Where to Sip Hot Chocolate In and Around Lincoln Square

The days are short, and the nights are long. During winter’s dreary days, nothing hits the spot quite like a delicious hot chocolate. For less than $10, you can enjoy the hot, indulgent drink in a number of restaurants and cafés throughout Lincoln Square!

Alan’s Marketplace 
27 Columbus Ave (between W 60th and W 61st)
For the most affordable hot chocolate in Lincoln Square, head to this popular deli. Just be warned, at breakfast and lunch time there may be a wait, as local students and workers line up for bagels, sandwiches, and salads.

Amorino Gelato
44 West 63^rd Street (between Columbus Ave and Broadway)
For perhaps the thickest hot chocolate in Lincoln Square, visit new-comer Amorino. In addition to their delicious gelatos, the café serves three types of hot chocolate: vegan, with whipped cream, or signature (topped with your choice of macaron!).

Breads Bakery
1890 Broadway (between W 62nd and W 63rd)
Standing in line for your rugelach or babka at Breads Bakery, it’s easy to become entranced by the pot of swirling hot chocolate located behind the counter. Their thick, housemade hot chocolate is made by melting chocolate chips (from a French chocolate brand established in 1842) in hot milk.

Café Paradiso
144 W 65^th Street (between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway)
Tucked alongside Film at Lincoln Center, this Italian café serves a wide range of tasty baked goods. Their hot chocolate (served in a glass mug for those looking to enjoy it at the café or a paper cup to-go) is made with chocolate ganache, organic milk, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle.

David Geffen Hall Café
10 Lincoln Center (between W 65th and Columbus Ave)
Serving Joe Coffee, The Coffee Bar and The Lobby Bar at David Geffen Hall both offer hot chocolate made with organic cocoa. Next time you’re passing Lincoln Center, be sure to stop by and enjoy this spacious public space alongside your beverage of choice!

Épicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway (between W 63rd and W 64th)
With cheeses and madeleines galore, it’s no surprise that this local eat-in and take-out market and café from Chef Daniel Boulud serves a tasty hot chocolate. The drink is made with chocolate ganache and then topped with whipped cream made in-house (you can even see the vanilla bean!).

The Independent Café
David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway and Columbus Ave between W 62nd and W 63rd)
While the atrium is open daily, The Independent Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm (with extended hours on evenings when the space is used for free concerts). Visitors stopping by the atrium to rest their feet or work in a public space can enjoy a hot cocoa. This petite café makes its own hot chocolate mix using cocoa powder, sugar, a touch of cinnamon and star anise, and milk.    

Le Pain Quotidien
60 W 65^th Street (between Broadway and Central Park W)
With a rustic feel and hearty meals, Le Pain Quotidien is a go-to spot for meetups. In addition to traditional tea and coffee drinks, the café serves seasonal treats like Belgian hot chocolate and a honey lemon ginger drink.

Magnolia Bakery
Location 1: 200 Columbus Ave (between W 69th and W 70th)
Location 2: 1794 Broadway (between W 58th and W 59th)
Located just outside of the district, Magnolia Bakery is famed for its puddings and cupcakes, but they also offer a wide range of sweets, including hot chocolate. Chocolate and vanilla syrups are combined and added to steamy milk in their take on the winter classic.

Maman
152 Columbus Ave (between W 66th and W 67th)
This picturesque café, complete with a flower-framed entrance, continues its whimsical floral theme on the menu. Maman offers its regular hot chocolate alongside a smaller, less hot kid’s hot chocolate (both simply made with velvety chocolate and milk), and a lavender hot chocolate.

Old John’s Diner
148 W 67^th Street (between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway)
With egg creams, root beer floats, and a whole case of enticing cakes, it’s hard to decide which sweet to indulge in at this classic American diner. Nonetheless, when it’s freezing outside, the hot chocolate, made with a mix of 40% and 60% chocolate chips and steamed milk, will not disappoint.

Rosetta Bakery
1928 Broadway (between W 64th and W 65th)
This Italian bakery serves up meaty sandwiches and savory pizzas, but if you’re hankering for something sweet, you’ll be equally pleased. Their drinks menu includes hot chocolate—a perfect companion to a mini cake, bombolone, or another Italian pastry.

Shakespeare & Co.
2020 Broadway (between W 69th and W 70th)
Before you get to the enticing rows of books at this iconic Manhattan bookstore, you’ll pass the store’s café. Lined with big glass jars of cookies and a pastry case, the café offers La Colombe coffee and a classic hot chocolate.

Starbucks 
Location 1: 1889 Broadway (between W 62nd and W 63rd)
Location 2: 141 Amsterdam (between W 66th and W 67th)
Sure, this global coffee chain may not be exactly local, but it’s certainly reliable. In addition to their hot chocolate (made with a mocha sauce they mix each day and topped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle), they have seasonal specials like a pistachio latte and pistachio cream cold brew.

Tartinery 
10 Columbus Circle
Located on the third floor of The Shops, stop by the seating area of this French café for great views of Columbus Circle, or swing by the take-away counter for an on-the-go treat. Ghirardelli cocoa powder makes for divine hot chocolates at this chic spot.

The Smith
1900 Broadway (between W 63rd and W 64th)
“It is SO good,” exclaimed the server, when questioned about the hot chocolate at The Smith. Order with brunch or stop in and ask for one to go. Here, it’s made with chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, and a touch of salt.

Westside Restaurant 
2020 Broadway (between W 69th and W 70th)
Few things say New York like an old-school diner. Visit this spot to be thrown back in time and get an affordable hot chocolate to stay or go. For a true New York experience, pair it with a black and white cookie!

Whole Foods Market
10 Columbus Circle
Need an afternoon pick me up as you finish your grocery haul? Right across from Whole Foods’ pastry case is a coffee bar that serves hot chocolate alongside turmeric and chai lattes.

We’ve done the research for you. Now, the only question that remains is, which hot chocolate will you try first?

* Although we've toured the neighborhood to find these spots, there may be cafes and restaurants that we've missed in our research. Contact us at info@lincolnsquarebid.org to tell us if you know another great spot for hot chocolate in Lincoln Square!

Photo Credit: Amorino and Breads Bakery