Marie Belle

Marie Belle 
484 Broome St., New York, NY 10012 
(212) 884-9707
Everyday 11am-7pm

Marie Belle is a little shop/restaurant with an interesting setup.  At the front it is a shop with displays of different chocolates and hot chocolate items for sale.  When you make your way to the back, you'll find their Cacao Bar and Tea Salon.  The Cacao Bar is tiny area, where you have to squeeze between chairs and tables to make your way through.  It has an old, quirky feel to it, with mismatched tables and mirrors on the walls.  I've been here for crepes in the past and don't remember too much about it besides the small space and the thick hot chocolate.

This isn't really a place you get a bang for your buck.  This time I ordered a small (no bigger than an espresso size cup) of Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate, which went for about $6.  I liked the consistency of the hot chocolate - rich, thick and kind of like drinking freshly melted chocolate with hints of cinnamon, chili, and nutmeg.  I felt a tiny kick of the chili at the back of my throat.  However, I was surprised at how overly sweet it was.  After all, I thought it was going to be more "spicy" and didn't expect the sweetness to outshine the spiciness.  -11/14/09 

OVERALL RATING: * * *
FOOD: * * *
SERVICE: * * 1/2
AMBIANCE: * * *
VALUE: *

PROS:

• Thick, rich hot chocolate
  

CONS:

• Some hot chocolate flavors were too sweet
• Value
  

SUGGESTIONS:

• Don't get an overly large size hot chocolate - it might be too sweet to choke down the whole thing
• Try the darker chocolate flavors