When It's Cold Outside, Sip On Some Chocolat Chaud at The Plaza
Chocolate lovers, you now have a really good reason for popping into The Plaza.The Francois Chocolate Bar recently took over from Demel Bakery, the Viennese cafe that lasted just two years in the hotel's downstairs retail space.
Though originally billed as a pop-up store, FCB's rapid success at the hotel has led to more permanent residency.
"When we started last month, we didn't know," explained co-owner (and wife of the pastry genius) Fernanda Capobiano, "But the chocolate bar seems to have worked really well." Compared to its predecessor, the design at FCB feels brighter and more open, though its function is essentially the same: a quiet, refined snack spot tucked away inside one of the city's most luxurious hotel shopping malls.
Some of the signature chocolates for your choosing include the 75% Dark Chocolate Bouchee ($2.50 per square), or if you're in more of a pastry mood, try a Parisian Macaron ($2.25), or a Tout Vanille ($6.50), made with three different kinds of vanilla—this also happens to be Fernanda's favorite—while you perch near the gently rippling fishpond.
Of course, the main appeal for a chocolate bar (especially when temperatures outside have plummeted to the low 20s) is the hot chocolate, and boy, this place doesn't disappoint. Steamed heavy cream is added to squares of melted chocolate to produce an incredibly rich, almost savory cup of chocolat chaud ($5.50). It's early days yet, but we sure hope FCB is here to stay!
[Photo: FC Chocolate Bar]
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