I’m not really one for celebrities…but some chocolate makers, chocolatiers and even the chocolate itself have become the celebrities that I follow and that I hope that someday I’ll have the chance to visit. Rococo was one of these places, and still is. It was perhaps the first quality chocolate company I’d heard of before I was into this type of things. I lived in London for years, somehow completely unaware that it was located not that far away from where I lived.
So today we decided we would dedicate the day to visiting Rococo and the ritzy neighbourhood that the flagship store is located in. Rococo’s Chantal Coady started off selling chocolate at Harrods but left to create her own chocolate emporium. There are even rumors that Chantal may have been the inspiration behind Joanne Harris’ book Chocolate (my favourite movie of course). After 31 years of chocolate magic Chantal was awarded an O.B.E in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. No small feat.
I love so much about Rococo. It is really just in a class on its own, not only in London but much further beyond as well. Rococo has its own cocoa farm in Grenada owned in partnership with the Grenada Chocolate Company which makes it one of the few tree to bar chocolates in the world. Grenada is known as the spice island so the organic Trinitario beans they grow create a beautiful chocolate. This chocolate is used in Rococo’s house blend, their single estate bars and their Grenada Chocolate Company bars.
The front area is dedicated to the shop and their gorgeous selection of chocolates. The packaging is beautiful and made me want to buy them all. I fell in love with the cardamom dark chocolate bar and the mint dark chocolate. I could not believe how beautiful the texture was, it just melted in my mouth. Just amazing. They have so many interesting flavours including basil & Persian lime, crystalized ginger and even a rose and violet selection (very English no?). Their white chocolate bars are also incredible (and very popular), including my other favourite, the cardamom white chocolate bar.
Towards the back of this small store there is the chocolate café with little tables where you can sit, sip your hot chocolate and admire all the products. On the floor there is a window (yes, on the floor) that gives you a view down into the room where they make some of their chocolate. There is a steep set of stairs that goes down where you can watch the chocolate makers as well.
This staircase also brings you down to a beautiful Morrocan-style garden planted by the founder itself. It has colourful mosaic tiles surrounded by rose, lavender, geranium, mint, jasmine and even a coffee plant. There are old mirrors lying around, and it’s equally popular with the local birdlife. It is a gem, a secret hideout that I wish I could recreate in my own backyard. And this one comes with perfect hot chocolates.
We had their house hot chocolate, organic 70% dark chocolate with extra cocoa butter and extra cocoa powder. It was accompanied by a perfect, and generous, house made blackcurrent marshmellow. Needless to say it was a pretty perfect moment. We just took it all in, enjoyed our private terrace (no one else ventured outside today) and stayed until they closed for the day.
Verdict: Thank you. Rococo, 5 Motcomb St, London, United Kingdom
