Hot chocolate café chain Knoops to open two stores in Edinburgh offering 20 ‘expertly crafted drinks’

New stores in Victoria Street and George Street are set to open next month

A hot chocolate café chain specialising in luxury chocolate drinks is set to arrive in Edinburgh next month with two stores opening in George Street and Victoria Street.

Knoops, who say they have ‘revolutionised’ chocolate drinks with their ‘unique and customisable chocolate menu’ have 15 stores across the UK will open their first Scottish cafés in the coming weeks.

Founded in 2013, customers at Knoops can customise their ideal hot chocolate, iced chocolate or milkshake, choosing the type and percentage of how much chocolate goes into their drink. There are over 20 different chocolate percentages to choose from, along with nine dairy and plant-based milks and an abundance of extras including sea salt, orange zest and chilli. There is also the option to have your hot chocolate topped with a handmade Knoops marshmallow.

Knoops will open two stores in Edinburgh with venues in Victoria Street and George Street launching in March

Writing on X, owners said: “We're so excited about Edinburgh, that we're opening two stores, one after the other. The first will be in the Old Town, on Victoria Street, and the second in the New Town on George Street.”

Knoops founder, Jens Knoop, has had a strong relationship with chocolate since his childhood in rural Germany and after opening his first café 11 years ago, the business has expanded around the UK ‘on a mission to make drinking chocolate a memorable and joyful experience.’

Using a range of blends and a number of single origins from a range of cocoa-growing regions, including Peru, Colombia and Madagascar, the café founder has built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of the taste profiles of many different chocolates. Jens has even coined the phrase ‘Knoopology’ - the art of creating the perfect chocolate drink that combines mixing cocoas with a range of milks, fruits, roots and spices. 

Jens Knoop, said: “I am delighted that Knoops is expanding into Scotland and more people in the UK will be able to experience Knoopology and our chocolate drinks. I’m thrilled to continue our growth journey and keep giving customers, new and old, their highly personalised chocolate drinks.”

William Gordon-Harris, chief executive, said: "Embarking on our journey beyond the borders of England is a significant milestone for Knoops. Edinburgh is the perfect next city for the brand, with its historic charm and rich cultural heritage, so it is fitting that we open here in two iconic locations, in close succession. We are excited to start on this new chapter and are looking forward to bringing something new and different to the food and drink scene of the city.”

The first Edinburgh café on 11-15 Victoria Street store will open on March 8 with the venue at 106 George Street opening its doors the following week on March 15.