The Pittenweem Chocolate Co.

Independent artisan chocolate shop with café serving hot chocolate, cakes and savoury dishes.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

The East Neuk of Fife has charms aplenty, but the Pittenweem Chocolate Company and Cocoa Tree Café are further encouragement to visit. Since its opening in 2007, Belgian-born owner Sophie Latinis has turned this former bakery into a haven of all things chocolate, whether you want to buy a box of her handmade single malt whisky liqueurs, or choose from a hot chocolate menu that includes 70% dark and spoonable chilli – instant ‘hygge’ when sipped in the warmly painted nook that is the adjoining café. There you'll find satisfying focaccia rolls, soups and toasties, but the house speciality is, of course, the baking: ginger or chocolate cake, a spectacular gluten-free chocolate brownie, or hot-chocolate drenched crêpes and Belgian waffles.

Listed in the Chocolate Larder and the Fife Larder – order print copies (free + p&p).

Owner Sophie Latinis's love of chocolate has taken her on a long and winding road to Fife via Belgium and a childhood in Zimbabwe. Her stylish cafe and chocolate shop in picturesque Pittenweem is paradise for chocoholics and unmissable for foodies visiting the area. Through the back a bohemian interior showcases pan-African and European influences in the decor while the front shop hosts a fantastic range of artisan chocolates. The glass cabinets are stocked with produce made in house, such as the Caliente hot chocolate and single malt whisky liqueurs. There's also a selection sourced from across Europe as well as Scottish producers like Perthshire's Charlotte Flower, and the knowledgeable staff are always more than happy to help visitors make a selection.