So where is the best hot chocolate in Lausanne?

Popular belief is that the best hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) in Lausanne is served at the bar/cafe Le Barbare which is located at the base of the Cathedral. It would not be wrong to say that they serve an amazing cup of hot chocolate. It's thick like pudding and needs to be eaten with a spoon. In fact, I would say it's an essential Lausanne experience.

But they're not the only cuppa in town as I've recently found out when I went with a couple of friends to the Chocophile, a chocolaterie and tea shop located not too far from Le Barbare.

The atmosphere is certainly different at the chic and modern Chocophile than its much older counterpart. Le Barbare has managed to retain its 1950's charm and I would not be surprised to learn the dark but cozy interior has remained unchanged since it opened.

While there are two options at Le Barbare - with or without whipped cream - Chocophile has a host of flavorings that include honey, cinnamon, and chili pepper. You can also choose what percentage of chocolate you'd like your drink to be.

But Chocophile knows how to do presentation which is why I was unable to resist taking the above photos. And herein lies the main difference between the two choices. Le Barbare gives you a solid chocolate drink in a cup which is, as I said, like pudding. Chocophile presents a cup of steamed milk accompanied by a sort-of warm chocolate sauce (also thick like pudding), flavored as ordered, which you can add to your taste. To the left is the individual pot of whipped cream, also standard.

Both options are delicious and worth trying as they cost about the same and yet are two completely difference experiences. Either way, Lausanne knows how to do hot chocolate.