Know the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa? Typically, hot cocoa, made with cocoa powder, comes out much thinner than hot chocolate, made with real chocolate. Either shakes the cold off during the winter months. Here, a look at eight places serving up hot chocolate and cocoa drinks. Restaurants and coffee shops are listed from north to south.
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Sip on Hot Chocolate at These Eight Restaurants
Warm up on a chilly day

Leone Cafe
Modeled after typical Italian cafés, the Leon Café in Tivoli Village serves chocolate espressinale with hot chocolate infused with a shot of Leone espresso.
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Vesta Coffee Roasters
Vesta Coffee Roasters in the Arts District serves a spicy hot chocolate dubbed the Aztec hot chocolate, made with guajillo chile and hot milk.
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Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop
Ghirardelli at The Linq Promenade features three different types of hot cocoa, including classic topped with whipped cream, decadent drinking chocolate with mini dark chocolate chips, and the fan favorite, sea salt caramel hot cocoa, topped with a Ghirardelli chocolate square. In the warmer months, the chilled Ghirardelli hot cocoa with two scoops of vanilla ice cream satisfies those cravings.
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Jean-Philippe Patisserie
Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio uses ultra-rich, dark chocolate pearls combined with steamed milk for a sinfully delicious and elegant take on hot chocolate. Of course, the world’s largest chocolate fountain inside the bakery makes a nice side show. Jean-Philippe Patisserie also has a location at Aria.
Small (7.5oz) $14.50
Large (13.5oz) $22.50
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Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions
Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions at Paris Las Vegas sources its cocoa beans from Ecuador, Venezuela, Madagascar, Peru, and Tanzania. Patrons can chat with the clerks to figure out which is the perfect chocolate for this concoction. Bonus, Hexx sells 7 ounce versions to go.
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Rosallie Le French Cafe
Rosallie steams the milk for its hot chocolate. Patrons here pair this rich version with the bakery’s homemade pastries.
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Ethel M Chocolate Factory
Ethel M Chocolate’s factory store in Henderson makes all the sweets sold by the company. This year, the chocolatiers now sell the mix for the hot cocoa, a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolates, made at the store. A tin with 10 servings goes for $19.99. Or just order it hot next door and take a tour of the two-acre cactus gardens next door.
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Grouchy John’s Coffee
Grouchy John’s in the southeast part of town allows patrons to customize their hot chocolates with a choice of flavors mixed with hot milk.
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