakeries to a bean-obsessed chocolate shop.
What separates a great cup from a packet
The difference is real chocolate. Many of the cups below start with a ganache or melted dark chocolate rather than powder, then add whole milk (3.25 per cent is the magic number at several spots) or a plant-based milk that won’t mute the cocoa. Percentages matter too: a 70 per cent chocolate gives depth and a little bitterness, while blending in milk chocolate softens the edges. And then there are the extras, from tonka bean to chai spices to a homemade marshmallow.
The best hot chocolate in Montreal: 9 cups
1. Croissant Croissant (Plateau)
At 2270 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Croissant Croissant serves a French-style coffee break. Its hot chocolate, conceived by Mathieu Virloget, blends 34 per cent milk chocolate and 70 per cent dark into a ganache made with almond milk, then adds tonka bean, a complex spice that plays beautifully with chocolate.
2. Hof Kelsten (Plateau)
One of the city’s favourite bakeries, Hof Kelsten at 4524 boulevard Saint-Laurent makes its cup with cocoa powder and a 53 per cent chocolate ganache, served latte-style with 3.25 per cent milk. Add a slice of babka and you have an afternoon.
3. Janine Café-Brunch (Verdun)
At 3900 rue Wellington, Janine offers a 68 per cent version or a spiced 70 per cent with a cinnamon stick. The showstopper is the deconstructed hot chocolate: a little teapot of melted chocolate, a pitcher of the milk of your choice and homemade marshmallows, so you build it yourself.
4. Automne Boulangerie (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie)
This small bakery at 6500 avenue Christophe-Colomb, Automne, mixes 58 per cent dark chocolate with cocoa, the milk of your choice, chai spices and a pinch of salt. It tastes like the season.
5. Avanaa Chocolat (Villeray)
A chocolate shop near Jarry Park at 309 rue Gounod, Avanaa serves a classic cup year-round, a rich blend of two 70 per cent chocolates, a little sugar and oat milk, plus a seasonal option. Top it with one of its homemade marshmallows.
6. Fous Desserts (Plateau)
This pastry shop at 809 avenue Laurier Est is a hot chocolate playground: three versions made with 2 per cent milk and a bit of cream, two spiced cups and two made from house mixes. Very chocolatey, which is exactly the point.
7. Le Paltoquet (Outremont)
Famous for its croissants, this friendly bistro at 1464 avenue Van Horne melts bittersweet chocolate chips into 3.25 per cent milk and finishes the cup with a dusting of cocoa. Smooth and simple.
8. Arhoma (Hochelaga-Maisonneuve)
At 15 place Simon-Valois, Arhoma serves bittersweet hot chocolate with hot whole milk, presented like a cappuccino with a foam top. Ask for a drizzle of maple syrup or house salted caramel.
9. Café Bazin (Westmount)
A French café at 380 avenue Victoria, Café Bazin keeps it classic: 64 per cent chocolate, sugar and milk, light and creamy, with a marshmallow on top.
Two fun extras
For something playful, Barley, the cereal bar at 2613 rue Notre-Dame Ouest in Saint-Henri, will top your hot chocolate with cereal or mini marshmallows. Downtown, Tastet recommends dunking churros into the cup at Mignon Churros & Nougat inside Le Central, one of the stops in our Montreal food halls guide.
Before you go
- Tastet’s list was last updated in May 2025, so recipes can change. Check hours and menus before making a special trip.
- Many bakeries sell out of pastries by mid-afternoon; go early if you want a croissant with your cup.
- Most spots offer plant-based milks; ask, since some recipes are built around a specific one.
Still in a spooky mood? Fous Desserts also appears in our Halloween treats roundup. Coffee person instead? Try our pumpkin spice latte guide. And if you need to warm up from the inside out, pair a cup with one of the Nordic spas in and around Montreal. More delicious ideas are waiting in our Food section. Bonne dégustation!
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Photo: Gpkp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: Tastet (best hot chocolate), Tastet (Croissant Croissant), Tastet (Hof Kelsten), Tastet (Janine), Tastet (Automne), Tastet (Café Bazin)
