Wednesday 16 January 2013

Rococo chocolates

I moved offices back in November to Knightsbridge. Oh yes. Goodbye National Gallery, hello Sloane Street, daaarling. Harvey Nic's is a stone's throw away and the millionaire boy racers are out in force. It has added an extra half hour to my journey which isn't the best (if I had one of their whizzy cars it would be much quicker), but it is a lovely area to be in. And you can at times, whilst strolling at lunch, almost imagine what it must be like to be so astonishingly rich that you're actually a bit bored. Which for some women seems to equate to an awful lot of work in the facial region.

My nearest coffee shop is sadly the tax-dodgers favourite, which is two doors down from Patisserie Valerie, which is four doors down from Ottolenghi (amazing display of food - almost all of which has citrus, dammit - and comedy 'too much money' service - most of the clientele have never heard of a lunch hour - perhaps it's a new speed facial).

Opposite is Rococo, the fabulous chocolate shop. I have long obsessed over their packaging and what might lie within. Goodness knows how many times a box has almost fallen into the basket at Waitrose - but I've always been very good and reminded myself that it is a little too expensive for a box of hip enhancing nibbles. But when you're confronted with the actual shop, it's hard to say no. I didn't really need an excuse to go in, but did need to buy a little something for Grandpa's Christmas hamper so in I went.

I bought two boxes of chocolate mint thins - one for Grandpa and one as a Christmas treat for us. And hand on heart, they really were the shiniest, glossiest most grown up mint thins I've ever eaten. I am unashamedly an Elizabeth Shaw addict - there is something so divine about crystallised minty sugar - but these were really very good. And they have a little cafe at the back which apparently does one of the best hot chocolates in London. Can't wait to try. And a little courtyard which I shall venture into in the Spring.

If I could, I would turn that packaging into wallpaper. Do have a look at their website - the fountain pen sketches are really quite delightful and apparently they do chocolate courses too. Tempering anyone?*

*that's usually how I feel once I've battled two tubes to Waterloo. I would happily temper someone on some marble.

2 comments:

  1. Sometimes, after Christmas, Waitrose sell off their excess stock. I bought salted caramel chocolate last year. To die for.

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  2. My Saturday job while I was at school and university was on the Kings Road. Great for shopping, not so good for my student bank balance!

    When we visited the Schonbruun Palace in Vienna some years ago the audio guide kept telling us the furniture had come from the 'Row-co-co Period' and thus the name has stuck and is now used for this yummy yummy shop! x

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