1657 Chocolate House, Kendal

Visited by thiskey on July 12, 2006 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A café that is (a) the epitome of quaint and (b) very very old (see title). There are a whole 18 varieties of hot chocolate, that's 17 more than almost everywhere else. So forget about coffee for a moment.

1657 Chocolate House is about to celebrate its 350th anniversary. The ancient history still lingers, with low wooden beams, Elizabethan nooks and crannies, smiley grannies and plenty of doilies.

This is one of those "must visit" places in Kendal, which is a "must visit" town in "must visit" Cumbria. So expect it to be busy at any time of day.

Nevertheless, it's all about the hot chocolate, so if that's your order you shouldn't feel guilty however long the queues for food.

1657 Chocolate House, Kendal

Despite all that lovely chocolate, on my one and only visit I was greeted by a surly waitress. My "Original Aztec" hot chocolate was pretty good though.

This is the only place I've found which mixes hot chocolate with cinammon, such a mind-bogglingly simple and delicious idea -- why don't other places do this? There is also a fantastic chocolate shop downstairs.

1657 Chocolate House, Kendal

This is one place to which I will definitely return; I feel I haven't seen the best of it.

54 Branthwaite Brow,
Kendal,
Cumbria,
LA8 4TX
Tel. 01539 740702
www.chocolatehouse1657.co.uk

Updated August 2008

Welcome to Cosy Coffee Shops, a blog dedicated to seeking out terrific independent coffee houses. Some are particularly comfy and relaxing, some serve outstanding coffee, some have both. Most serve drinks that are ethically sourced (for example, Fairtrade). We've visited everywhere at least once. Read more about this blog...

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