Boticelli

This is a fine restaurant with cloth napkins and good table service. The theme of the restaurant is the renaissance artist Boticelli, and prints of his famous paintings such as "Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" adorn the walls of the restaurant. Boticelli is next door to Caffe Como and also has seating outside if required.

The hot chocolate cost $3.20 and comes in a stemmed glass with handle. It was served with plenty of froth and chocolate powder on top. The chocolate was creamy, dark and a rich flavour.

Passatempo Caffe Ristorante

Passatempo is another good restaurant and is at 53 Gouger Street. It is over the road from the Central Market and Zuma's Caffe and a couple of doors west of the House of Pearl. It has been established in Adelaide for many years now. It provides pizza, pasta and standard Italian fare.

The hot chocolate costs $3.20 and comes in a glass on a saucer. A cluster of mini marshmallows is provided on the saucer. The drink is topped with plenty of froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder. The glass was hot to hold but the chocolate was creamy and had a milk chocolate flavour.

The Union Hotel

Merkel and Mytle sought refuge from the rain in the Union Hotel at 70 Waymouth Street last week.  The Union is an old city pub that looks quite smart inside. It provides hotel meals and has a special each day such as curry day and schnitzel day.

The hot chocolate came in a glass. The froth dissipated quickly and had a sprinkle of cocoa on top. The drink could have been more chocolaty and cost $3.50.

Lena's

Merkel returned to Lena's for a quick lunch in the foyer now called the Lobby on Waymouth at 11 Waymouth Street. This placed used to be called The Precinct. The hot chocolate came in a Vittoria glass with a wire handle. Merkel has speculated elsewhere that the etching of the name "Vittoria" on the glass could not be characterised as either facing toward or away from the right handed drinker because the handle would probably rotate. Merkel can now confirm that the handle does not easily rotate but it does come off completely with a bit of pressure and reattaches just as easily. This confirms that the Vittoria glass is neither drinker-facing or viewer-facing.

The hot chocolate at Lena's was much the same as before. It was rich enough once stirred and cost $3.20

A Café Etc

A Café Etc is at 67 Jetty Rd Brighton on the South Side somewhere between Ninos and the Edge Delicatessen. Whoever set up this café was a serious collector of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. It is everywhere and the huge mural on a Marilyn on the wall is testament to someone's dedication to the film icon. The Café provide a good range of meals including salads, crepes and focaccias. The tables and chairs are solid wood and are available both inside and outside.

A Café Etc had Italian Chocolate on the menu. Your reviewer is enthusiastic to add more venues to list of places to get an Italian hot chocolate so jumped at the opportunity to try this one. It was good thick Italian chocolate; possibly one of the thickest. It was topped with a dollop of froth which was a bit ineffectual for such a rich drink. The whipped cream provided by Cibo is a better accompaniment. The Italian Chocolate cost $5.00.

Ripple and Swirl Cafe

The Ripple and Swirl Cafe is on The Esplanade at Christies Beach. The location looks over the blue waters and sailing boats off at Christies Beach. The Cafe sells a range of restaurant meals but also sells sandwiches and ice creams.

The hot chocolate came in a glass with a wire handle with a saucer. It was topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. Two white marshmallows were served in the saucer. The hot chocolate cost $3.50. The drink was creamy and chocolaty enough after a good stir.

Whipped Bake Bar Café

Semaphore Road is well supplied with a good range of Cafés and restaurants. The Whipped Bake Bar Café is further towards the sea than Sarah's Sister's Sustainable Café. It sells bakery items and does breakfasts and lunches. There was a good range of cakes and pastries but the cakes your reviewer tasted had not been baked that day.

The hot chocolate came in a tall glass with a handle and cost $3.50. There was plenty of froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The chocolate flavour could have been richer for your reviewer's taste.

Sarah's Sister's Sustainable Café

The name of this café at 117 Semaphore Road, is a good test for anyone with lisp or needs instruction on where to put apostrophes. Some of the signage in the actual Café drops the second apostrophe. This is not really much of an apostrophe catastrophe. Sarah's is a vegetarian café and a regular gathering place of greens and those interested in sustainability. On the day Merkel and Myrtle visited they were able to sit the very pleasant gazebo area out the back next to a babbling fountain overlooking the picturesque garden of the Semaphore Garden Centre.

Sarah's Sister's Sustainable Café has been exhibiting art regularly and was an exhibitor for the SALA 2010 and the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival. On the day the Marmadukes visited, the brightly coloured works of Denise Papson were on display.

The hot chocolate came in a generous white ceramic cup with a heap of froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. This was a creamy, chocolaty drink and not too sweet. The cost was $3.50.

House of Pearl

House of Pearl is a Malaysian Restaurant at 45 Gouger Street. It has an attractive décor with red walls. It was some time before Merkel recognised it as the old Petty Sessions coffee shop. This was a wonderful coffee shop in Merkel's youth. The balcony that overlooks the rest of the restaurant is still in place. House of Pearl does fresh, tasty Malaysian meals and provides fast and friendly table service.

House of Pearl did not do a hot chocolate but he suggested Merkel go next door to the Gouger Street Cibo to get a hot beverage. Merkel obtained a "Cioccolato Italiana" from Cibo which he has enjoyed in the past. Cibo didn't want to give the restaurant next door their crockery so it had to be in a paper cup. Still the thick Italian hot chocolate was delightful and was served with whipped cream.

Bean Bar, Bank Street

The décor the Bank Street Bean Bar at 132 North Terrace was looking tacky when Merkel visited recently. The chairs were looking frayed and there was a big temporary air conditioning unit in the eating area.

Merkel asked for more chocolate in his drink because the ones he received from the Bean Bars at City Cross and Hindmarsh Square were a little insipid. This was a good idea as the drink was good and rich although a bit sweeter than Merkel would have liked. The drink came with the normal Bean bar glass, froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The cost was $3.30.

In the interests of higher research Merkel decided to investigate the trademarks of Bean Bar and Blogger.com to see if there are enough similarities to create a trademark dispute. Both logos use an orange background and a white "B". In the Bean Bar case the "B" is usually on its side in the shape of a teacup. In the picture below the top two images are the trademarks of Blogger.com and Bean Bar respectively. A bit of rotation and squashing has the Blogger.com trademark looking a bit like a mug and the Bean Bar trademark looking a bit like the Blogger "B". Merkel concludes however that there will not be any lawsuit soon between these two companies.

Ninos, Brighton

Ninos is at 75 Jetty Road just a few doors toward the sea from the Edge Delicatessen Café. Ninos provides a range of pizza, pasta and other meals for eat in or takeaway. There is plenty of seating inside and seating outside with view down of the Jetty.

The hot chocolate was $3.50 and came in a tall stemmed glass and saucer. In the saucer were two marshmallows; one white and one yellow. The yellow marshmallow was a distinctive banana flavour. The drink was topped with plenty of bubbly froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The flavour was rich and dark and not too sweet to be enjoyed with the two marshmallows.

Argo on the Parade

Argo is a bright new looking Café at 212 The Parade, Norwood not far from Providore on Parade. They have variety of teas and coffees and a range of good breakfasts and lunches.

The hot chocolate comes in the standard Veneziano coffee cup used at Nano Ready2Go and the Lunch Room. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy and not too sweet. It is topped with a bubbly forth and an even sprinkle of chocolate powder. It cost $3.70.

CityXGrill

The real name of this stall is City Cross Grill but "CityXGrill" appears on the signage and it catches the eye. CityXGrill serves hamburgers, hot dogs, shaslicks and other lunches and snacks. This another stall situated in the City Cross Arcade which runs between Gawler Place and James Place and also between Rundle Mall and Grenfell Street.

The hot chocolate is only three dollars but is fairly watery. There is enough chocolate in the drink. The hot chocolate is topped with white froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink is server in an Aroma Fresh coffee cup with the logo in the outside drinker-facing position.

Caffe Roma Mia

Merkel and Myrtle braved the busy food court of City Cross for lunch recently. Merkel was disappointed by the absence of Coffee & Cream which previously had done a good hot chocolate. An empty stall with its signage removed indicates it is now to go on the disappearing hot chocolate venue list. This time Merkel bought lunch at Caffe Roma Mia which is at stall 16 which provides Italian breads and meals.

The hot chocolate was served in the standard Piazzo D'Oro cup with features advertising on the outside and an Italian motto on the inside of the cup. The hot chocolate had a good froth and was chocolaty enough but not particularly creamy. The drink cost $3.30 and was served with a delicious biscuit.

Scoozi

Merkel had thought he had already reviewed Scoozi for two reasons. One reason was that the name was similar to Scuzzi and Scootz. The second was that there are quite a few Italian Cafes along Rundle Street such as Al Fresco, Brunelli, and Café Piatto. Like the other Italian Cafés it is big, has good seating indoors and outdoors and provides good meals. Merkel met some friends at Scoozi for dinner.

The hot chocolate came in a brown cup and saucer. It had a creamy froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder and had a rich chocolaty flavour. The cost was $3.50.

Flying Pumpkin Café

Real Organics Health Food Supermarket is shop selling all sorts of organic food at 46 The Parade, Norwood. The Flying Pumpkin Café is a dining area within the shop. There are number of tables inside and outside. The Café does breakfasts and vegetarian lunches consisting of organic food.

The hot chocolate was $3.70 for a cup. It was topped with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The taste was not as dark and rich as other hot chocolates but at least your reviewer had the comfort that it was organic.

Nano Ready2Go

Nano Ready2Go is in Ebenezer Place which is a back street off Rundle Street. The Belgian Beer Café Oostende is another famous inhabitant of this Place. Nano is a big bright barn of a place and is tremendously popular. There is plenty of seating inside and on the plaza outside. It has a good range of reasonable meals and beverages.

The hot chocolate is only three dollars and is served with a decorative brown and white froth design. It has a rich chocolate flavour. Nano serves its hot chocolate in the same Veneziano coffee cups as The Lunch Room with the brand in the outside drinker-facing position and the motto "True to the Bean" in the inside drinker-facing position.

Places Merkel Returns To

While Merkel tries to review new Cafes all the time for his readers, he does sometimes return to his more favourite venues. Here is a summary of a few he has returned to recently.

Café Delicieuse
Café Delicieuse is an under-rated but good Café. This time the hot chocolate was served in a glass with napkin wrapped around it. This was a different presentation to the mug Merkel had on the previous visit. It had a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top but it was a dark chocolate flavour and not too sweet.

Return to One Ate Five
Merkel and Myrtle visited Tandoori Square for a lunchtime curry recently. Unfortunately they do not do a hot chocolate so they sat outside in Victoria Square and Merkel went next door to One Ate Five for the hot chocolate. The curries were good and the square was a nice place to sit on a sunny day. One Ate Five still does a good hot chocolate for only three dollars.

The Atrium, Intercontinental
The Atrium is an atmospheric venue. The hot chocolate is $6.00 glass which was hot to the fingertips. It had a creamy froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder but was not sufficiently special for the price. This time there were not biscuits served with the drink.

Funk Victoria Square
This is a great cafe in a foyer. It is nice to sit in, with plenty of views of Victoria Square. It is apparently a”Green” environmentally friendly building. After availing himself of the amenities Merkel noticed a sign saying the recycled water was in use. Merkel hopes the sign was referring to the indoor fountain and not the toilets. The hot chocolate was still $3.20 was a good Funk standard.

La Piazza
Merkel asked for the Cioccolata Italiana at La Piazza in the expectation that it might be the thick Italian hot chocolate he has enjoyed previously. The hot chocolate came in glass with a handle quite similar to the Cioconat served at Viva Espresso. The hot chocolate was very similar to Cioconat and the Ciocciato hot chocolate served at Café Bravo. It was richer than most hot chocolates but was not quite the thicker variety of Italian Hot Chocolates.

Lars
Merkel and Mytrle returned to Lars on King William Road one evening for a hot chocolate and dessert. The hot chocolate came in a glass with a handle with a pink and a white marshmallow in the saucer. The drink was topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. It had a rich taste and cost $4.00.

The Hotel Metropolitan

Your reviewer knows it as the Metropolitan Hotel but it is also known as the Hotel Metropolitan or Hotel Metro. It is a big old hotel at 46 Grote Street and it has been nicely renovated. It is a SALA 2010 venue and a Fringe 2010 venue. There were art works on display on the day that Merkel and Myrtle visited. The hotel provides a range of reasonably priced meals. Unfortunately Merkel's kangaroo salad took forty-five minutes to serve and was tough and too rare when it did turn up.

The food service was a pity because the hot chocolate was excellent. It came in a ceramic cup and saucer with a white and a pink marshmallow. The froth was creamy with an even sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The chocolate was deliciously rich, dark and tasty. The cost was $3.50.

BB's Café, Mile End

Merkel reviewed BB's Café in Castle Plaza early this year. He visited the Mile End outlet last Saturday morning. The outlet is in the Mile End Homemaker Centre surrounded by furniture and whitegoods stores and not far from the Bunnings Warehouse. There is plenty of seating inside.

A mug of hot chocolate cost $4.00. If this BB's outlet is like the one at Castle Plaza, patrons can have marshmallows with this for a further investment of 30 cents. It came with plenty froth and chocolate powder on top. The taste was of rich dark chocolate and was not too sweet. A cup would have cost $3.50.

Largs Pier Hotel

This is a picturesque old hotel on the seafront of Largs Bay. The building has been renovated to provide many opportunities to look over the sea. The hotel has a good menu of standard meals.

The hot chocolate costs $3.50 and comes in a tall glass with a handle. There was a spiral of chocolate syrup on the inside of the glass and the drink was topped with plenty of creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The flavour was one of Swiss style chocolate. While syrup was sweet it did not overpower the drink.

Mapo

There are two Mapo outlets in Adelaide. One is the restaurant in Gouger Street. Merkel visited the outlet that is referred to as the “lunchbox” on the website. This is a small cafe in James Place, a few doors down from Rush Espresso, with two small tables and a bar with bar stools. In Merkel's opinion either the bar is too high or the bar stools are too low.

Mapo serves Korean food. Merkel was reminded of a phone call from his sister many years ago who was touring Korea. She had tried the delicacy ‘Bulgogi’ and because the line was bad Merkel thought she was eating “Bull Doggy”. This was consistent with the Korean penchant for eating dogs. Fortunately Bulgogi dish is a beef dish and contains no canine ingredients. Visitors to Mapo can enjoy Bulgogi too and also Sushi and other Korean dishes.

The hot chocolate came in special plastic beaker. Made by Bodin it has air inside the walls so that it insulates the heat of the drink and preserves the drinker’s fingertips. The hot chocolate unfortunately did not have enough chocolate in it. It was topped with a white froth and was on special for only $2.50.

Time2Eat Bakery, Bank St

The address of Time2Eat is Unit 12, 132-136 North Terrace but the shop faces onto Bank Street. The Bakery offers a number of cheap meals. These are mostly for takeaway but there are two tables inside the bakery.

Even if you want the hot chocolate to eat in it served in a paper cup. It is topped with a white froth and costs three dollars. This drink is too sweet for the serious hot chocolate drinker.

Time2Eat has been replaced by another eatery "Toast".  So Time2Eat has been added to list of disappearing hot chocolate venues.

3 in 1 Hair & Beauty Café

Merkel and Myrtle did not want a hair cut but noticed this quite nice looking Café at 111 King William Street. It was not obvious it was a Café at first but the Brasilia Coffee logo gave it away. The Café was nicely decorated with polished tyles on the floor and black tables. The range of sandwiches was limited but the Café seems to treat its hot beverages seriously with a good looking espresso machine and a barista dedicated to it.

The hot chocolate came in black ceramic mug with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The hot chocolate was creamy and rich with a good flavour. It probably cost $3.50 but prices were not evident in the Café.

Five Star Bakery

Hyde Street is a laneway between Flinders Street and Pirie Street. Hidden there is the little Five Star Bakery, which does a number of inexpensive rolls and bakery items. The bakery is nicely decorated and there is plenty of room for seating inside.

The hot chocolate was only $2.80 and came in a white ceramic cup. It had a white froth on top and a sprinkle of cocoa. The drink was probably served a little hot but Merkel was not in a hurry. The drink had a Swiss chocolate flavour. Interestingly it was served with a metal sugar canister and plastic spoon. It seems more normal to have disposable sugar contains and metal spoons.

Passion Fruit Dessert Bar

This café is in a very special location. It is in front of the Intercontinental Hotel and beside the Adelaide Casino, it is set into the forecourt looking out onto a huge outside art installation inspired by the Kaurna Aboriginal people. While it is a Dessert Bar it is only open for breakfast and lunch which seems to limit its opportunities. There are savouries on the menu and it is inexpensive. It will struggle to hit a winning business model but it deserves to work with a good interior and exterior design.

The hot chocolate came in a glass with a metal handle and a saucer. It was topped with a creamy froth and a semi circle of cocoa on top. The drink was rich and dark and not sweet and cost $3.20. This is somewhere that would be worth going for a hot chocolate and dessert just for the sake of it.

La Tombola

La Tombola is fine dining restaurant a few doors up Unley Road from Cafe Mondiali. It has fast and friendly table service. On a Saturday night it was full so readers should reserve their places for their tables for the busier nights. The menu provides a fine list of exotic Italian meals.

The hot chocolate came in stemmed glass with a handle and was finished with a heap of froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. It came with a pink and white marshmallow in the saucer. The chocolate flavour was rich, creamy and not sweet.

La Casa del Pane

La Casa del Pane at 375 Magill Road, St Morris is a big bakery and pizza place with plenty of seating inside and outside in the veranda. It is open most days and provides a big range of cakes, pizza and grocery items.

The hot chocolate is served in tall glass and saucer. It is topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The taste is rich and creamy and not too sweet.

Lime and Lemon Thai Café

Lime and Lemon is Thai Café at 89 Gouger Street. There is plenty seating inside and outside. The food is quick and tasty.

The hot chocolate is $3.20 and comes in white coffee cup. It has a white bubbly froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The taste is chocolaty enough but a bit watery.