My friend is an avid researcher for good food and also food pretty for Instagram. She was telling me that this cafe is quite famous for people who visit Kamakura.

Initially, we had no plans to visit this cafe but at around 5 PM, most of the shops were already either starting to close or there was just nowhere else to go. And we didn't want to leave just yet, so we decided to drop by for one last tea time.

Access

Chocolate Bank is less than 100m away from Kamakura Station which has the JR Line running through it. Come out from the west exit and turn left. It's just one straight road so you will definitely be able to find it.

Welcome to Chocolate Bank!

Even though the name of the shop is Chocolate Bank, the cafe also serves breakfast and lunch. Dinner is only available from Thursdays to Saturdays. They are closed on Mondays. I guess because Kamakura is a tourist attraction so the cafe also caters to that crowd.

There is a big and colorful gorilla at the entrance of the cafe. I wonder what does it symbolizes or if it's just part of the interior design.

Various types of chocolates and desserts were selling near the entrance. Most people came and to take away coffee or the cafe's famous 生ガトーショコラ Nama Gateau Chocolate. It's JPY2700 a bar but let me tell you it's SO worth it. If you are a chocolate lover, I highly recommend this. They will even provide you with a cooler bag so that it doesn't melt when you bring this lovely dessert home.

I love how the interior is mostly concrete and wood. It creates a lovely contrast from the cold concrete and warm feeling that wood provides. It also gives off a very cozy atmosphere. We went on a weekday at the end of November 2021 so there weren't many people around.

If you are eating in, first grab the seat you want. Then, make your orders at the counter and make your payment. The staff will then bring you your orders.

We went for the Gateau Chocolate 2 Pieces. On its own, it's JPY880 but my friend went for the pairing with wine so the price goes up a little (probably about +JPY550 if I remembered correctly).

The other option is beer. I wonder what would it be like to have beer with chocolate. The staff brought the wine to the table and actually waited for us to get ready with our cameras. He explained to us where is it from and how there will be a cacao scent when you drink it. I didn't taste or smell any cacao scent but it was nice nevertheless.

This is the BEST gateau chocolate that I have ever had. It's a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I cannot stress and express how good it is. It has more chocolate than cake. It's not too rich yet it gives you a very blissful feeling when the chocolate melts in your mouth. The creamy sweetness was of a perfect level too. The whipped cream at the side mellows things out so wonderfully as well.

The Mont Blanc Plate is the most expensive but one of the best mont blanc I've ever tasted. One bite into it made me realize why it was this expensive. You can literally taste this sandy aftertaste, just like when you eat a real chestnut. It does not have an artificial sweetness or even the very refined taste of mixing many ingredients together. It had a very pure chestnut flavor.

Inside, the cream has a slight sourness in a good way. This balances out of the sweet meringue inside. And because it's meringue, it's light and easy on the taste buds and my stomach. Despite the load of cream, it was very easy to consume and not too much even when though I wasn't hungry.

Overall, I give it a 4.5/5. The location is super convenient. The staffs are really friendly and polite. The food that I ordered was all top-notch. I highly recommend this.