Last Updated on 3 December 2024 by Colette
I’m not a coffee drinker – so shoot me. I’m all about a hot chocolate and if it’s a really fancy one with all the toppings then even better. I thought I’d put together a list of all the best places to have hot chocolate in and around Manchester – and I’m not talking your standard chain coffee shops, these are the best independents serving up the hot chocolate of your dreams in Manchester city centre and a little further afield.
If coffee is more your vibe, you’ll find the best independent coffee shops in Manchester here.
I’m going to keep researching and updating this post with recommendations for places to go for hot chocolate in Manchester so if you do have a suggestion let me know, in the meantime you’re going to want to check out:
- Knoops – Manchester city centre
- Black Milk – Manchester city centre
- Milk Maids – Bolton
- Grandpa Green’s – Diggle
- Cocoa Cabana at Winter Island – Manchester city centre
- Cocoa Cabana – Ancoats
- Ramona – Manchester city centre
- Luisco Chocolate – Wigan
Scroll down for full details!
[Please note that the information in this post is accurate to the best of my knowledge but do check with individual venues before turning up for your hot chocolate!]
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Knoops, 69 Cross St, Manchester M2 4JW
Knoops opened in in Manchester in the middle of April and all the hype suggested Knoops absolutely needed to be on this list of the best places to go for hot chocolate in Manchester – you’d best believe I made may way down to check it out for you!
Knoops opened it’s first Northern store in Manchester city centre this April offering up twenty different flavours of luxury hot chocolate (yes that does say twenty)! You can even customise your Knoops hot chocolate with a variety of toppings and dried spices and of course there’s different plant based milks on offer in case you need a vegan option! These guys are not messing around – they’re not spilling your drink all all down the cup or over filling it with ridiculous toppings for the sake of an instagram picture, they’re just going to serve you some of the nicest, creamiest, velvetiest hot chocolate you’ve ever drunk. (I don’t care if velvetiest isn’t a word – I’m going for it)
When you first go into Knoops the menu does feel kinda overwhelming so we just asked the guy serving us for a little advice. He asked us a couple of questions eg did we prefer white / milk / dark and then narrowed the menu down to a few options for us. We ordered our drinks with a marshmallow (an expensive extra but so worth it) but didn’t dive into any of the fancy toppings this time round. Next time I’m going for a slightly darker hot chocolate and I’m definitely going to look at the various options for pimping my hot chocolate.
Knoops isn’t cheap – it cost me about £13 for two hot chocolates with marshmallows – so it’s not somewhere I’d be popping to grab a quick take away drink on the way to the office, but if you’re looking for a treat, Knoops have got you covered!
Black Milk, 88 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LF
Tucked away in the Northern Quarter, Black Milk is a counter-serve dessert cafe specialising in freak shakes, pancakes and ice cream sundaes (though I’ve still not forgiven them for taking their waffles off the menu as they were next level!). When it comes to hot chocolate they’re currently rocking out a classic hot chocolate (ask for extra toasted marshmallows!), Kinderella or Baileys – and right now you can even get a Pistachio hot chocolate which I need stat. If you’re feeling really extra, Black Milk also offer a stacked hot chocolate which is basically a hot chocolate with a cake on top!! (Check out the Oreo one here)
Milk Maids, Deardens Farm, BL5 1AT
Milk Maids is a super cute little ice cream parlour at Deardens Farm – selling their multi award winning small batch ice cream churned fresh daily using their own milk and knocking out some incredible flavours. But, they also sell hot chocolate! Why not try their Biscoff Hot Chocolate – white chocolate melted with Biscoff sauce, into Deardens’ Farm freshly steamed milk topped with whipped cream & Biscoff crumb . . . or for a more traditional hot chocolate, there’s milk chocolate and white hot chocolate available too!
Grandpa Greene’s, Ward Ln, Diggle, Oldham OL3 5JT
Grandpa Greene’s are probably best known for their luxury ice cream but, when the weather turns, these guys go hard on their hot chocolates offering up Nutella, Lotus Biscoff or Kinder Bueno hot chocolate jars alongside a traditional milk hot chocolate. Grandpa Green’s luxury hot chocolate jars are currently £5.95 each for the fancy flavours or £4.20 for a standard milk hot chocolate. If you’re heading up around Easter time, they do a super extra hot chocolate with a whole Slattery’s Easter egg sat in the top!
You can read more about visiting Grandpa Greene’s here:
Grandpa Greene’s Ice Cream Parlour
Cocoa Cabana at Winter Island, Escape to Freight Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ | Watch out for this one next Christmas
This one is a seasonal one so keep an eye out for updates!
If you’re looking at working your way through this list of the best places to get hot chocolate in the Manchester area then put this one on hold as it’s a winter only one!
Winter Island returns to Escape to Freight Island bringing with it a range of festive food and drinks. Last Christmas, Cocoa Cabana are brought back their most epic of hot chocolates for you to enjoy in the twinkly, festive surrounds of Winter Island! I’m definitely planning to try one this Christmas!
I haven’t tried this one out yet but I mean just look at it – how could it be anything other than amazing!?
And, if you miss out on Cocoa Cabana at Winter Island? Well you check them out on home turf in Ancoats or West Didsbury.
Cocoa Cabana, 7 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6HS
Tucked away on a side street in Ancoats you’ll find Cocoa Cabana – like most of the places on this list, Cocoa Cabana isn’t somewhere you’re likely to stumble across on a leisurely walk through Manchester, you’re going to have to seek out.
Cocoa Cabana first snuck onto my radar when I spotted the most decedent looking hot chocolate I’ve ever seen pop up on the Escape to Freight Island instagram and, whilst researching this post, I realised that they have not one but two venues – this one in Ancoats and a second in West Didsbury. (I say a second in West Didsbury, but that was actually the mothership, the Ancoats Cocoa Cabana is the latest addition to the line up!)
Currently the Cocoa Cabana Ancoats menu features not just one or even two hot chocolates but a whole section of the menu with 14 variations of hot chocolate including water based if you’re looking for a vegan option. I definitely don’t recommend ordering the “Augustus Gloop” as this is less of a hot chocolate and more of a bowl full of melted chocolate with biscuits and chocolate coins in it – I barely touched the sides of it as it was so incredibly sickly. Great for a photo, not so great for actually eating!
Ramona, 40 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JG
I mean good God the Ramona ‘Hot Choc-O-Mallo’ looks flipping incredible. We’re talking melted dark and milk chocolate, heavy whipped cream and salted caramel drizzle all served with a torched giant chocolate & crushed pretzel marshmallow dipping stick. I need one now.
Ramona are serving up this insane hot chocolate in their seasonal Winter Village alongside cosy roaring fires, winter margaritas (these guys do margaritas WELL – I highly recommend their bottomless brunch) and Detroit-style pizza slices. Roll me out of there.
Luisco Chocolate, Kitchen Courtyard, Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan WN2 1PE
Luisco Chocolate at Haigh Woodland Park make their hot chocolate from their signature blend of Belgian chocolate, topped with cream, marshmallows, chocolate curls, a dusting of cocoa and a chocolate on top! The Lusico hot hot chocolate is available in milk, white and dark Belgian chocolate and if you’re looking for a dairy free option then can make the Belgian dark chocolate with oat or soya milk. Claire on twitter tells me it’s the dream and super thick!
Where to go for the best hot chocolate in Manchester
As always, if you’ve got a recommendation for an amazing hot chocolate in Manchester let me know and I’ll add it in – in the meantime I’m going to continue working my way down this list!
Have a look at these posts next:
The best places to go for bottomless brunch in Manchester
Dog friendly pubs and cafes in Manchester
Family friendly dog walks in the Manchester area
Luxury hot chocolate at home with the Hotel Chocolate Velvetiser
Where to get the best donuts in Manchester
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These all look quite amazing and delicious Colette. The first image looked very enticing. Stack those marshmallows. I put away a cup or two whenever in the Northeast US as it gets fairly cold here during winter and even autumn months.
Ryan