Philadelphia, PAHot Chocolate

Philadelphia Magazine points to this 1863 candy shop, the oldest continuously run confectionery in the country, and its dedicated Chocolate Cafe, where the drink is the point rather than a side offering. The guide describes rich, creamy drinking chocolates rather than a thinner cocoa-powder cup, in keeping with the shop's throwback, old-world approach to candy making. Order a cup in the Chocolate Cafe itself rather than to go, and pair it with something from the historic candy counter out front.

Philadelphia Magazine credits owner Rene Kobeitri's decadent, artisanal hot chocolate here, including specialty flavors like white-chocolate peanut butter alongside the classic cup. The cafe has also drawn a separate Philadelphia Magazine Best of Philly recognition for its coffee program, a second signal on the same publication for the room generally. Order one of the specialty flavors rather than the classic if you want to taste what sets this Italian Market stop apart from a standard cup.

Philadelphia Magazine names this Italian Market institution, open since 1995, for a hot cup of cocoa that can be spiked with amaretto, peppermint or Nutella, or served straight up for a plainer cup. The shop's own chocolate-house half keeps the drink in the same tradition as its confections rather than treating it as an afterthought on a coffee menu. Order it spiked with Nutella for the shop's own twist, or straight up if you want the classic version instead.

Philadelphia Magazine singles out this cafe for making its hot chocolate with Omanhene, a single-origin cocoa from Ghana, steamed into milk rather than built on a generic cocoa powder or syrup base. The guide frames it as a step up from a standard mix, in keeping with the shop's broader focus on sourcing. Order it as the cafe makes it, steamed milk and all, rather than asking for substitutions that would work against the single-origin chocolate's flavor.

Philadelphia Magazine calls out this Rittenhouse bar's s'mores hot chocolate, topped with a torched marshmallow and served with a chocolate bar and graham crackers on the side for building your own bite. It is a dessert-styled cup built for a bar menu rather than a coffee counter, closer to a shareable plate than a quick cup. Order it as a table dessert rather than a single-serve drink, since the components are meant to be assembled and shared.