Are you searching for the best hot chocolate in London? Look no further. Knoops here is the one when it comes to hot chocolates. Or any chocolate drinks, really – including iced chocolate, chocolate milkshakes, etc. We like to call it the “real-life Willy Wonka” because no one does chocolate drinks like Knoops! No matter your preference for rich dark chocolates, milk chocolates, or extra sweet white chocolates, you will definitely be able to find something that’s exactly to your taste.
Knoops: A Passion for Chocolate Buttons
Knoops is a hot chocolate speciality shop named after the owner, Jens Knoop. Fun fact, the Dutch name “Knoop” actually means “button”. How fitting is that Mr Knoop here makes drinks out of chocolate buttons! Anyway, he has had a passion for chocolate for a long time and has spent years perfecting his personalised hot chocolates, which is what you now see on Knoops’ menu.
It all started out with a humble shop in Rye, East Sussex. From there, Knoops started to set its footprint in London with shops in High Street Kensington, Covent Garden, Notting Hill, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and Richmond. The success didn’t stop there. Knoops can also be found regionally in the UK such as Bath, Edinburgh, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, etc.
Personalising Your Chocolate at Knoops
The minute you step into any Knoops shop, you will find a wall showcasing all the chocolate percentages available for you to choose from. In addition to that, you also get to pick your milk of choice (e.g. regular milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or soy milk), as well as different flavour topping options like sea salt, orange, cinnamon, chilli, and many more. Vegan options are widely catered too. Basically, there is something for everyone.
The concept at Knoops is for you to find your perfect chocolate percentage and to personalise/customise it with your choice of milk and toppings. Worry not if you have not a single clue on what you’d like from the menu. We have listed our personal favourites in this blog post to help you get started in discovering your very own chocolate combo. Alternatively, you can also try out Knoops’ own chocolate quiz!
Our Favourite Drinks at Knoops
34% Chocolate with Cinnamon & Sea Salt
If you enjoy something milky and velvety sweet, 34% is the one, in our opinion. I love it both hot or iced, and it’s one of my go-to orders. It’s great on its own, but with an extra touch of sea salt, I promise you that the flavours will just pop. The cinnamon is optional for me. I think it goes better in hot chocolate (not so much for iced) for a little extra warming touch, especially for the festive winter months.
Iced Vegan 54% Chocolate with Oat Milk
54% is the perfect all-rounder. If in doubt, I’d say start with 54% and go from there. Not only is it their bestseller but it has also won a Great Taste Award! It’s not too sweet like the 34%, with a very well-balanced but still rich cocoa taste. This is the one that we stock up at home.
All chocolates from 54% onwards are vegan-friendly, just make sure to order it with plant-based milk.
49% Dark Milk Hot Chocolate
This is a special edition chocolate, sitting right on the cusp between milk and dark chocolate, hence the name “dark milk chocolate”. It is made from Carenero beans grown in Venezuela and has quite a unique flavour profile. The flavours were very distinctively earthy, with notes of caramel. I wouldn’t say it’s my particular cup of tea but it’s still worth a try.
54% Chocolate Milkshake with Orange
Many thought Knoops wouldn’t survive past winter as it’s a hot chocolate shop. Well, they make excellent iced chocolates and milkshakes too so there’s that! You’ve heard me rave about the 54% above, let me tell you what’s even better – have it with a touch of orange. The additional zesty touch is what dreams are made of. Try it out, no matter hot or iced, and thank us later!
100% Extra Dark Chocolate
This one’s for dark chocolate lovers. There are plenty of different dark chocolate percentages at Knoops, including a dauntingly extra dark 100% one. It’s robustly rich to taste but also lighter than I expected for a 100% dark chocolate. If you really concentrate on the flavours, you may also detect subtle hints of fruity notes. I personally like to use it for making Parisian-style Hot Chocolate at home.
Knoopology at Home
Don’t have a Knoops shop near you? Then bring your favourite chocolate percentage back home and make your own hot chocolate anytime! Let’s be honest, after a taste of Knoops, the little tin of Cadbury’s at home just doesn’t cut it anymore. Get a Knoopifier, i.e. their chocolate shaker (available to purchase alongside the chocolate flakes as a gift set), and you’re all set for some extraordinary hot chocolate at home.
It doesn’t stop at just hot chocolate. Check out Jen’s Knoops cookbook for delicious chocolate recipes, including both sweet & savoury, to try out something different with your chocolate flakes. You can purchase the chocolate flakes in-store, on their website, at John Lewis or Selfridges, or on Amazon.
Knoops Review Summary
Once you’ve tried Knoops, there’s no going back. It’s the best hot chocolate in London and, frankly, in the whole of the UK and beyond. You can taste the quality at every sip and Jens’ passion behind it. Other than chocolates, they also do coffees (obviously especially exceptional with Mochas) and cacao tea. If you are serious about your chocolates, don’t walk but run to your nearest Knoops!
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