Aqimero Is Selling a Cup of Hot Chocolate for $12

The Ritz-Carlton hotel on Broad Street is, obviously, a swank space, and spending a little extra to sip a cocktail in the grand rotunda is expected. But $12 for a cup of hot chocolate seems about $9 more than a cup of hot chocolate should go for. Even Serendipity in New York charges less, with hot chocolate priced at $7.95, or topped with whipped cream, grated orange, cinnamon, and shaved French chocolate — French! — for $8.50. At Franklin Fountain in Old City, a hot chocolate float — that’s chocolate, cocoa powder, steamed milk, sugar, and salt, with a scoop of ice cream, with whipped cream or a house-made marshmallow — goes for $9.

So what do you get for $12 at Aqimero at the Ritz-Carlton? The beverage (milk or dark) is topped with marshmallows and one of those mini-candy canes, and you can have a holiday cookie too. Add a shot of espresso for $3 (that’s $15 for a mochaccino), or a shot of booze for $5. Maybe it’s the limited-time nature of the Aqimero hot chocolate that ups the price: It’s available Wednesday to Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m., though January 5 at the restaurant, which is in a good spot for popping in after shopping the Christmas market outside City Hall.