Chocolate Boutique - Parnell

The delicious Italian Denso!
Served with whipped cream 

Chocolate Boutique is a well hidden treasure on 1/323 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland and specialises in...CHOCOLATE!  From hand-made chocolate to chocolate drinks and desserts, ice cream and lollies, you won't be disappointed here.  I thoroughly enjoy having my 'guilty pleasures' here after a meal in Parnell with their traditional Italian Denso - which is basically a thick melted dark chocolate drink with cream, oh it's heavenly!  The smooth warm rich dark chocolate contrasting the cool light whipped cream, it is so good that words cannot describe how good it is.  For the adventurous type, they do the chocolate drink with chilli and it's really lovely to have in the winter times.  If dark chocolate or chilli isn't your thing, worry not, they have a wide range of other chocolate drinks available as well as sundaes for a hot summer day, so why not try them all, no all at once of course ;)

The shop is surprisingly small and the layout just doesn't make sense resulting in big queues and chaos in the shop, reasons why I dislike sitting inside - unfortunately outdoor area isn't as pleasant on a cold and/or raining day.  NOTE, do not go have a hot chocolate first thing in the morning, had a couple of very bad experiences as they weren't prepared, instead of refusing the order they ended up making very bad chocolate Italian denso...other than that, every other times when I had their chocolate, it has been delicious and I ensure you the chocolate is worth every minute of your waiting time!

From the left: Hazelnut Chocolate; Lemoncello Cup; Bailey Cone

I have never left this shop empty handed, taking home with me a couple of my little bro's favourite chocolates; hazelnut chocolate, lemoncello cup and bailey cone.  There is a huge variety of hand-made chocolates on offer and you need to be lucky to get this delightful lemoncello cup, as it is an all time favourite and their supply is limited! These little chocolate treats are really great gifts for special occasions and especially with Christmas coming soon!

For a lazy afternoon indulgence, there is no option other then their cake, LOVE their chocolate mud cake, moist and dense on the inside with not overly sweetened chocolate icing served with fresh whipped cream - it is heavenly!    Be sure to try out their Tiramisu as well, equally delicious.  Coffee with a piece of chocolate cake, what else would you need on a sunny lazy afternoon?

So if you're in Parnell next time, be sure to check out this little chocolate shop and I'm all your guilty pleasures will be satisfied and be left wanting for more! :D

OVERALL

FOOD: Good

PRICE: Moderate

SERVICE: Good and can be improved

ATMOSPHERE: Cosy with limited seating

Summary: A great place to fulfill you guilty pleasures, but do take-out unless you're lucky enough to find seats.

Delicious Tiramisu with fresh cream