Best Hot Chocolate: Nashville Edition

Y'all! It's here! Extra extra read all about it!

That's right. After five years of meticulous studying and semi-secrecy, I'm going public with my Best Hot Chocolates of Nashville List.

As a non-coffee drinker and appreciator of chocolate, I have spent the last half a decade "researching" Nashville's best hot chocolate - also known as my excuse to become a coffeeshop connoisseur. It's not all about the cocoa; the coffeeshop itself matters, too. My experiences include everything from ordering on-the-go and late nights of studying, to Saturday afternoon reading and coffeedates with friends.

In light of your short attention spans, I'm going to give you two lists and Tweet-sized reviews of each coffeeshop (for you luddites out there, that means 140 characters or less).

Leave me a comment! What's your favorite place to grab some cocoa in Nashville?

Best Hot Chocolate:
Based on taste, warmth, appearance, and presentation.

1. The Cocoa Tree
2. Crema
3. Fido/Hot & Cold/Bongo Java (Belmont & East)
4. Dose
5. Edgehill Cafe (Edgehill & Lenox Village)
6. Ugly Mugs
7. JJ's
8. The Perch
9. Portland Brew (12 South & East)
10. Roast Inc.
11. Sam & Zoe's
12. Merridee's
13. Cafe Coco
14. Star Bagel
15. Starbucks
16. Drinkhaus
17. Panera
18. Krispy Kreme
19. Frothy Monkey
20. Fiddlecakes

Best Atmosphere:
Based on how much I want to sit & chat with a friend or bring a book & camp out there.

1. Crema
2. Bongo Java: Belmont
3. Frothy Monkey
4. Edgehill Cafe: Lenox Village
5. Fido
6. Edgehill Cafe: Edgehill
7. Dose
8. Portland Brew: East Nashville
9. Ugly Mugs
10. JJ's
11. Starbucks
12. The Perch
13. The Cocoa Tree
14. Bongo Java: East
15. Merridee's
16. Panera
17. Cafe Coco
18. Sam & Zoe's
19. Star Bagel
20. Roast Inc.
21. Portland Brew: 12 South
22. Krispy Kreme
23. Hot & Cold
24. Drinkhaus
25. Fiddlecakes

Tweet-Sized Coffeeshop Reviews:

Bongo Java: Belmont - Belmont - 2007 Belmont Blvd - big sister of fido. located in old house. quiet nooks for reading. great "everyday" hot chocolate. best big shady porch in town!

Bongo Java: East - East Nashville - 107 South 11th St - original fido/bongo relative nestled in east nash five points. teeny tiny coffeeshop. great "everyday" hot chocolate like fido and bongo.

Cafe Coco - Vanderbilt - 210 Louise Ave - open 24 hours. delicious food. live music. great place to play board games or meet friends. hot chocolate is average. don't walk here alone.

The Cocoa Tree - Germantown - 1200 5th Ave N Ste 104 - top 10 best HC in america according to...everyone! homemade chocolate, homemade marshmallows & grahams. several varieties. so, so rich.

Crema - Downtown - 15 Hermitage Ave - delightfully smooth, rich hot chocolate served in big warm mugs. friendly baristas. cozy. porch. good for hipster & celebrity spotting.

Dose - Sylvan Park - 3431 Murphy Road - really, really good hot chocolate served in mugs. great woody decor and bright, open one-room shop with both booths and tables.

Drinkhaus - Germantown - 500 Madison St #103 - best non-alcoholic peppermint hot chocolate ever to hit my tummy. austere but sunny atmosphere. unfriendly staff. no background music!

Edgehill Cafe: Edgehill - Music Row - 1201 Villa Place - cool wood tables, big windows, great hatch show posters on walls. tasty syrupy hot chocolate. good place to work at.

Edgehill Cafe: Lenox Village - Lenox Village - 6900 Lenox Village Blvd - partnered with the rabbit room! sells great books & cds. friendly staff. delicious, syrupy hot chocolate. cozy fireplace atmosphere.

Fiddlecakes - 8th & Wedgewood - 2206 8th Ave South - no hot chocolate, yet calls itself a coffeeshop! have yet to eat anything tasty here. located in awesome house, but could do so much better.

Fido - Hillsboro Village - 1812 21st Ave South - classic nashville. big & often busy. full of friends. best "everyday" hot chocolate, offered with BOTH marshmallows and whipped cream.

Frothy Monkey - 12 South - 2509 12th Ave South - spacious, cozy, homey. a favorite of locals. terrible hot chocolate and other drinks. love to go here, but sometimes don't order anything.

Hot & Cold - Hillsboro Village - 1804 21st Ave S - part fido, las paletas, & jeni's ice cream. can get hot drinks (incl rich drinking chocolate!) & cold sweets dipped in choc. tiny tables.

JJ's - Midtown - 1912 Broadway - classic college study spot. music changes w time of day. HC served in tall glass w a cookie stick. choc syrupy taste. great market attached.

Krispy Kreme - Woodbine - 408 Thompson Lane - typical cocoa, but only place to get coffee in the early AM in woodbine. great paired w their seasonal pumpkin donuts. big, open atmosphere.

Merridee's - Franklin - 110 4th Ave S, Franklin, TN - extensive delicious baked goods, bfast, and lunch. classic hot chocolate. lovely busy small town feel! ample seating but can get very busy.

Panera - usually 21st or West End - decent cocoa, but i'd rather buy 3 large mac&cheese bowls. cocoa seems better paired with a pastry. good for doing work outside of lunch hr.

The Perch - Brentwood - 117 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN - cocoa and crepes? PLEASE! cocoa is usual but seems even better paired with a sweet s'mores crepe. cozy, sunny place with tiny tables.

Portland Brew: 12 South - 12 South - 2605 12th Ave South - used to be cold and bare, but now boasts good syrupy hot chocolate, more seating, brighter atmosphere. great local neighborhood coffeeshop.

Portland Brew: East Nashville - East Nashville - 1921 Eastland Ave - same cocoa as 12S. great, two-story shop with spacious seating, board games, good lighting, light music. good alt to other ones in eastnash.

Roast Inc. - Crieve Hall - 4825 Trousdale Drive - great neighborhood locale. boasts in their tasty, specialty coffees. cocoa is good...and pumpkin cocoa in the fall! few seats.

Sam & Zoe's - Berry Hill - 525 Heather Place - great quirky exterior. typical syrupy hot chocolate. decent seating and has extensive food options.

Star Bagel - Sylvan Park - 4504 Murphy Road - cocoa is decent. even better paired with their fabulous bagels. seating inside and outside. good neighborhood place.

Starbucks - usually 21st Ave, West End, or Green Hills - cocoa is too rich & heavy for me to love. but tastes even better when bought on a giftcard. major celeb sightings at 21st and green hills.

Ugly Mugs - East Nashville - 1886 Eastland Ave - delicious cocoa with extra syrup. lots of seating. great place to hang out with trendy nashvillians and have occasional celeb sightings.