Panacea

Panacea is a fine restaurant with attentive table service at 72 Halifax Street. It is just opposite the Greek on Halifax with its landmark chimney. The décor of the restaurant is spectacular with large cane light fittings and black tables and chairs. There is seating inside, in the courtyard and on the footpath. The menu is innovative and stylish.

The hot chocolate came in a Vittoria coffee cup. It had a light froth and a dumping of chocolate powder on top. The drink was rich and not too sweet and cost only three dollars.

T-bar, Iced Chocolate

Your reviewer returned to the T-bar in Adelaide Central Plaza and tried the iced chocolate for a change. The drink was presented in a tall glass topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The walls of the glass had been decorated with squiggles of chocolate syrup. The syrup itself was not sickly sweet and the flavour of the drink was more chocolaty than some iced chocolates but could have been richer. The cost was reasonable at $4.70.

Sabrina's Lunch Bar

Sabrina's is an unpretentious lunch bar providing sandwiches and light meals for breakfast and lunch. There are a few tables inside and outside. Merkel and Myrtle enjoyed a breakfast there recently.

The hot chocolate came in a generous ceramic mug topped with tasty froth and liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. The flavour of the chocolate was good and not too sweet and was good value for only three dollars.

Stamps

Stamps is a fine restaurant with friendly table service situated at 12A Welbourne Street in the heart of old Mitcham around the corner from The Edinburgh. The restaurant is in a quaint old building next to the old Mitcham post office. The restaurant seats about 45 people and pictures of the old Mitcham area adorn the walls.

While the food was tasty and innovative, the hot chocolate was fairly standard. It was served in a glass with a handle and accompanied by pink and white marshmallows. It was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder and cost $4.80.

Two More Funks

Merkel visited his fifth Funk Coffee & Food outlet recently. See Four Funks for the review of the others. The Funk at 147 Pirie street is another good example of Café Foyerism and has a good view of Hindmarsh Square similar to Sq and Bean Bar. The venue is still not as grand as the Funk at Victoria Square outlet in the foyer of SA Water.

The hot chocolate was finished with a creamy froth and sprinkle of cocoa but the presentation was not up to the standard set in the Flinders Street Funk. It was presented in a white coffee cup and the drink was rich enough and not too sweet. The hot chocolate cost $3.20.

The sixth funk was 45 Grenfell Street right next to Simply Divine. There was plenty of seating inside or outside under the plain trees. The hot chocolate had the creamy froth but no sprinkle of cocoa. It was still presented in a white coffee cup and it was again rich enough and not too sweet.

Young Street Deli

This is a suburban corner shop on the corner of George Street and Young Street. It has a range of grocery items for sale and also does sandwiches and coffees. It is a spacious old building with three tables inside and two tables outside for patrons.

The hot chocolate comes in a big red mug topped with a bubbly white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. There was enough flavour in the drink but it was fairly sweet and not the flavour of dark chocolate. The hot chocolate cost $3.50.

Blue Mango Lunch Bar

Blue Mango is a little shop on Glen Osmond Road that is a breakfast and lunch place and does catering. It provided breakfasts, baguettes, quiches and wraps. There is bar seating in the shop itself and next door more chairs and tables in an enclosed veranda area with heating.

The hot chocolate came in a Café Aroma coffee cup. The waitress advised that she had problems getting the milk to froth. The froth was indeed thin although it was topped with plenty of chocolate powder. The drink was not particularly creamy. It was rich enough even though there was plenty of chocolate sediment at the bottom.

Blue Mango is now on the list of disappearing hot chocolate venues.