New Choc on the Block: Café Godiva





Being true chocoholics (remember our chocolate death match between Whisk and hof?), we jumped at a chance to try the newest place in town - Café Godiva. Get ready to drool!

Godiva chocolates are supposed to be some of the best in the world. It certainly is one of the most prolific luxury chocolatiers, with over 450 retail outlets around the world. This was the first time we had heard of them actually opening a cafe though.

Over the last few months, Godiva entered the Chinese market, first by opening a store at the Grand Gateway Mall in autumn, followed by their first ever chocolate cafe concept store at Xintiandi, which we went to.

So how does Café Godiva measure up to the other Shanghai chocolate contenders? We reviewed it by stacking some of their desserts against the deliciousness already on offer in the city.

Though we had the manager advise us to get the dark version of the classic hot chocolate (45RMB) (as the Milk takes away the richness of the chocolate, supposedly), it still didn't quite stand out for us. Neither did the Dark Chocolate a l'Orange (45RMB), which had a bit of a kick to it, but not enough to take on HoF's trademark chocolate orange dessert. However, the Dark Chocolate Praline (45RMB) stole the spotlight straight away - the hazelnuts complemented the rich chocolate, making the texture smooth and silky. Put this down as a cup of creamy delight well worth the price.

Other tidbits we tried include the Milk Chocolate Banana Elegance (60RMB), which was a sometimes slightly overwhelming caramel-covered treat with banana mousse on the inside. Not quite as good was the Molten Lava Cake (60RMB) - we had high expectations, but we were hugely disappointed. The cake was dry and mealy - the worst thing that can happen to a molten lava cake.

But all was forgiven when the Warm Chocolate Brownie (60RMB) was recommended by the manager. The brownie was soft, gooey and warm - paired with the cool tartness of the raspberry sorbet, it was the highlight of the Godiva experience. Even better, the portion was quite filling as a dessert for one. Share away!

As a side note, the store's decor and service beats out HoF's and Whisk's by far. HoF needs to turn up the lights a little and Whisk needs to repaint their walls. Both places need the kind of service Café Godiva can certainly boast about - attentive, polite and English-speaking. Café Godiva has a large, comfortable space with warm lighting and great heating for these winter days.

While the desserts may not match up to Whisk and HoF, this is still well worth a trek over to Xintiandi. We're especially keen to recommend the Dark Chocolate Praline and Warm Chocolate Brownie.

Address: Godiva Cafe, Shop 106, Lane 123, 5 Xingye Lu, Xintiandi (卢湾区新天地兴业路123弄5号106号店）

Contact Number: (86) 189 3062 8426

Official Website: http://www.godiva.cn/xtd/

Opening Times: 11:00-24:00

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