With minus weather in Vancouver, the best drink to warm you up is no doubt a nice hot chocolate.
Well just in time is the Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival happening from January 13 to February 14.
And for its 14th year, it will feature over 60 vendors and over 160 unique hot chocolates.
That’s a lot of drinks to sift through to find the ones that are aesthetic and interesting.
Well, we did the hard work and picked out the most unique, wild, and delicious hot chocolates available this festival.
We’ve also included the information straight from the vendors so you can imagine whether it looks & sounds up your alley!
Note: For the most up-to-date drink details, please click on the vendor’s name to head to the official Festival page.
1. Join The Dark Side
Available: Jan 13 – Jan 20
Vendor: Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano, Downtown
Drink Details: Savor the intergalactic delight of our Star Wars-Themed Hot Chocolate Fondue Special, featuring the luxurious richness of Valrhona chocolate enhanced with the crunch of Oreo and velvety flavor of sesame.
Accompanying this velvety temptation are exquisite financier biscuits, artfully shaped into iconic Star Wars silhouettes, awaiting their destiny as the perfect dipper.
Fancy a sip? Transform it into a sipping chocolate with a swirl of our airy whipped cream—just right for those who love to linger over their luxury.
Address:
-2150 Fir St., Vancouver
-600 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver
2. Lost in Blossom
Available: Jan 13 – Jan 28
Vendor: Whisk Matcha Cafe
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
Drink Details: Lost in Blossom is a floral & aromatic jasmine white chocolate oat misto with light & airy rose vegan whip.
- Served with a strawberry mini vegan cream puff.
- Dairy-free, vegan.
Address: 39 Kingsway, Vancouver BC
3. Baby Yoda
Available: Jan 21 – Jan 27
Vendor: Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano, Downtown
Drink Details: Warm up your senses with our Hot Chocolate Fondue Special “Baby Yoda”, a creamy and captivating creation where East meets West. At its heart is the silky-smooth Valrhona Dulcey Blond chocolate, renowned for its velvety 32% cocoa butter richness and caramelized notes, providing a luscious backdrop for the revered ceremonial grade matcha from the lush fields of Shizuoka. This unique blend of flavors is punctuated by the playful crunch of KitKat, adding a familiar yet surprising twist.
Served with Star Wars character-shaped financier biscuits, expertly crafted for dipping, this fondue turns every bite into an adventurous journey through a tapestry of taste. Indulge in this extraordinary pairing, where the force of ultimate chocolate finesse meets the zen of matcha mastery.
Fancy a sip? Transform it into a sipping chocolate with a swirl of our airy whipped cream—just right for those who love to linger over their luxury.
Address:
-2150 Fir St., Vancouver BC
-600 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver BC
4. Jiro Dreams of Durian
Available: Jan 13 – Feb 14
Vendor: Aiyaohno Cafe
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Drink Details: Dark chocolate combined with Amazake, a traditional Japanese koji fermented rice drink, and Musang King Durian, the “king of fruits”.
- Served with a Honey Melon Chocolate Truffle.
- Contain alcohol, gluten-free, vegan option available
Address: 030 – 425 Carrall St, Vancouver
5. Calli-Coco
Available Jan 13 – Feb 14
Vendor: Honolulu Cafe
Neighbourhood: Kerrisdale, Downtown, False Creek
Drink Details: A fun hot chocolate with INK-spiration! The base, a heavenly blend of 28% white chocolate and perfectly steamed milk. A glass of jet-black enchantment by the side, a concoction of activated charcoal power, sesame paste and the fragrant touch of earl grey.
With the provided brush pen*, the canvas is yours to paint. To add a touch of your artistic experience, this set include a delicate fortune cookie, offers not just a drink but a journey of self-expression and discovery.
- On the side is a gourmet style fortune cookie.
- The complimentary brush pen is sanitized and single use.
Address:
-888 Nelson St. Vancouver BC
-2098 West 41st Ave. Vancouver BC
-97 West 2nd Ave. Vancouver BC
6. Capybara’s Favourite Yuzu Onsen
Available: Jan 13 – Feb 14
Vendor: Aiyaohno Cafe
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Drink Details: Dark chocolate combined with Yuzu citrus and aromas of Hinoki, an aromatic wood used in traditional Japanese hot spring baths.
- Served with a Yuzu Citrus Chocolate Truffle.
- Gluten-free, vegan option available
Address: 030 – 425 Carrall St, Vancouver
7. Purple Haze
Available: Jan 28 – Feb 10
Vendor: BETA5 Chocolates
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
Drink Details: Fresh taro and coconut bubble tea hot chocolate.
Served with a mini version of our ‘Fresh Taro Cream Puff,’ consisting of coconut mousse, fresh taro custard, coconut chiffon and sago pearls.
Address: 409 Industrial Ave., Vancouver
8. Unicorn Kisses
Available: January 13 – Jan 28
Vendor: Fufu Pancake Cafe
Neighbourhood: West Broadway
Drink Details: Taro and ube (purple yam) each possess a sweet, creamy, and nutty flavour profile that beautifully complements the aromatic hints of nuts and subtle gingerbread notes found in our Cocoa Berry 66% Mexique dark chocolate.
This classic dark hot chocolate is elevated with a velvety topping infused with taro and ube (purple yam), and crowned with a dollop of Fufu’s signature salted cheese foam. A delicate dusting of purple yam powder adds the finishing touch, creating a symphony of flavors and textures.
Served with our Rice Flour Chiffon Mini Shortcake. It’s a harmonious combination of taro and ube puree and a velvety layer of salted buttercream. The mini cake is topped with a light and airy taro and ube whipped cream and a vibrant sprinkle of powdered taro and ube, making each bite a truly enchanting treat.
Address: 1266 West Broadway
9. Marinara Chocolata
Available: Jan 13 – Jan 28 (except Mondays)
Vendor: A La Mode Pie Cafe
Neighbourhood: Granville Island
Drink Details: Dark hot chocolate enchanted with aromatic marinara sauce, rimmed with rich thick melted white chocolate, and topped with basil and Cheetos sprinkles.
Served with, “Pear-y Cherry Cheetos Molten Lava Bomb,” a pear and cherry pie with Cheetos in the filling, and molten cheese béchamel in the centre.
Address: 1689 Johnston St at the Granville Island Public Market
10. The Healer
Available: Jan 13 – Jan 24
Vendor: Kokomonk Lounge
Neighbourhood: West Broadway Kitsilano
Drink Details: A 35% premium vegetarian white hot chocolate created in response to popular request for another “Mystery Flavour Challenge”.
Paired with a house made, organic, double chocolate gelato taster.
*Oat milk available for the drink.
Note: This is a mystery flavour hot chocolate with the secret ingredient announced on Thursday, Jan 24th. Festival goers who guess the flavour correctly will be entered in a draw for prizes awarded by Koko Monk Hot Chocolate Lounge. See Koko Monk’s website for complete entry details.
Where do roots come from and where they go?.. From the bright mouths of leaves, perched on their ruby boughs, life enters, singing its song for every living creatures!
This vegetarian drink made with 35% single origin white chocolate is the promise of long lost gods to humanity, pure food will enter in you to purify your body and soul!.. — Paul Dincer
Address: 2883 West Broadway, Vancouver BC
11. Starry Village (Hoshinomura)
Available: Jan 29 – Feb 14
Vendor: Whisk Matcha Cafe
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
Drink Details: Hoshinomura, one of the most beautiful villages in Japan. This winter, we’d like to invite you to spend a magical starry night in Yame, Fukuoka, in Japan, where this particular organic matcha is sourced from. This drink is a vegan matcha white chocolate oat latte with a touch of Kinako (roasted soybean powder), topped with black sesame whip and star sprinkles.
- Paired with a rich matcha mini tart.
- Organic, dairy-free, vegan, for dine-in, it’s presented in a beautiful double-wall glass, rim dipped in white chocolate.
- For take-out, it’s served in an illustrated cup designed just for this hot chocolate festival.
Address: 39 Kingsway, Vancouver BC
12. Violet’s Berry Delight
(Takeout only)
Available: Jan 13 – Jan 30
Vendor: Boba Run
Neighbourhood: Gastown
Drink Details: A blueberries and cream hot chocolate made with sweet blueberries, white couverture chocolate, oat milk, and finished off with fresh blueberry whip. This drink is inspired by Violet, a chewing gum-obsessed girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who turns into a giant blueberry.
It is served with a mini-sized 54.5% dark chocolate bar made in-house that may contain a winning golden ticket. There will be 5 golden tickets hidden in these bars for a chance to win prizes and coupons!
BONUS: For a chance to win one of 5 larger prizes, purchase a bigger full-sized chocolate bar! Limited quantities of the larger bars each day.
May the odds be in your FLAVOUR!
- Gluten-free, chocolate bars are vegan.
Address: 102 West Hastings St., Vancouver BC
13. Hot Shark’olate
Available: Jan 13 – Feb 14
Vendor: Vancouver Aquarium
Neighbourhood: Downtown
Drink Details: Rich and creamy fin-dulgence awaits!
House made velvety chocolate syrup, steamed milk, whipped cream and sprinkles. Served in an adorable souvenir shark mug.
- Served with a handcrafted aquatic sugar cookie.
2024 Update: the drinks will be available in the Courtyard Café after the admissions gate. If you’d like to come by for just the hot chocolate, come to the admissions gate and someone from the café will come and bring you inside.
Address: 845 Avison Way, Vancouver BC
14. Dragon Ball Z
Available: Jan 30 – Feb 10
Vendor: Chez Christophe
Neighbourhood: Burnaby Heights, White Rock
Drink Details: A 70% dark chocolate combined with Fleur de Sel topped with house made whipped cream.
- Paired with a chocolate Dragon Ball filled with Nanaimo bar filling.
Address:
-4717 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC
-1558 Johnston Road, White Rock, BC
15. Hot Chocolate Croissant Supreme
Available: Jan 13 – Feb 14
Vendor: Little Cafe on Robson
Neighbourhood: Robson Street
Drink Details: A 70% chocolate drink in a croissant supreme topped with chantilly cream and chocolate shavings.
The croissant supreme is your side.
Address: 1258 Robson St., Vancouver BC
Now these are just our picks of what we thought were the most interesting due to the ingredients, theme and looks.
The festival has more than 160 drinks for you to explore. You can find the full list of vendors and drinks here.
The festival is a great excuse to grab a friend to catch up or to try a new cafe. Enjoy!
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.