Cacao

I came here a few times on a trip to Portland. I loved the drinking chocolate here, and the staff were very nice.

For a true chocoholic like me, Cacao is the epitome of everything that is right in the world. The shop is chocolate heaven — they carry the finest artisanal chocolates sourced from around the world. It’s a very calming environment; the perfect place to truly enjoy your sipping chocolate experience.
I ordered dark chocolate cinnamon sipping chocolate. The quality matches what you are served in Europe and is unsurpassed by anything I’ve had in the States. Pure chocolate bliss.

Sochi and Robbie… I’m hoping I’m getting their names right. I was taken aback by the quaint… no fluff. tiny just chocolate shop. The Drinking chocolate is more concentrated, like drinking a melted chocolate bar. Sochi rocks. Sorry if I’m spelling her name wrong. But she recommended no more than 4 oz of the drinking chocolate, she was right. 2 syllables for you: PO-​TENT. I told her I was lactose intolerant she warned me although the hot chocolate could be made with almond milk, the chocolate came mixed with milk. I bought it. Was bloated like a balloon later by my oh my OH MY. it was worth every.Single.bloated.drop! I felt like I could die happy after the first SIP!!! So perfect. I almost payed twice. Now I want to. open up my own shop in LA. it’s simple no frills AMAZING DRINKING CHOCOLATE. GET IT.

A neat chocolate shop in a hotel. I tried the spicy dark drinking, standard size. The chocolate is thick and reminds me of the hot chocolate I have had in Europe. The spices are a nice touch and mixes up the creaminess of the chocolate. The chi I did find the strand size a bit too big for the richness. I would recommend getting the smaller size.
The owner seems like a friendly fellow. He was giving the tourists in the shop restaurant recommendations when I walked in. Definitely would like to visit again.

We went here on a whim (might have chosen given how the name relates to a Portlandia sketch…) and honestly, it was the most pleasant surprise of the day. We had been wandering Downtown for awhile and we’re kind of thirsty. This place is marked as a coffee shop, and it definitely will serve you lattes and such, but you NEED to be drinking some of the chocolate drinks and hot chocolates.
My boyfriend got the dark chocolate drink with cayenne pepper and ginger, while I got the chocolate drink with cinnamon. We asked the server if we could sip our drinks in the adjacent hotel lobby that this place is attached to (give that the shop itself is VERY small) and he did us one better and said that we could go through the hotel lobby over to a lounge room since the hotel restaurant and bar were closed at that time of day. So basically, come early in the day and you can chill in this SUPER FANCY lobby that will make you feel like you’re in Downton Abbey or something.
The drinks were delicious, and surprisingly filling. If the lounge in the hotel was closed we might have felt a bit cramped in the actual store, but we lucked out and had an amazing experience.

If you are a chocolate fan… you will love this place. I bought the three shot sampler: chocolate cinnamon, dark chocolate and chocolate spice… great way to taste each one. Three shots are substantial for one person.

Oh wow, I had one of the BEST hot chocolate’s ever here. Trust me, it’s not just for the kiddies. I had the dark chocolate, it was so rich and delicious! Great spot to get your chocolate fix!

Fun variety of chocolates from all over. Found some good local chocolates with interesting flavors. Tried a shot of their drinking chocolate which was smooth and not too sweet. Medium thickness which was nice as it was creamier than regular hot chocolate. Will be back to try some of the other flavors and different drinking chocolates.

I had the BEST chocolate milk from Cacao. It was so good that I came back for the next 3 days. We got there so early that we just stood looking in through the window. Order the thicker chocolate milk. It tastes like a melted candy bar.

Cacao has a solid variety of single-​origin bars from all over the world (at around $ 10 – 15 per bar) and a cozy vibe to enjoy them in. They also offer individual chocolates ($ 1 – 3) by the bite and drinking/​hot chocolate.
My friends and I came on a rainy Sunday afternoon and there was a steady flow of customers popping in to explore. Staff offered help to us while browsing the shelves, didn’t pressure us to buy, and had recommendations on point. To relax and escape the rain, we spent a few hours chatting at one of their long tables, (borderline loitering) but we didn’t receive one begrudging look from anyone. I’ll definitely be in again soon for a pick me up.
They also had a few AMAZING chocolate based perfumes & body sprays that I’d never seen before. It’s a tiny display to the left of the chocolate bar — don’t miss it!

Tiny tiny chocolate shop but their wares definitely pack a punch!
I originally wanted to try the drinkable chocolate but when I arrived at the store I felt like trying the chocolates instead. Unfortunately they were out of a lot of the flavors I wanted :(But they did still have the jasmine green tea pearl chocolate so I got one of those. When I first bit into it I could taste a faint flavor of tea which was so cool! The quality of the chocolate is excellent, so it’s difficult to eat slowly and savor your little chocolate ;)
I’d definitely come back to try some different flavors and perhaps the drinkable chocolate as well.

The fabulous: I felt like I was walking into the Gucci store of Chocolate truly a treat for chocolate lovers and even those who are just curious! I love that they offer vegan and gluten-​free chocolates as well as a wealth of information about all of the chocolate in the store. Dillon is the man! If anyone knows what’s in this store and how it’s produced it is him! I actually thought he was the owner as the amount of information he had was amazing!
I couldn’t try the drinking chocolate because it contains dairy, but if you can… DO IT! My buddy did and she raved about it all day we had to go back and I bought more gifts too! Ask them to gift wrap the packaging is yummy too!
The NOT-​SO-​FABULOUS: I wish we could order online as I loved their selections but ran out of time on our trip and we couldn’t go back!

I drove down there in the morning when downtown was obviously a busy time. I was very anxious driving and finding a spot to park near the Cacao. But I was so determined to have their hot chocolate as I hadn’t had «sugar”/my «treat“for a while. It was the day to have the best first «sugar» I wanted.
As I am a health freak, dairy is one of my «NO» item to ingest. So asked if they have milk alternative to make hot chocolate for me.
They said no.
But the barista suggested to make it with just hot water.
OMG.
It was perfect hot chocolate ever. Because they use real chocolate, my hot chocolate was still thick and rich with even just hot water.
That’s actually what I wanted.
Sadly, I couldn’t go back even though I wanted to have one again before my flight.
So next time when I’m in PDX, I definitely go back!
I really appreciate their service.

Cacao is the cutest little chocolate shop around. Directly adjacent (connected, even) to the Heathman Hotel, it’s a small little joint with an impressive selection of hand-​made chocolates, sweet treats, and a fabulous menu of drinking chocolates. I was initially hesitant, as I’ve had versions that were basically liquid ganache that were unpleasant, but Cacao does things right here.
Our favorites were definitely:
+ RIVOLI DARK DRINKING CHOCOLATE
+ EVERYDAY HOT CHOCOLATE
I think I could’ve handled a full cup of the Rivoli, but a shot in more than a nice introduction to cacao. It’s a bit pricey, but very fabulous.

One of humanity’s important inventions is put forth skillfully at Cacao. They have chocolate of all kinds, including drinking chocolate. The price varies depending on the item, but the value is often exceptional. It is a small storefront in downtown ready to be discovered.
The last time I had drinking chocolate was several years ago. For two dollars, I got a small cup of cinnamon milk chocolate. The cashier was friendly. It came in a small cup on a small plate, which unfortunately made me think I might drop it, but I didn’t. The drink was sweet and had the right attributes of chocolate. It was not too hot, it was only a little hot. I very much enjoyed this confection. I think you will too.
Make time on your schedule for Cacao.

Had the cinnamon hot chocolate (medium) $ 4. It was basically like a bathroom water cup. But I understood why. The stuff is rich and sweet. Delicious!

I was recommended to go here and although it was the right weather to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, I didn’t taste anything special about it. If anything, it was the variety of chocolates on the shelves that enticed me. The unique chocolate names were fun to read and if you are extremely interested in knowing more about those chocolates, there’s an employee who presents a tour in the shop.
This shop is known for it’s high percentage of cacao used in their products. Each cacao is a range between $ 3.50-$ 5.00. There were hot cacao with liquor, hot cacao with water or milk, and most of the cacao were 65%, 85%, or 100%. I would have tried the 100% because who uses that? However, the lady at the front told me if I’m used to sweeter hot chocolate, the 100% isn’t for me. At least the staff is knowledgeable about that.
It is a nice place to sit and read if you’re just trying to get away from the rain. Pick up a few cacao products. I bought five products and so far, two of them have been rich and tasty.

It was a random stop for me… as I was walking I was craving something sweet and chocolatey and lo and behold this shop pops up … it was a sign I say!
I opted for the sampler cups and my fav was a spicy dark chocolate … really amazing … wonder how many calories were in those little samplers :)

Okay — first time I have had a chocolate shot. This place should become a MUST go place in Portland, there should come the day when you have to line up to try this. The concentration of chocolate is intense and so smooth.
Enjoy.

Chocolates for the 1%. I mean, you never actually NEED a $ 15 chocolate bar, but if you find yourself in the position of buying one without asking yourself if it’s a completely ludicrous purchase, well then cowboy… you’ve made it big.
OK, so maybe I exaggerate a bit. Not about the $ 15 candy bar because that TOTALLY exists, but that’s not completely indicative of the experience at Cacao. Everything here is a bit spendy, but I believe there are plenty of bars in the $ 5-​$ 10 range. Sure, that’s still likely to make some people think they’ve taken more crazy pills than Mugatu, but for others the price might be right. And trust me, the flavors are better than anything to come out of Hershey, Pennsylvania. These are some damn. good. chocolates. from all around the world.
Oh, and they also serve plenty of espresso drinks and drinking chocolate. I’m typically a black coffee kind of guy so I suspect most of this would be a bit sweet for me, but I did get a latte that was expertly prepared, with nice latte art. It was dang good, and the perfect afternoon treat for a caffeine junky like myself.
The store is teeny tiny and can easily get cramped when they get a rush, but during the bulk of my time there I was the only customer. The staff is very friendly and personable. Good on them.
I feel like Cacao doesn’t really fill a need for me personally, so I doubt I’ll be any kind of regular. But it’s cool that it exists and if I ever do find myself back here, it will be a happy occasion.