With the beginning of November upon us, and a cold front making its way into Marin, there is no doubt that fall is here. The chilly weather brings a desire for something warm—something to wrap our hands around when the wind picks up and the leaves start falling off of the trees.

Hot chocolate, a classic fall and winter favorite, definitely hits the spot. There are many places in Marin that serve the tasty drink, but I narrowed it down to five in the quest for Marin’s best hot chocolate.

When looking for the ultimate cup of cocoa, I judged the contenders on a few key factors. Creaminess, depth of chocolate flavor and quality of topping (ordered all with whipped cream) were the three that we decided were most crucial.

Champagne Bakery: Four stars

The first stop was Champagne Bakery located in the Town Center at Corte Madera. Its convenient location near Redwood gives it a bonus, and it has both indoor and outdoor seating.

The presentation of the hot chocolate was impressive. It was served in a white cup atop a small plate with a thick layer of foam surrounding the rim of the cup. It was topped off with a swirl of whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Immediately after the first sip, I found it delightfully warm and creamy.

Later into the hot cocoa experience, the drink became rather rich, and was almost too decadent. The chocolate flavoring had settled along the bottom of the mug, which made the last sip very syrupy and thick.

This hot cocoa is priced at $2.75 a cup.

Emporio Rulli: Three stars

The next place I visited was Emporio Rulli in downtown Larkspur. Again, this café is close to Redwood, making it an easy stop on the way to or from school. It has a European ambiance, and the hot chocolate was presented nicely in a white mug and plate with generous amounts of whipped cream.

The first sip was accompanied by a mouthful of foam, very similar to that of a latté. It took a few tries to reach the chocolate underneath the foam and cream. This chocolate was far more milky than that found at Champagne Bakery, and was a much milder flavor compared to that of other hot chocolates.

The drink was very creamy, but lacked any deep chocolate flavor. This was disappointing considering its high price of $3.10 a cup.

Marin Coffee Roasters: Two stars

The search then took me to San Anselmo, to Marin Coffee Roasters. This quaint little café had a long line the day of the tasting, so it was exciting to finally see my cup of cocoa appear at the crowded counter.

The hot chocolate was served in a paper cup, and lacked the thoughtful presentation of the other cocoas. Despite its simple appearance, the drink had a powerful flavor, and didn’t have too much foam or cream coating the liquid.

At the bottom of the cup however, a chunky dark brown residue was left, which made the last few sips not very pleasant. Ultimately, their drink was unimpressive.

This cocoa was the least expensive, at $2.35 a cup.

La Boulange: Five stars

The next place I visited was La Boulange, a café located in the Strawberry Village in Mill Valley. Their hot chocolate came in a bowl, as opposed to a mug, which made it easy to take big gulps of this creamy cocoa.

It wasn’t too cloyingly sweet, which made it stand out from the hot chocolate from other cafés. It had a generous portion of whipped cream along the top, and had a very creamy taste while also remaining light and frothy.

Though there was some residue left along the bottom of the cup, there wasn’t nearly as much as there had been at other places.

This hot chocolate stood out from the others mainly in its flavor, which tasted more like a slightly bitter dark chocolate, rather than a very sweet milk chocolate, which at times can be overwhelming.

This cocoa is $2.75 per bowl.

Sweet Things: Four stars

The final stop I made was at Sweet Things Bakery, located in Tiburon in the Cove Shopping Center. This bakery is loaded with different types of cupcakes, and is located right off of Tiburon Boulevard, making it an easy stop for Redwood students who live in the Tiburon area.  The hot chocolate was served in a paper cup, but what the cocoa lacked in presentation it made up for in delicious flavor.

This cocoa tasted the most homemade, and that was in part due to the fresh whipped cream on the top, which I observed being made before I received my drink.

Though it was not as creamy as the cocoa from La Boulange, it was by no means watery, and had a thick and rich flavor similar to that of Champagne Bakery’s hot cocoa, but without the syrupy residue left along the bottom of the cup.

This hot chocolate is $2.50 a cup.