Where to Eat Chocolate in the Blue Mountains

If you’re a chocoholic visiting the Blue Mountains, there are plenty of ways to satisfy your cravings.

The Blue Mountains is not only home to beautiful heritage gardens and spectacular views – there are also a number of shops and cafes specialising in chocolate.

After living here for 25 years and exploring the chocolate trail with friends I give you my top six chocolate havens.

1. Mash Café (for hot chocolate)
19 Ross Street, Glenbrook
This seems like a good place to start if you’re heading up the Great Western Highway. Mash Cafe offers you a choice of five different types of hot chocolate to strengthen yourself for the drive ahead, including the spicy Winter Warmer Chilli Hot Chocolate and the Canadian Maple Hot Chocolate.

2. Leura’s Old Time Lolly Shop (for lollies and chocolate)
Shop 6, Leura Strand Arcade, 178 The Mall, Leura
Every one of my friends who makes the trek up to visit me has heard about this shop and wants to visit it. The shop is packed full of a huge variety of lollies and chocolates from all over the world- a treasure trove of goodies that rivals the candy store in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

3. Josophan’s Fine Chocolates (for hand crafted chocolate)
132 The Mall, Leura
This shop offers visitors a selection of handmade chocolates, created in Josophan’s Chocolate Laboratory, and a delicious hot chocolate. Their sister site, Cafe Madeleine, allows you to relax and enjoy the chocolates, along with other gourmet food.
Cafe Madeleine is located at 187a The Mall, Leura.

4. The Blue Mountains Chocolate Company (for everything to do with chocolate)
176 Lurline Street, Katoomba
This is one of my favourite places to go on a cold day. In winter you can sit down with a cup of their delicious hot chocolate and admire (hopefully buy) some of the 60 different types of handmade chocolates they stock. In summer you can do the same thing with their chocolate ice-cream. There are also chocolate-making demonstrations most days at 11.30am and 1.30pm.

5. The Paragon Café (for a coffee and a chocolate)
65 Katoomba Street, Katoomba
Another good place to retreat to in winter, this place has been a Blue Mountains institution since it opened in 1916. It’s a gorgeous old Art-Deco cafe with a great line of handmade chocolates.

6. The Farmhouse Cafe and Lolly Store (for lollies, snacks and MORE Chocolate)
Near the foot of Victoria Pass, 2297 Great Western Highway, Little Hartley
I drove past this shop for about three years on my way to work before I finally found the time to call in. I wish I’d done so sooner – this shop has a great selection of lollies and chocolates, perfect if you want something to snack on if you are driving further west.

By Laura Boness

Image: Ann Niddrie/Josophan’s.