Hot Chocolate Crawl
Williamsburg’s first annual Hot Cocoa Crawl had self-proclaimed hot chocolate experts and Co-Editors-in-Chief, Portia Dai ’26 and Grace Ki Rivera ’26, out searching for the best hot chocolate in Williamsburg. From decadent brews to innovative toppings, Dai and Rivera share their findings.
Williamsburg held its first annual Hot Cocoa Crawl in February 2025. With eight participating locations and a chance to win a $50 gift card to visit any of the participating locations, it was a no-brainer: Grace and I had to try these hot chocolates.
Being the avid hot chocolate lovers we are, Grace and I had a few criteria in mind. As we discovered in our tastings, hot chocolate comes in many varieties, so we rated our drinks for novelty. And, as any hot chocolate fan will tell you, the best hot chocolates have great toppings. Finally, we gave each hot chocolate an overall rating as we took into consideration factors including the presentation of the drink, the atmosphere of the cafe, and how it compared to other hot chocolates participating in the Hot Cocoa Crawl.
With these standards in mind, Grace and I set out to Culture Cafe, Secret Garden, Precarious, Aromas, Blue Talon Bistro, Illy Caffè, Eleva, and Campbell’s Tavern to begin our sampling.
Culture Cafe
We began our search at Culture Cafe. Its “White Hot Hug in a Mug” was a cinnamon-infused, creamy white hot chocolate, accompanied by a luscious whipped cream. Upon ordering, we were brought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate (one of which was shaped like a goose) along with whipped cream on the side adorned with a charming M&M face. If presentation were among our criteria, Culture Cafe would have received a ten out of ten rating. As for the hot chocolate itself, upon the first sip, all we could say was “It's really good. Wow,” and “This is too good. Wow.” The hot chocolate had a nutty flavor, and became sweeter after mixing the whipped cream in. Culture Cafe’s hot chocolate was the perfect combination of presentation and flavor, and a great start to our journey.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 8 / Grace: 7.5
Toppings - Portia: 6 / Grace: 6
Overall - Portia: 7 / Grace: 6.5
Secret Garden
The next cafe we visited was Secret Garden. Known for its boba tea drinks, Secret Garden was a surprise contender. The cafe offered four hot chocolate options, and we opted for the classic hot chocolate. Because this hot chocolate was a regular chocolate rather than a white chocolate beverage, Grace noted it had “a strong chocolate flavor in comparison to Culture Cafe.” Though it did have a stronger chocolate flavor, there was nothing else that stood out about Secret Garden’s beverage.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 2 / Grace: 2
Toppings - Portia: “Kind of want to get the whipped cream to see if that helps at all. I feel like any toppings at all would make this better. Not that that's their fault because we didn't ask for it, but I'm curious.” / Grace: “Whipped cream definitely would’ve made this! Unfortunately, we found out too late that it was offered.”
Overall- Portia: 5 / Grace: 5
Precarious Electric Circus
Our next stop was Precarious Electric Circus, which served a “Mexican Hot Chocolate with cinnamon and spice.” Upon ordering, our server asked if we wanted marshmallows, to which we said yes. The marshmallows greatly hindered our drinking experience: I got a mouthful of marshmallows without any hot chocolate, and Grace spilled her hot chocolate. When we finally tasted the hot chocolate, we commented that it tasted “chalky” and “I don't think I've ever had hot chocolate that doesn't taste like chocolate.”
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 8 / Grace: 4
Toppings - Portia: 8 / Grace: 8
Overall - Portia: 1/ Grace: 2
Aromas
Aromas served a white raspberry hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and pink sugar. Our second white hot chocolate of the hot chocolate crawl, this hot chocolate was distinct from Culture Cafe’s “White Hot Hug in a Mug.” The raspberry added a sweet, fruity tinge to the drink, and Grace and I had contrasting thoughts. I thought, “This is making me really happy,” but Grace said, “Fruit and chocolate is normally a no-go for me.” Despite our preferences, we both agreed that Aromas’ hot chocolate was an innovative take.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 6 / Grace: 8
Toppings - Portia: 9 / Grace: 6
Overall: Portia: 8/Grace: 8
*Our favorite
Blue Talon Bistro
Blue Talon Bistro served a Parisian hot chocolate with a homemade marshmallow. The presentation was noticeably elevated — served in a metal teacup, this only confirmed Grace and I’s suspicion that “we do not belong here. We have on outfits that do not match this establishment, and I think they noticed that when we walked in.” Despite our discomfort, we persisted. Blue Talon’s hot chocolate had a thick consistency and a rich flavor, so much so that we deemed it a “take one sip every ten minutes kind of drink.” The more we drank, the more this was substantiated. By the third sip, this hot chocolate had Grace reaching for water after every sip, and had me declaring that “this is what I imagine hot chocolate would dress up as for Halloween.” Though we weren’t fans of its consistency, we loved the fluffy homemade marshmallow on top.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 8 / Grace: 7
Toppings - Portia: 9 / Grace: 8
Overall: Portia: 6 / Grace: 6
Illy Caffè
Illy Caffè served a traditional hot cocoa with Richlands Dairy local whole milk. Grace and I were both unimpressed with the hot chocolate, which tasted more like water than hot chocolate. Grace summed it up: “I guess it’s novel in that sense, but if I wanted water, I would’ve gotten water.” We did give credit where credit was due, however. Grace gave it a six on presentation, noting the foam, the cocoa strip on the top, and the double cupping. I added: “It's adorable. Presentation is like, ‘hey, it looks like it would be amazing.’ However, if you gave it to me and you told me it’s hot chocolate, I would be so confused.” We ended up mixing our hot chocolates with a wooden stirrer in an attempt to give the drink another chance; however, our ratings did not change.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 3 / Grace: 6
Toppings - Portia: 1 / Grace: 0
Overall: Portia: 2 / Grace: 3
Eleva
Eleva served “Toasted Joy,” a toasted coconut hot chocolate. We enjoyed this hot chocolate for achieving a “very rich chocolate flavor without being heavy,” and we loved the foam, whose texture reminded us of a melted marshmallow. Eleva’s hot chocolate was a classic, and we rated it accordingly. We did not, however, taste any coconut flavor.
Ratings:
Novelty - Portia: 2 / Grace: 2
Toppings - Portia: 4 / Grace: 1
Overall - Portia: 6 / Grace: 4.5
Campbell’s Tavern
Campbell’s Tavern served “Jefferson’s Hot Chocolate.” Though we were excited to try this one, we made it to Campbell’s Tavern after the end of the official hot chocolate crawl and missed our chance to try it (sorry!). We did, however, get an interesting story out of the journey to get to the establishment. Nestled at the edge of Colonial Williamsburg, Campbell Tavern’s parking lot was hidden down a long driveway, and a police officer had to help direct me to the lot.
After our extensive search for the best hot chocolate in Williamsburg, we landed on a few favorites. For novelty, we crowned Culture Cafe. With its adorable mugs accompanied by a similarly adorable whipped cream topper with an M&M face, Culture Cafe impressed us not only with presentation but also with its unique white hot chocolate. Blue Talon Bistro had Grace and me marvelling over its homemade marshmallow, which melted in just the right way. Taking the cake — or should I say chocolate? — was Aromas’ raspberry white chocolate. Perfect in every sense, this hot chocolate’s combination of originality and tart flavor really put it over the top.