You've been walking since this morning, from the Louvre to the Seine, and your legs are asking for a break. From autumn to spring, this is exactly the moment for a Parisian hot chocolate, the most comforting thing you can order in Paris, and one that makes the whole family happy, kids and grown-ups alike.

And if you've started planning your trip, you've probably seen 2 names everywhere on social media: Angelina and Carette. Historic tea room, pretty cups, long lines, but which one is really worth your time? I love this little ritual myself (yes, even as a Parisian, I enjoy being a tourist in my own city!), so I went to test both, on my own and with my own money, to give you a clear recommendation. Here is everything I noticed, from the texture in the cup to the way you get seated.

TL;DR: my favorite by far is Angelina (16/20), for its thick, rich hot chocolate. Carette (12/20) wins on the whipped cream, but its hot chocolate is milkier and not special.

Angelina: The One For Chocolate Lovers (17/20)

I went to the Angelina tea room facing the Tuileries garden. I arrived at 10 am and waited about 15 minutes in line, which I found quite reasonable for a place this popular.

The hot chocolate is €10.50, a premium price for sure. I found it excellent! It's very thick, almost a dessert (you could nearly eat it with a spoon), and you can taste that it's a blend of several high-quality chocolates. I'm not a big fan of milk, so very milky hot chocolates are not really for me. Here, you get your real dose of chocolate, if you love chocolate, it's a treat. The pot is generous too: I filled my cup twice, so it's a proper break that keeps you going for a while.

My one disappointment is the whipped cream. It's included in the price (and luckily so, given the quantity), but it comes in a tiny pot, maybe 2 spoonfuls, and I found it rather bland, without much taste. Do you really need it with a hot chocolate this creamy? Not really, but it's the detail that keeps Angelina from a perfect score!

The service in the room is elegant and very French, with smiling waiters who set up your table with a lot of care. You can come just for a hot chocolate, there's no need to order a pastry, and nobody pushed me to leave even though I was alone at a table for 2. I stayed about 45 minutes with my book and a podcast, and I really enjoyed it. The woman managing the line outside was another story: she was unpleasant, spoke only French, and made no effort with the many tourists who were a bit lost in the line. She is not representative of the team inside at all.

The room is historic: it has been open since 1903 and still has its lovely Belle Époque decor. But it's noisy, the building is old and was never soundproofed like a modern café, and the tables are very close to each other, even by Paris standards.

My take on Angelina hot chocolate: it’s the one I recommend without hesitation. I already want to go back!! It's rich and generous, and after a morning at the Louvre or a walk in the Tuileries, it's exactly the break your legs need. Go early to keep the wait short, and let the chocolate do the work rather than the whipped cream ;)

Angelina has 3 tea rooms in Paris: Angelina Rivoli (226 rue de Rivoli near the Louvre Museum), Angelina Alma (4 avenue du Président Wilson) and Mademoiselle Angelina (19 rue de Vaugirard, near the Luxembougr Gardens). The other Angelina addresses in Paris are takeaway only, with no room to sit down.

Carette: The One For Whipped Cream (12/20)

I went to the historic Carette tea room, open since 1927 at 4 place du Trocadero, right next to the Trocadero esplanade and its famous view of the Eiffel Tower. I arrived around 11:45 am. There were easily 30 people ahead of me and the line looked impressive, but I was seated in less than 20 minutes, because tables turn quickly: most people come for a sweet break and don't stay for hours. If you come at 12:30 or 1pm, expect a longer wait, since the lunch crowd arrives.

The host at the door spoke English, which helps, but he wasn't very warm, with one-word questions and fingers raised to ask how many you are. The waitress who served me was perfect, smiling and attentive, so the service inside was impeccable.

Carette has a terrace and an indoor room. Inside or outside, like at Angelina, you're so close to your neighbors that you almost feel you're sharing their table. For me, unless it's a really beautiful day and you truly want to sit outside, the inside is the better choice. It's a bit noisier, but the terrace faces a busy roundabout with cars and buses, and you can't even see the Eiffel Tower from there, just a small part of the Trocadero.

And now, the most important part: the hot chocolate. Carette's hot chocolate is much milkier and more fluid, so you are really drinking it, while Angelina's is closer to a dessert. The quantity is the same (about 2 full cups), and it's served very elegantly. It's good, but I didn't find it exceptional: the chocolate didn't feel as premium, and the taste reminded me of hot chocolates I had already tried elsewhere. I have to say I was a little disappointed.

The real star at Carette is the whipped cream, and it's worth the extra €2. The portion is huge and it's excellent, with a light vanilla note. I loved it!!

On price, the hot chocolate alone is €12, or €14 with whipped cream. For this chocolate, €12 feels too high to me. The €2 for the cream, on the other hand, is a very fair price. One thing I would skip is the strawberry cup, around €21. I saw many people order it, and yes, it makes a very pretty photo, but for a cup of strawberries this price makes no sense to me.

My take on Carette hot chocolate: for the hot chocolate itself, I wouldn't recommend Carette, it's too milky for me, not special enough, and then too expensive at €12. Angelina is clearly the better choice. In an ideal world, I would pour Carette's whipped cream on Angelina's hot chocolate... that's not possible, sadly!

Carette has two tea rooms where you can sit down: the one I tested at 4 place du Trocadero, and another one at 25 place des Vosges, under the arcades of one of the prettiest squares in Paris. There's also a Carette in Montmartre, but it's takeaway only.

	Angelina	Carette
Style	Intense, for chocolate lovers	Milky, softer
Texture	Very thick, almost a dessert	Fluid, a real drink
Chocolate taste	Rich blend of several chocolates, clearly premium	Good, but familiar and not exceptional
Quantity	About 2 cups	About 2 cups
Whipped cream	Included, but tiny pot and bland	+€2, big portion, excellent, light vanilla note
Price	€10.50	€12, or €14 with whipped cream
Value for money	Fair for the quality	Too expensive for the chocolate, the cream is worth its €2
My score	17/20	12/20

Tips For The Line And Seating

Neither place takes reservations, so everyone queues. If you can, go before 10:30am on a weekday.

Line up with your whole group, because the host will usually seat you only once everyone is there. It can feel strict when part of your family is still on the way. One visitor at Carette wrote that his wife and sister-in-law "arrived first and politely asked to be seated at a table for four while they waited for us. They were flatly refused." It's frustrating, I understand, but the logic is simple: with 30 people waiting outside, they won't keep a table empty for someone who hasn't arrived yet.

You also don't choose your table. The host decides where you sit, inside or outside, downstairs or upstairs. At Angelina Rivoli, you may see empty tables upstairs and still wait in line, usually because no waiter is free to serve that area yet. The teams clearly do their best to get everyone in as fast as possible, but these places are packed all day, and these are their rules.

And if the welcome at the door feels cold (it can happen at both places), don't let it spoil your break, because the service inside is much warmer.

If you're planning more sweet breaks during your trip, I've also rounded up the best viennoiseries in Paris under €5 and the best food apps for your Paris trip. And if you'd like good addresses near the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower that are less famous on social media, you'll find them in my app, Paris on the Spot.