Yep, chocolate is one of my favourite things in life.

I'm told I even pronounce it like an addict, with a pause in place of the middle syllable, a higher than normal pitch, a steeply descending intonation, and a kind of ET-phone-home facial expression.

Imagine the pleasure, then, to find the best hot chocolate in Melbourne...

Now, there is plenty of nice hot chocolate in Melbourne. The Theobroma Chocolate Lounge will do you a good cup. As will Max Brenner. Or Lindt.

But the best is purveyed by (pause for drum roll...) Koko Black.

Creamy but not too thick, super-chocolaty but not too sweet, everything to make you think of real melted chocolate and nothing to make you suspect powder, and piping hot... This was GOOD.

That was my Thursday experience. Yesterday, we sampled more of Koko Black's indulgences: white chocolate creme brulee, with coconut ice-cream and toffee crisp.

This was one of their "Winter Puddings", and guess what? There's all the rest of the list to work through. If anything can make you grateful for winter, that can...