Coco Chocolate, 30 Dec 2009


After enjoying a quick brunch at Ripples Milsons Point we still had some time up our sleeves so we went for a bit of a wander around Kirribilli to look for somewhere to continue our catch-up conversation. By accident we stumble upon a romantically-decorated place called Coco Chocolate and, when there’s chocolate involved, the girls and I find it hard to refuse.


The small store is inviting, homely and decorated in suitably dark chocolate brown furniture. A contrasting cream-coloured, retro-styled Smeg fridge sits in the corner. There is a rectangular communal table in the centre as Coco Chocolate not only sells chocolates but also serves chocolate drinks, cakes and biscuits. At the back of the store a display cabinet holds blocks and blocks of differing varieties and sits adjacent to a shallow tub with magazines for patrons with time to spare and sit.


The store really is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, possibly made more apparent with its serene coolness on this hot, humid and sunny afternoon. After circling the inside of the store like vultures a few times over, we decide to take a seat and treat ourselves to some sweet things.


There is a white, woven wicker tea tray sitting in the middle of the communal table holding a bottle of water spiked with refreshing mint leaves and some glasses. I am completely taken by the glasses with their frosted bird and tree patterns but unfortunately an enquiry with the store assistant doesn’t yield any answers as to their origins. Wifey enjoys an iced chocolate but unfortunately it’s not as chocolately as we’re expecting.

Now for the sweets! Of course we cannot order two of the same thing so Mistress goes for the pistachio shortbread which is short, crumbly, full of almonds as well as pistachios, and is coated by a layer of dark chocolate on the back. I’ve ordered the triple choc fudge cookie which I suspect is a Byron Bay Cookie by appearance but unfortunately it’s a bit dry. The choc chunk cookie which is also possibly from Byron Bay is much nicer but we all agree that the pistachio shortbread is the hands-down winner of the three.


A couple of months after visiting Coco Chocolate I happened to be reading Vogue entertaining + travel Australia, which had the following to say about the store: “One look at her pretty packaging and a bite of her organic chocolate and you'll be straight across the bridge to Coco Chocolate in Kirribilli. After 10 years of sweet success in the UK, chocolatier Rebecca Knights-Kerswell returns to tempt us with her range.” (Vogue entertaining + travel Australia, December/January 2010, p.20). I didn’t come away with any chocolate that day as I wasn’t heading straight home afterwards and was worried about issues of melting. I did however treat myself to these sugared violet petals which are due to become the decoration for some cute little cakes.

Shop 12, 3a-9b Broughton St (near cnr Bligh St), Kirribilli NSW
Tel: (02) 9922 4998

Opening Hours:  Mon-Sat  10am-6pm
                        Sun  10am-2pm

happy eating!

19 comments:

  1. wow...never heard about this place.. ok, I will go there after having breakfast at Ripples same as ur trip ..haha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks lovely! I'd never heard of it either, it's one to add to the Choc Fix list! Thanks for the tip-off.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhh, this looks like such a pretty store and I love the retro fridge!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh dear... I must visit this place soon. Otherwise, I think I might go nuts. I love the old-fashioned fridge.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh, yum! Who can resist a chocolate store?!Did they have a big range of chocolate?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the nut-studded and choc-coated shortbread!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The one thing I am not a fan of is a dry cookie. How dissapointing about the Ice Chocolate. Those sugared Violet petal are very pretty. Cant wait to see what you use them for.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Please let me know if you get any more info about those glasses - they're lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  9. hehe what a coincidence! I'm going here this weekend! Thanks for the preview :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oohh - I definitely have to send this address to my mum and dad!! Mum, especially would LOVE this place!

    ReplyDelete
  11. can't believe i've been in north syd for 3 years but never knew about this place... must go and check it out.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, I never knew about this place either! It looks gorgeous, but too bad about that iced chocolate... It looks kind of like the type I don't like, you know, the ones that are just chocolate syrup with some milk. The pistachio shortbread looks really good though!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a gorgeous store! I'm loving that fridge.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love these kinds of little shops and cafes... anything wth a rustic feel really! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. what a gorgeous little shop! loving the smeg fridge, the basket of books and magazines and of course all the chocolate goodies!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey Bean Sprout's Cafe, haha, a trip to Ripples then to Coco Chocolate is highly recommended!

    Hey Leetran, it's a small place that's easy to miss as it's not on the main strip but well worth a look-see.

    Hey April, it is really pretty and is more like a boutique place normally found in Melbourne!

    Hey Amy, Smeg fridges are just lovely, aren't they? Lucky there's plenty of other attractions in this small store too.

    Hey missklicious, lolly stores are appealing enough and chocolate stores just pip them, I think! Plenty of blocks here as well as individual pieces in unique flavours.

    Hey Fiona, next time you're in Sydney perhaps?

    Hey Kitchen Butterfly, that pistachio shortbread...*swoon!*

    Hey Kath, thinking some sort of cake for the violet petals...maybe on top of a pale icing on a chocolate cake?

    Hey Conor, you and me both! I seriously want those glasses =p

    Hey Lorraine, heheh, you managed to come away with a lot more goodies than I did though!

    Hey Mardi, heheh, and it's not far from your parent's place either!

    Hey Lis, this place is only a few months old as far as I know, so maybe that's why? But do check it out when you get a chance.

    Hey Rose, we suspected the iced chocolate was syrup plus milk too...nothing like using real chocolate! But, oh, the pistachio shortbread!

    Hey Shellie, haha, everyone wants that fridge!

    Hey Trissa, love the homeliness of stores like this where every little trinket seems to have a story to tell =)

    Hey Panda, the whole place is just so inviting and comfortable where you feel you could just spend hours!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oohh - I definitely have to send this address to my mum and dad!! Mum, especially would LOVE this place!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi! Thanks for dropping by and, hey, who doesn't like chocolate =)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving a comment!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails