When winter term picks up, I find that the best place to study is a cute café in uptown Waterloo. But when the chill outside makes a hot drink a must, what’s a coffee-hater to do? Get hot chocolate, of course!
After four years of way too much sugar, here are my top five places in uptown Waterloo for all your hot chocolatey needs!
5. Death Valley’s Little Brother
A+ hot chocolate here — and decent portions of it for the price. The real treat about DVLB though is its other specialty: the whisky. Yeah, I know — might not be the best idea for studying but it’s a great idea for a study break! After slaving over your computer screen for hours, order a dram, chill for a sec, then hop back into it.
4. Coffee Culture
Coffee Culture’s hot cocoa is grand — and there’s a great selection of pastries and snacks if you need a bite too. I love the warm atmosphere, but it IS a bigger chain, so if you’re into sipping your hot cocoa somewhere more one-of-a-kind, then keep scrolling!
3. Settlement Co.
Okay, this one is a liiiiiiittle different because it’s their frozen hot chocolate I’m so fond of, which doesn’t exactly warm you up from the cold. But man, it’s so good! Plus, they have a huge selection of seasonal teas and their presentation of everything is just so nice. I’m usually there for literally years whenever I study, so I’ll start with the tea for warmth and then grab that frozen hot cocoa for a cool down.
2. Café 1842
Inside the Huether Hotel, this little gem was a total surprise the first time I went. They have everything from full proper breakfast and lunch meals, to cheesecakes and various pastries, to a huge selection of hot and cold beverages. The hot chocolate is surprisingly creamy and they get a gold star for their perfect little swirl of chocolate sauce on the whipped cream. Yum!
1. Princess Café
This place has been my absolute favourite thing about Waterloo since a spontaneous drop-in during a severe snowstorm back in my first year. One reason is the atmosphere, which is light and bright and always friendly, usually with fun decorations like polka dots or paper stars. Another reason is the food: I am 100 per cent obsessed with their paninis (the Gourmet Cheese and Onion or the Yamwich are my “expert” recs). The most important reason, of course, is the hot chocolate! The perfect mix of creamy, sugary goodness — best enjoyed with a slice of their fresh pie — in an adorable polka-dotted mug, the Princess Café definitely takes my cake on the best hot cocoa for all your winter-warming needs!