Paddy’s Lantern

Paddy’s Lantern is a little café and coffee retailer at 219 Gilbert Street in the Adelaide CBD.  They provide specialist coffees and do range of light meals featuring some delicious specialty breads from the Mylor Bakery.  The café is narrow shop which looks like a converted Besser Block warehouse, but there is comfortable seating inside and on the footpath.

The hot chocolate came in a glass and saucer and was topped with a brown froth and a latte art design.  The glass was hot and a napkin would have been useful, however the chocolate flavour was rich, dark and flavoursome.  The cost was $4.00 for the regular sized drink.

Grinders, Perth Airport

My impression of Perth was that food and beverages are more expensive than in Adelaide and a similar quality.  I would have loved to visit a couple of the specialist chocolate places there but did not have the opportunity this visit.  In Perth Airport I thought I should try the Grinders stall in the domestic terminal. 

The hot chocolate came in small, regular and large sizes.  The drink was provided in a good quality takeaway cup.  It was served with three marshmallows floating in the drink with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.  The drink had a good dark chocolate flavour and was not too sweet although it was not as creamy as other hot chocolates.  The regular size hot chocolate cost $5.45.

Miss Maud

Miss Maud has a number of Swedish pastry houses around Perth.  I attended the one in the Belmont Forum Shopping centre.  There is a Swedish theme to the shops with the staff dressed in national costume.  The menu is a fairly standard café menu.

The hot chocolate came in a branded mug with two marshmallows.  It was a light and frothy hot chocolate in the Swiss milk chocolate style.  It was pleasant but not chocolaty enough for my taste.  The cost was $5.10.

Cocolat Airport

Merkel has been a frequent visitor at Cocolat in Rundle Street so he relished the opportunity to try Cocolat at Adelaide Airport before he flew off to Perth.  The shop is in the domestic terminal and provides the similar décor to the Rundle Street shop.  The menu was the same but the selection of cakes was probably smaller.  Nevertheless the chocolate jaffa cake was still a delight.

Merkel tried the Chilli Hot Chocolate.  It was served in a tall glass with a handle.  The drink was topped with a white froth and chocolate flakes and marshmallow was provided.  This drink packed a punch and with good chilli and chocolate flavour in a creamy drink.  The cost was $4.30 although larger mugs were also available for $6.30.

Plant 13

One of the advertisers on this page is the Bowden redevelopment which is construction of a whole suburb where the Clipsal factories used to be. Readers will see the Life More Interesting advertisement come up occasionally.  Click on it see the details of this new housing development.  Your reviewer visited the site of this development recently and found a garden, a café and an office housing the model of the proposed development.  The Café was called Plant13 and I paid it a visit.

Plant 13 is at 16 Park Terrace, Bowden.  It is the old Parkview Hotel and is referred to as Plant 13 because it stood between Plant 12 and Plant14 of the old Clipsal buildings.  The café specialises in American dishes and has plenty of seating inside and outside.  The lunch menu is brief, with American dishes like pork ribs, tortillas and fried chicken.  There are a range of American beers to drink with your meal.  It is also open for breakfast and dinner.

The hot chocolate came in a green ceramic cup and saucer topped with a froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.  The drink was good and rich and cost $3.50.

Ivia Espresso

Ivia Espresso is a café at 27 King William Road north of the main shopping precinct on that road and the Red Door Bakery.  It provides plenty of comfortable seating inside and on the footpath beside the paved road.  Merkel and Myrtle visited there for a light lunch.  There was a good range of sandwiches and salads and a few specialty meals.  The calculation of the bill was incorrect but was sorted out in good humour.

 

The hot chocolate came in a glass with a wire handle.  It was topped with a light froth and a semi-circle of chocolate powder.  The drink was light and milky and not particularly rich.  The cost was $3.30 for a regular and $4.30 for a medium all though I am not certain that was what was charged because of the confusion over the bill.

san Churro Azteca

Merkel and Myrtle returned to Chocolateria san Churro.  This time it was the outlet on the corner of Rundle Street and East Terrace.  This shop has had a number of previous incarnations including a Caffe Primo in 2010.  We dined on Sushi a couple of doors down before going to Chocolateria san Churro where we shared a churros for two with two dipping sauces.

Merkel was keen on the Azteca hot chocolate this time.  This was thick dark chocolate with a sprinkle of chilli.  Again, it was thick, quality chocolate served in a decorative mug and saucer.  Chocolate heaven for 5.95.

Chocolateria san Churro

I am glad to report an exciting development for Adelaide chocolate lovers.  Chocolateria san Churro has moved into town.  Their shops at in Rundle Street and Gouger Street have now been joined by a chocolateria in Marion Shopping Centre.  I went along to the shop at 43 Gouger Street to see what all the fuss was about.  The store used to be the House of Pearl Malaysian restaurant and prior to that it was the Petty Sessions coffee shop.  There is plenty of seating inside and on the pavement.  This place is dedicated to chocolate so there are no savoury dishes.

After looking through a menu that included Aztec hot chocolate, couverture dark hot chocolate and peanut butter hot chocolate, I settled on the Spanish hot chocolate.  This was pure, thick, quality chocolate served in a decorative mug and saucer with the slogan “Sweeten thy Soul” inscribed on the inside.  This was rich treat and I could feel my heart pumping faster from the first sip.  The cost was $5.95 and I could have had cream or marshmallows for extra cost.

Kicco on Flinders

The Stax coffee shop at 60 Flinders Street in the foyer of the Santos building has changed hands.  It is now a Kicco franchise.  The Stax at 88 Flinders is still there though.  There are also Kicco boutique espresso bars in Pirie Street and Glenelg.  The Santos foyer is still comfortable place to have lunch.  The the range of sandwiches and roles has reduced with Kicco focussing on the coffee sales.

The costs of the hot beverages are $3.60, $3.80 and $5.50 depending on the size.  I settled for a small hot chocolate.  It was served in a ceramic cup and saucer with a liberal dumping of chocolate and top.  The drink was rich and creamy.

Do Duck Inn Cafe

Merkel and Myrtle revisited this Café after last lunching there last in 2011.  The décor has changed again and it has cosy atmosphere with its red walls with flying ducks painted on them.

Do Duck Inn were promoting their coffees so Merkel was hoping for a good hot chocolate and was not disappointed.  The hot chocolate came in a white ceramic cup and saucer with two marshmallows.  The drink was topped with froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.  The drink was rich and creamy and the marshmallows made it a nice way to finish lunch.  The costs for beverages of different sizes were $3.10, $3.70 and $4.70.