Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, Paddington Sydney

Italian thick hot chocolate (dark) $5.50
Choose from milk, dark or white

Max Brenner. His very name seems to elicit weak knees and breathless desire amongst fervent chocoholics.

You all know about The Bald Man. His hug mugs have an egg-like curve that beg to be clutched close to the heart, white woollen jumper pulled down past your wrist strictly optional. Suckaos are not an insult, but a sexy receptacle by which to melt mini chocolate buds over a tea light, sucking up the thick pool of molten chocolate using a special metal straw that doubles as a spoon.

On a drizzling Saturday afternoon, the Max Brenner outlet at Paddington is brimming with cocoa addicts, its tables adorned with lazing couples, exhausted shoppers and one large gaggle of giggling teenage girls.

Mexican spicy hot chocolate (milk) $5.50
Choose from milk, dark or white

The chocolate frenzy is non-stop. A large vat of melted chocolate churns its way merrily at the entrance; a large brown pipe emblazoned with CHOCOLATE would have you believe this very concoction is pumped up to the ceiling, across the room and down into the barrels from which the hot chocolate is siphoned (it's not). There are huge jars of sprinkles on the counter, a display cabinet groaning with chocolate pastries, and a retail outlet out the back selling drinking chocolate, block chocolate, chocolate buds, pralines and all the Max Brenner drinking paraphernalia you could ever hope for.

Divegurl has the Mexican spicy hot chocolate, a potent broth that is a little heavy on the cayenne pepper for both our palates. The Italian thick hot chocolate is more to my liking, a rich and decadent drink that languidly rolls across the tongue, its strong cocoa undertone warming the belly.

Banana praline crepes $13.00
Two crepes filled with banana and a nutty praline
served with vanilla ice cream

The choc-fest continues with two banana praline crepes that are drizzled generously with lashings of melted chocolate. The crepes are soft and delicate, puddles of sweet hazelnut spread tempered by thick slices of banana and a cooling scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate banana pizza $14.00
Pizza topped with melted chocolate, caramelised pecan,
banana and mini marshmallows

The arrival of my chocolate banana pizza is proof that one really can have too much of a good thing. Slathered with chocolate, bits of marshmallow, smashings of caramelised pecans and discs of banana, it's a lurid technicolour dream come true for every sugar-craving teenager. No wonder the girls are giggling with glee in the corner.

For me, it's nothing but painfully sweet. A scoop of ice cream in the middle would have provided some much needed relief.

I've reached chocolate overload. The hot chocolate was perfect. The chocolate pizza has pushed me over the edge. I don't need a hug mug, I need a defibrillator. Stat.

Max Brenner Paddington
437 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9357 5055

Monday to Thursday 9.00am – 11.00pm
Friday to Saturday 9.00am – 12.00 Midnight
Sunday 10.00am – 10.30pm

Also open at
Max Brenner Sydney CBD
Lower Ground Floor, David Jones
Elizabeth Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9283 1802
Monday to Wednesday & Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm
Thursday 9.30am - 8.30pm
Saturday 9.00am - 5.30pm
Sunday 10.00am - 5.30pm

Max Brenner Double Bay
15 Knox Street, Double Bay, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9328 2555
Monday to Thursday 10.00am - 11.00pm
Friday to Saturday 10.00am - 12.00am
Sunday 9.00am - 11.00pm

Max Brenner Erina
Shop 5, Erina Fair, Erina Fair Drive, Erina
Tel: +61 (02) 4367 4877
Monday to Wednesday 10.00am - 5.30pm
Thursday 10.00am - 9.00pm
Friday - Saturday 10.00am - 10.00pm
Sunday 10.00am - 5.00pm

Max Brenner Manly
Shop 11, East Esplanade, Manly Wharf, Manly, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9977 4931
Monday to Thursday 6.45am - 9.00pm
Friday 6.45am - 10.30pm
Saturday 8.30am - 12.00am
Sunday 8.30am - 10.30pm

Max Brenner Parramatta
Shop 2187, Level 2, Westfield
159-175 Church Street, Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9635 7566
Monday to Thursday 9.00am - 10.30pm
Friday to Saturday 9.00am - 12.00am
Sunday 10.00am - 10.30pm

Max Brenner St Ives
Shop 1, Ground Floor
235 Mona Vale Road, St Ives, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9988 0700
Monday to Thursday 9.00am - 10.30pm
Friday to Saturday 9.00am - 12.00am
Sunday 10.00am - 10.30pm

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Chocolate hazelnut pizza at Blues Point Cafe, McMahon's Point
Hot chocolate at Lindt Cafe, Martin Place

16 Comments:

At 1/22/2008 5:00 am, bakeorbreak said…

Oh, wow. I've been to Max Brenner in New York. We're headed back in a couple of weeks. I may have to make it there again. Yum!
At 1/22/2008 9:15 am, Anonymous said…

I want the banana praline crepes..!! and chocolate banana pizza..?? yummy..!!
At 1/22/2008 10:23 am, M-H said…

I can hear your arteries clanging shut from here. :)
At 1/22/2008 3:23 pm, Anonymous said…

Can I confess that I am the cheapest date when we go to Max Brenner? I get the $2 chocolate lick-the small portable pot of melted chocolate and paddle and I'm one happy girl :lol:
At 1/22/2008 5:10 pm, ChocolateSuze said…

hee hee i attempted the chocolate pizza by myself once oh my the hyperness! and mmm have you tried the waffles? with extra chocolate sauce *drool*
At 1/22/2008 5:57 pm, Anonymous said…

I do love Max Brenner - especially their chocolate coated coffee beans!

We were there on a hot day and thought $7 for a cold drink was expensive.
At 1/22/2008 8:51 pm, Anonymous said…

I could do the Italian hot chocolate and crepes again. Might be cosier (and not so sickly) if consumed in winter.
At 1/23/2008 2:12 pm, Anonymous said…

I found the Italian Dark hot chocolate in NYC very different to that in Aus. The one in NY was darker, thicker and not milky at all..whereas here it was like a regular milky hot choc. I was sooo disappointed. Also, the Mexican I had here was again, not as chocolatey or spicy as the one in NY.
Jennifer, if you're about to go back to NYC I would recommned Jacques Torres, www.mrchocolate.com over Max Brenner...there's one in Soho and one in Brooklyn too.
At 1/23/2008 7:01 pm, Vintage Wine said…

Seriously, my mouth is watering... Another good reason to visit Australia ;-)
At 1/24/2008 11:01 pm, Anonymous said…

Awesome hot chocolate - just the right consistency for me! One of these days I'll have to try Koko Black in Melbourne - a chocoholic friend swears by it =).
At 1/25/2008 12:58 am, Rachel said…

Aha! You finally succumbed to the dark side :P The italian thick is my favourite too .. and is enough to quell any chocolate craving. I have found (when you get over your chocolate overkill) that the brownie is extremely rich but good and the fondant is soft on the outside with a warm chocolate river within. *sigh*
At 1/25/2008 11:28 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Jennifer - I think one of my most memorable hot chocolates was the thick creamy concoction from La Maison du Chocolat in NYC. It was utter heaven!

Hi crunchasarus rex - lol. Hope you satiate your cravings :)

Hi m-h - I think it was more a sugar coma actually. Insanely sweet.

Hi Lorraine E - Heh, that definitely must be the cheapest thing on the menu! Sounds good though, and easily do-able too (phew!).

Hi Chocolatesuze - I remember seeing that pizza on your blog :) I really do think it needs a scoop of ice cream though. I haven't tried the waffles - maybe when my pancreas recovers I'll head on back!

Hi lil - Their menu is quite expensive. I haven't tried their coffee beans - perhaps a good thing as I always find them far too addictive for my own good.

Hi divegurl - You're on. I think winter is definitely the go.

Hi Anon - I remember trying the spicy hot chocolate from Jacques Torres in NYC. It was a delicious mix of chillis - so much more complex with traces of smoky sweetness.

Hi Vintage Wine - lol. Come on down!

Hi kevw - I've heard lots of good things about Koko Black too. I'm definitely heading there the next time I'm down Mexico way :)

Hi Rachel - I'm definitely a dark chocolate girl now. So much more intensity and satiation :) I'm not a huge fan of fondants though - all those rivers of molten chocolate tend to leave me with a twitch from sugar overload. lol.
At 1/26/2008 6:26 pm, Anonymous said…

That chocolate pizza is over the top, i couldnt finish it, it literately is a chocolate pizza and i didnt like it!! I found the place expensive too but still plenty of people go there, Roger
At 1/27/2008 1:33 am, Unknown said…

Wow this sounds like my kinda place! I'd definitely go for the pizza!
At 1/28/2008 8:49 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Roger - The chocolate pizza was certainly rich, but hey, I guess they don't call it a chocolate pizza for nothin'!

Hi Lynn - It's not for the faint-hearted, but all chocoholics will be in heaven!
At 1/30/2008 12:36 pm, Unknown said…

I like Max Brenner, but there are better places than that especially due to the fact that Max Brenner's Italian Chocolate is too milky and watery.

For those of you who want real Italian Chocolate go to San Churro (Glebe, Sydney) - don't forget to order the churros, of course. That's Spanish deep-fried donuts for you.

Melbourne has both San Churro and Koko Black which I found are both excellent. Do get the Koko Black chocolates for takeaways and gifts. You won't regret it.

Enjoy your choc-o-delite!