For centuries, fine chocolate was part of urban life in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Čokoláda, a café in the old town, is single-handedly reviving that tradition with its superb array of chocolate drinks, candies, and truffles. It‘s a small shop front, attractively and simply decorated, with four or five tables and a counter filled with chocolate goodies.

The stars here are the hot-chocolate concoctions, which the shop uses Slovak-made chocolate to make (the candies are imported from Belgium). They‘re essentially melted chocolate thinned with a little bit of cream, doctored up with a variety of ingredients including liquor, and often topped with whipped cream. Be warned: even chocolate fanatics might find them extremely intense. The combinations run from the ridiculous (such as the Kolumbus which contains tomato juice), to the excellent (try the noisette, a mixture of melted chocolate, chopped hazelnuts, and cream).

But these concoctions are actually better seen as desserts than beverages (and I‘ve experienced no better desserts in the old town). For those seeking an actual chocolate-spiked beverage, I recommend the čokoládová káva – a double-shot of Lavazza espresso, mixed with melted chocolate, and topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

TOM PHILPOTT