Mink – A Chocolate Café

here’s my facebook post i just made about our first experience with Mink
So this afternoon for a team meeting where we were boosting social we went to a place a couple of blocks from our office called Mink. Supposedly decadent for their chocolate. Each of the people bought a hot chocolate and I bought the team one of the piece chocolates each (well the company did — buy everything). We sit down at a table and 1 minute later one of us spills their hot chocolate everywhere. So that’s a mess. The chocolates also got doused.
So this surly guy comes over, grunts and orders us in his most surly tone not to use paper towels and he’ll be back. So he comes back and in his surly tone says, ‘can you move to another table, this will take some doing to clean up.’ I say, ‘well, there aren’t any other tables,’ wondering if he’s asking us to leave. Out of site there were to double tables that we could put together against the wall and sort of sit with each other. Of course he directed this in a surly and officious manner. And then 10 minutes later another guy came and asked us to move to another table, which had opened up because we were a fire hazard. We defended ourselves and he said, ‘I know I know, can you just move.’
So we moved.
I don’t really have a problem with dude being annoyed that he has to clean up after us. I don’t have an issue with him not offering to replace the beverage, which some places that treasure customer service do, because after all we spilled it. The issue I have is without talking to us he threw his rag on top of the $ 2 each, hand crafted artisan chocolates and threw them away and never said another word about it. There was not a person at my table who didn’t agree that they would have eaten their chocolate that had had hot chocolate spilled on it. I guess I also have a problem with him being a surly jerk.
We’re not going back there.

Mink has an upscale down town kinda feel to the place. Nice seating, the place was busy when I visited at 2:45pm on a Wednesday. I was glad there was indoor seating available because it wasn’t very nice outside. When I ordered the barista didn’t seem overly enthusiastic, but it was nice that they have a busser who delivers your order to your seat. She told me I can sit down and they will bring me my waffle.
One thing that shocked me was the barista grabbed a waffle from display and immediately put it in the toaster. I don’t know if most places do this, but I was under the impression that most stores make the waffles when you order them. I was kinda put off by this, but I could just be clueless to that fact that maybe lots of places use this practice?
I sad down and my waffle showed up in the timely fashion, it tasted as good as it looked and frankly tasted similar to most waffle spots I’ve been too. So maybe the toaster method isn’t as bad as I thought. Or maybe all the toppings just mask any imperfections with delicious sugary toppings.
Overall I wouldn’t go out of my way to return to this place but if I am in the area with some extra time I would stop by and order a waffle or try something else on their menu.

I was really looking forward to trying their drinking chocolate as I’ve heard if you really like hot chocolate (and I do), this was the place to go. Unfortunately, they were sold out when we came so I settled for the dark hot chocolate, which they had just enough dark chocolate to make my friend and my drinks. The drink was OK but nothing memorable. I also picked up a 9pc artist bonbon set of chocolates to try. At $ 19/​box, it wasn’t cheap but when I tried the chocolates, they were not that great… definitely had better in this price range. Surprisingly, the Grapefruit Caramel one, which I was wary of the combo, turned out to be the best tasting one.
The atmosphere was nice and spacious though and would make a nice date spot. Surprisingly saw a lot of strollers & kids here the day we went too so looks like a kid-​friendly place. Maybe their drinking chocolate is really that good as others say, but I will have to try on another visit.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2016
«It’s a Clusterfluff»
–Sparkle stick served separately. Would have been nice if it somehow sat on top of the hot chocolate but it’s too short and in any case, I wouldn’t want reside in my drink.
–Pretty lukewarm «hot chocolate».
–Sweetened with a slight caramel (?) flavour? Otherwise nothing striking.
«The Voices in my Head Tell me this ain’t no B.S.» — Organic butternut squash and almond milk with 70% dark chocolate hot chocolate. Served with a smoked oyster.
–You definitely taste the squash, but my personal feeling is it didn’t go well as a hot chocolate flavour.
–Pretty lukewarm «hot chocolate».

Nosh and Nibble came here on a drizzling 8am morning (they open at 7:30am) and had the following:
It’s a Clusterfluff ($ 8.50)
The Voices in My Head Tell Me It’s All B.S. ($ 8.50)
Artful names, but let’s talk about «It’s a Clusterfluff» first. This was a French Valrhona Caramelia 36% milk chocolate hot chocolate with torched marshmallow fluff and served with a sparkler stick. This European chocolate was very smooth but I think the best feature of this drink is the torched marshmallow (sourced from USA). Imagine a generic hot chocolate with disappearing marshmallow puffs thrown in at one spectrum. «It’s a Clusterfluff» is at the opposite end. It’s torched on top so it’s like a crème brûlée-​meringue hybrid with lots of marshmallow flavour. I had to control my excitement drinking this almost liquefied, yet gooey marshmallow. The sparkle stick was an interesting novelty. Basically the barista torches the marshmallow, lights a sparkling stick, and hands both to you. Unlike the other hot chocolate pairing here, you can’t eat this sparkler, but perhaps it’s a symbolic gesture of the café’s excitement to have you drinking hot chocolate from one of the original Hot Chocolate Festival partners. This was an exquisite drink with ingredients flown in from stronger currencies to make for a premium hot chocolate experience. Undoubtedly, this was my favourite drink of the morning.
The other drink I tried was «The Voices in My Head Tell Me It’s All B.S.» This was made with organic butternut squash, almond milk (lactose intolerants rejoice!), 70% dark chocolate, and served with a smoked oyster. This was a thick, dense, hot chocolate. So dense, in fact, the 12oz cup only fills up to about 10oz because «The Voices in My Head Tell Me It’s All B.S.» has enough nutritional value to be a meal replacement thanks to the squash and smoked oyster. Speaking of smoked oyster, you won’t find this pairing anywhere else. There aren’t instructions for eating it either. For me, I dipped the oyster in the hot chocolate and ate it in one go. It wasn’t a pretentious moment where I felt better than other hot chocolate drinkers, nor was it the tastiest pairing of hot chocolate I’d ever tasted. It was however, proof that the café was looking to try something different and unique. The result was a surprisingly filling hot chocolate drink/​meal that was complete with a rich dark chocolate taste and the nutritional benefits of butternut squash and oyster (sorry shellfish-​allergenics).
Overall, I’d recommend the «Clusterfluff» for a sweet trip up into hot chocolate heaven and I’d recommend «The Voices» for an adventurous soul (and emptier stomach, hopefully).

I will go out of my way to meet friends and clients at Mink! Their passion for the art of chocolate, coupled with friendly staff and an always approachable owner, has left me feeling at home whenever I come to visit. My advice is to go see Mark and his staff at Mink the next time you have an urge for something delightful and different.

Went i for the Hot Chocolate festival. The Flu really good and e with a sparkler– the other butternut squash one… not so much. A little pricey for what we got.

Received some chocolates as gift from family. They are really nice and uniquely flavoured locally made chocolates. After looking at some of the photos posted by others, I will have to visit in person and try their s’mores special and coffee.

Having had a particularly poor experience in what once was a fairly regular coffee spot for me I have to give this review. Reading through the feedback, in particular the negative comments, they do follow a particular pattern and trend: poor customer experience.
In short, our $ 6 mochas were tepid at best. When requesting for them to be warmed or remade I was met with rudeness and abrupt comments. This is in keeping with the negative comments submitted by other customers and obviously something not being addressed by Management or owner.
What I can say is that due to this experience we will not be returning. The cost of the beverages certainly does not represent value and the lack of addressing the concerns suggests an arrogant approach to the running of this establishment.

As the weather gets cooler and there’s a definite bite in the air in the mornings, my cravings for Mink’s drinking chocolate start to get stronger. This cute little shop has so much to choose from and everything I’ve had is delicious! The ganache filled chocolates are my favourite and they do a cute little chocolate fondue that tastes incredible.
Fortunately for me and unfortunately for my teeth, Mink is a short walk from where I work :)

This is ONLY a review about their DRINKING CHOCOLATE.
Hot chocolate is for sick children and campers; chocolate bars are fast food. drinking chocolate is really the only way to enjoy good chocolate. I’ve tried drinking chocolate and hot chocolate from all over Vancouver including the absurd Thierry, and let me say that so far Mink’s 70% dark drinking chocolate will stop your heart, maybe literally but also figuratively. It’s a tad on the sweet side, but it’s very rich, very thick, and very smooth. My partner swears it is better with espresso, so if you want the extra bitter, yes do. But Mink’s is the only place id drink chocolate from other than my own kitchen. They also let you add spices to it, like chipotle and cinnamon to give it a kick. So yeah. Their pastries come out of thw freezer apparently and their fondue looks meh, but as a chocolate connoisseur, im decently impressed by the drinking chocolate.

Loved the variety, creative flavors, and drinking chocolate. Quality comes at a steep price though. If this is your first visit treat yourself to a box of different bars. My favorite things are the fresh ganache and getting a drinking chocolate with a shot of espresso. Chocolate Divinty!

Try their chocolate London fog (earl grey tea with half dark half milk chocolate), it’s going to be the highlight of your day trust me ;)
Their Smores dessert is worth a try too, tons of fun to grill your own marshmallows on the table with a mini fire furnace and assemble the pieces together~ Skip the yogurt parfait though as its nothing more special than making one out of your yogurt jar at home. Ive also tried a variety of interest and exotic favored handmade chocolate bars, the passion fruit coconut one is definitely a winner! I love this place, right in front of waterfront, such a cozy place to catch up with friends or to read away your afternoon =)

It all sounds and looks quite tasty at Mink, but its mostly disappointing and annoying when you realize you have paid dearly for the idea of good chocolate and not the reality.
Oh mang, let me say that the flavours sound so great. Their chocolate bar combos are to die for, in theory, but in reality fall flat in the flavour and the chocolate isn’t tempered quite right and is often mealy and has some white bloom. Gross. My pistachio dark chocolate mousse was like dry chalky toothpaste. My lavender caramel was piney and crumby.
Tip. If you like the bacon chocolate combo, do not ever be moved to buy their bacon chocolate dinosaur eggs. I ripped open the packet in joy only to be utterly dismayed by its absolutely disgusting taste (dry chewy dirt tasting sugar sweet glob). I spit it into the bushes outside and gave the whole bag to a homeless chap who also looked excited and then grossed out. So sorry my brother, I just couldn’t help but pass on that experience! At least I know I’m not crazy!
P. S. all their cookies taste old. Not just stale, but old like an Egyptian mummy. Don’t do the smores fondue thing either. It’s a cute romantic idea but one that would make me think my date had no real taste buds. It’s crappy and awful and melting a wagon wheel with a lighter would taste better. I mean going to the old spaghetti factory followed by this place and I would be in date hell.
Also, Mink has proven adeptly that just because you have high end coffee machinery (ie. A clover) does not mean you can make a good coffee. They manage to make everything scorched tasting, even doused in chocolate as a mocha, its as tasty as a burnt brick smothered in chocolate.
Finally, that’s some watery hot chocolate you got there. Willy wonka is crying in his elevator spaceship right now. Minks a fink.

I’ve only been here once to try their hot chocolate but quite a few times to pick up their artisan chocolate bars for family and friends as mini gifts and treats throughout the year.
The cacao hot chocolate is great and all but it’s certainly nothing to hit home about. I believe the prices are a bit inflated and it’s really about the positioning of the chocolate café as an authority in the area.
The chocolate bars are delectable and I’ve tried Mermaid’s Choice, Fountain of Youth, Chai, Greetings from Canada, and Traditional Christmas in the past along with at least 10 other bars purchased for my F&F.
One slight reason that prevent me from visiting Mink more regularly is the staff and service. The staff have an apron on but they are dressed really casually in comparison to other dessert places in DT Vancouver. The service is also pretty much non-​existent. (No greeting when I walk in, subpar knowledge of products, etc.) Would love it if Mink was able to step up this part of their business.

I was disappointed by this place. I didn’t experience any of the service issues that other people have mentioned, but the drinks weren’t amazing. I got the 70% cocoa hot chocolate and honestly it wasn’t markedly different from the packaged chocolate milk that I drank from a kid’s meal later in the day. It wasn’t bad, but nothing special to justify the $ 5 price tag.
After that I changed my mind about coming back for fondue.

Came here for the Hot Chocolate Festival. Ordered the «don’t bug me» and when we got it they were almost out of whip cream. So when they put the crickets on top let’s say it didn’t look presentable. We asked politely if they could do it over because we wanted to take a picture.
All we got in return from the barista was a snarky remark and that it didn’t real matter now that the whip cream melted and the bugs falling into the drink. Least to say we were not happy as compared to others who ordered the same drink.

This time, I came for the crickets: the $ 9 «Don’t Bug Me» produced for Hot Chocolate Festival Jan 17 — Feb 14. Like all Mink hot chocos this came with a nice chocolate square on the side. Unlike other drinks though, this came with insects (photo). Worth it? Yes, for the experience — different is always fun on dates. Was it good? As good as their other chocolate beverages, just pricier because of the novelty factor. The bugs themselves taste like any dry/​airy bread product — nothing bad, nothing special.
Aside from coffee/​tea and all of the chocolate bonbons/​bars you would expect, the café has a nice selection of waffles, fondues, fruit parfait. The take-​out chocolate itself wont amaze chocolate aficinados, as it tends towards overly-​sweet and is priced a bit high for what it offers. Still, selection is broad & interesting and most people will probably enjoy it enough for Mink chocolates to make a decent little gift.
A generally good spot to stop on a date or even just to treat yourself. I haven’t experienced the bad service others have complained about and in my experience the service has always been fair enough.

I love chocolate and can eat chocolate every day! Sounds like so crazy… but I already cut back now!
Last September I heard Mink Chocolate won the award for best chocolate bar in the world and I decided to go there and check it out!
I had 70% cacao hot chocolate, it was satisfying and delicious! I loved it.
The chocolate bars were good and great selection of flavours, I liked Certifiably Nutty. Navel Gazing and No Grumpy. It’s pricey for chocolate bar but it’s worth it.
Of coz, I prefer to have another World Class Fine Chocolatier in Vancouver like MarieBelle NY, Jacques Torres or La Maison du Chocolat!

The BEST place in Vancouver for a nice cup of Mocha and a free piece of chocolate. Ideal place to chat with a close friend or 2 or 3.
The drinks here might be a bit pricier than Starbucks/​even Blenz… But it’s well worth the price in my humble opinion.

5 stars based on being my favourite hot chocolate in Vancouver (so far)!
I love a good hot chocolate and yes, even in the summertime and this one is great! I’m not a huge bitter chocolate person so I opt for their 38% cocoa which is just to my liking. Yes, it is pricey, but if you are looking for a good quality hot chocolate, this is a good bet.
I have tried their half chocolate dipped shortbread cookie but it wasn’t my thing although my coworker loves them. They also have ‘drinking chocolate’ which is basically pure chocolate melted down with a bit of liquid… I think that would be too intense for me so I’ll stick to what I like!

Really cute place! I got the dark chocolate hot chocolate with almond milk and it was rich, creamy, and everything hot chocolate should be. It comes with this tiny square of dark chocolate, which I’ll definitely be coming back for the in the future considering I’m a chocolate fiend!
I love the atmosphere of this small café near the Canada Convention Center. It’s a perfect place to hanker down with study material, since it’s not too loud. The décor is really nice and the bathrooms are clean and welcoming (which is important for a café).
I’ve come in the past and ordered the mocha. It was delicious and a nice coffee fix, if you’re looking for quality, aromatic coffee+chocolate.
It’s a little pricey though. I think my hot chocolate with the almond milk substitution came out to a little over $ 5. I think it’d be a great date place or a stop on an afternoon adventure in downtown/​gas town.

This place is seriously the best!!! Every time I come here, I always get the iced blended chocolate drink and request for their darkest chocolate. It is seriously the best chocolate drink ever! It’s quite pricey (Around $ 6?) but seriously so worth it considering the high quality chocolate that they use.
Their chocolate fondues are actually quite good too and my favourite food item here would be the s’mores set. Now, I don’t go camping that often so I don’t usually get the opportunity to make legit smores, so I just come to mink! Their waffles are good as well and they decorate them all fancy with different fruits, chocolate, and cream.
The location is superb and the service here is excellent. All their drinks come with their signature chocolate «peeler», which is just a small thin bar of (high quality!) chocolate. I still haven’t tried their chocolate bars yet but I’ll make sure to do so soon.