Café Boulevard

At the Eastern end of Hindley Street is Café Boulevard which is a standard Italian and an Internet Café. The computers are down one end and don't intrude on the Café ambience. This should not be confused with the Boulevard Lounge. The décor of Café Boulevard is looking a bit tired but it is comfortable and offers a range of good meals. There is plenty of seating inside and a couple of tables outside.

The hot chocolate comes in a sturdy glass with a handle. It is finished with a bubbly froth a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink was a good standard hot chocolate and was $3.20.

Jimmie's Café

Merkel and Myrtle visited Jimmie's Café in the little Adelaide Hills town of Crafers on a Thursday, encouraged by the promise of a Jazz duo playing there each Thursday night. There are a few venues around Adelaide doing regular live Jazz. The duo was Luke Thompson on guitar and Paul Whitely on vocals and alto saxophone. Thursday is a busy night so booking is a good idea. Jimmie's specialises in wood oven pizza's but provides a menu of other meals. The environment is warm with "log" fires and aboriginal artwork on the walls. The table service is fast and efficient.

The hot chocolate came in a striped mug and saucer with a white and a pink marshmallow. The froth was thick and creamy with sprinkle of cocoa on top. The drink was sweet but rich and cost four dollars.

Café Pellegrini

Café Pellegrini is an Italian restaurant and Pizzeria at 179 O'connell St, North Adelaide. It is over the road from Café Palazzo and the Piccadilly Cinema. Café Pellegrini is not as big inside as some of the Café's along O'Connell Street but there is also plenty of seating outside.

The hot chocolate is $3.80 and comes in glass with a handle. The drink needed a stir but fortunately this was visible through the glass. Once stirred the chocolate was rich enough and not too sweet. It was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. It came with one marshmallow and was the first picture to be taken with your reviewer's new phone/camera.

Banana Leaf

The Banana Leaf is and Indian restaurant at 42 Currie Street, Adelaide. The restaurant has impressive décor but is not overdone. It provides a good range of reasonable priced curries for lunch and dinner with friendly table service.

The hot chocolate came in a generous mug for $3.50. It had a brown forth and sprinkling of chocolate powder on top. The taste of the drink was odd and devoid of creaminess. Your reviewer suspects there was something wrong with the milk, however the waitress said it may have been the chocolate powder which was the Taboo brand distributed by Grinders coffee. Having recently dined at other Grinders vendors your reviewer is not so sure.

Daily Bread, Waymouth Street

The Lobby on Waymouth is the huge building foyer that your reviewer referred to as contains Indochina City Central, Lena's Cafe and an outlet of Un Caffe Bar. The name of this foyer was not clearly sign-posted at the time and seemed to "The Precinct". Now the signage has gone up and proudly proclaims the eating area as "The Lobby on Waymouth". One stall your reviewer did not try earlier was Daily Bread which also has an outlet at City Cross.

The hot chocolate came in a white ceramic beaker with no handle. It was finished with a dark froth and a dark sprinkle of chocolate. The taste was also dark and rich and it cost $3.40. The presentation was a little more stylish than Daily Bread at City Cross but both venues provided only a plastic spoon. While the beaker was an interesting change it still makes the drinker suffer to the same discomfort to their fingertips as drinking hot chocolate out of a glass.

Lamb Spit BBQ

The Lamb Spit BBQ is another stall in Market Plaza. Like Charlies Place opposite it is complete with redundant umbrella under the covered plaza. The Lamb Spit does yiros and Greek dishes and has a number of tables in its corner of the plaza.

The hot chocolate is well presented in a tall glass with a handle. It does the two marshmallows on toothpicks trick that is also done at the Torrens Arms which allows the marshmallows to be balance on the lip of the glass. The hot chocolate was $3.50 and came with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink could have been richer but was not bad.

Absolutely Asian Grocery

The sign on the front proclaims it as "Absolutely Asian Grocery" but the yellow pages listing calls it "Absolutely Asian Delicatessen and Lotteries". The latter is probably more accurate as various lottery and betting options were clearly available and it did not look like the normal Asian Grocery with shelves of goods unrecognisable to western eyes. It was at 531 Marion Road in South Plympton.

Interestingly enough this shop had a functioning espresso machine and was happy to make your reviewer a hot chocolate. The drink came in huge ceramic cup. It was finished with a creamy froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. This was not a particularly dark chocolate flavour but it was rich enough and was a good long drink for only $3.50. The friendly staff were happy for your reviewer to read the paper while sipping on the drink while waiting for time to pass.

Café Palazzo, North Adelaide

Merkel and Mytrle attended Cafe Palazzo in North Adelaide recently. This is the sister shop the Café Palazzo in Norwood reviewed earlier. Like the Norwood venue, it is a big Café with plenty of seating and big glass windows.

The hot chocolate was four dollars and came with a white froth, a streak of chocolate powder and marshmallows. It was served in a Vittoria glass with a wire handle. The flavour was rich and dark.

Tutto Ku, The Playhouse Bistro

Your reviewer has always known it as the Bistro but some research has uncovered that the Bistro that serves the Adelaide Festival Centre "Dunstan" Playhouse actually changed its name to "Tutto Ku" some time in 2005. The Café attached to the bistro is the "Mutandi Ku" Café. The names are Aboriginal Kaurna language names for "Watching Room" and "Eating Room". Both rooms look out over the Torrens river. Tutto Ku is more for drinks and finger food and Mutandi Ku has more substantial meals.

The hot chocolate at Tutto Ku came in glass with white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder on top and a marshmallow. The flavour was rich enough and a pleasant start to an evening. It cost four dollars.

The performance at the Space that evening was Mitchell Butel "Killing Time" as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. This was a polished performance with great musical arrangements. Mitchell was accompanied by a trio of musicians and he provided a full programme of show tune, jazz standards and lesser known but entertaining songs.

Broadway Kiosk

If you fancy a great view of the ocean, interrupted only by the occasional jogger running past then the Broadway Kiosk, at the end of The Broadway, Glenelg is an excellent option. The original Kiosk has been extended to provide plenty of comfortable seating. A good range of meals are available and they also seem to accept dogs inside. This is a fairly French phenomenon but is not common in Adelaide. It is obviously a favourite stop of for people walking their canine companions

The hot chocolate is $3.80 and comes in a Vittoria glass with a wire handle. It is a creamy drink with a good froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top.

Charlie's Coffee Lounge

The Market Plaza is at the Western side of the Adelaide Central Market. It is a fairly large covered plaza featuring a number of shops. Charlie's Coffee Lounge (also known as Charlie's Place), is officially Shop 53 at the Northern end. Despite being a covered plaza the umbrellas seem to be permanently established outside of Charlie's. The redundant umbrella syndrome has been noted before in reviews of Shunters and Jasper's.

The cost of the hot chocolate was $3.20 for a cup or $4.00 for a mug. Your reviewer ordered a mug and received a generous mug decorated with a creamy froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink included pink and white marshmallows. The mug was white with Griffith's coffee logo customised with the Charlie's name. The hot chocolate was a pleasant drink without being anything exceptional.

Roco Pasta

Merkel returned to Roco Pasta to see if it was still good value. This stall in the Myer Centre food court is still the cheapest for reasonable tasting hot chocolate. $2.40 gets you a proper ceramic cup and chocolaty drink with a forth and liberal sprinkle of chocolate on top. Only plastic spoons are available but this is a minor inconvenience.

ChurrOZ

Merkel and Myrtle attended an evening with Earl Okin at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in the Banquet Room of the Festival Centre. Earl is a talented multi-instrumentalist with a great sense of humour. This was an entertaining evening.

Merkel was on the lookout of hot chocolate treats before the show and discovered that coffees and hot chocolates are not served in the piano bar at busy times. Instead he ventured out to the Festival Centre courtyard where a number of mobile food dispensaries were accumulated. Churros in hot dipping sauce is a treat that Merkel has reviewed for the now defunct XO supper club and a temporarily established outlet of Sparrow Kitchen & Bar. These were on sale at the ChurrOZ trailer.

Unfortunately the ChurrOZ experience was not up to the standard of the other two. The sauce is not a dipping sauce; instead the sauce is dribbled over the top. All the tastes are still there. The warm churros were light and sweet and the chocolate flavour works well but Merkel prefers more chocolate and bigger churros. This cost was $4.50.

Tusmore Bakery & Café

The Tusmore Bakery & Café prides itself on the pies it makes. On the front window it proclaims that is the winner of the silver medal for the competition for the great Australian meat pie. The shop is on 462 Greenhill Rd, Linden Park, sandwiched between a chicken shop and car wash. It has three tables inside.

The hot chocolate is $3.20 and comes in a Liberty Caffe coffee cup. Unfortunately these cups have handles that are too small to engage your reviewer's fat fingers. The froth was creamy and tasty but unfortunately the rest of the drink had very little chocolate flavour.

Café Astros

According to Wikipedia Astros is a Greek city in the Argolic Gulf. It is served by the port Paralio Astros which has a photograph hanging on the the wall of Café Astros. This Café is a lunch and dinner restaurant serving traditional Greek food on the corner of Angas Road and Sussex Terrace in Hawthorn.

The hot chocolate was very decorative topped with a white froth and a syrup spider web pattern on top. It was served in a glass with a handle and a white and pink marshmallow were provided in the saucer. This was one of the best presented hot chocolates your reviewer has seen. The drink was advertised as a Swiss hot chocolate but the chocolate was not rich enough to detect that Swiss chocolate flavour. The hot chocolate cost only $3.20.

Konditorei Coffee Lounge

Merkel and Myrtle visited Stirling in the Adelaide Hills for breakfast one morning. Konditorei is set back from the road in the main shopping area at 39 Mount Barker Road. It is in a brown brick building and had a log fire burning in the corner. There is plenty of seating inside and in the arcade area. Konditorei is the German word for confectionery shop. The Café sells some good looking desserts and a range of meals.

The hot chocolate was served in a glass with a metal handle and was topped with a tasty froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The extras included two marshmallows and a teddy bear biscuit with chocolate coating. The hot chocolate was not particularly rich but had a pleasant flavour and cost $4.20.

Michel's Patisserie, Adelaide Central Plaza

Merkel tried his third outlet of Michel's Patisserie in the food court of Adelaide Central Plaza. The beverage prices are listed as $3.30, $3.60 and $4.30 for coffees but 30 cents extra for hot chocolates. This seems a travesty of justice. The hot chocolate comes in a Michel's branded coffee cup with a tasty froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The drink was rich and not too sweet.

SB's

It was a cold and wet day so Merkel and Myrtle headed for somewhere fairly shelter for a quick lunch. They found themselves in the crowded food court of City Cross Arcade where Merkel had tried hot chocolates from Coffee & Cream and Daily Bread. One stall Merkel had not tried before was SB's. This was at the West side of the food hall, probably stall number 15. SB's had large range of sandwiches and wraps and a number of people behind the counter busy making them fresh to order.

The hot chocolate was available for $3.40 and $4.00. For $3.40 Merkel received a ceramic mug and saucer with a plastic spoon. It was topped with a tasty froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. This was possibly sweetened with cinnamon. The drink was sweeter than usual but creamy and chocolaty.

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.