A Chocoholic’s Paradise on Toorak Road: Inside Koko Black’s Flagship Store at Como, South Yarra

Step through the glass doors of Koko Black at the Como Centre and the first thing that hits you is the scent — rich, warm cocoa mixed with toasted nuts, caramel and something distinctly Australian. Then your eyes adjust to the soaring six-metre ceilings, the warm Australian timber, the zigzagging brass lights and a wall stacked with more than 700 chocolate blocks in 25 flavours. This is not just another chocolate shop. This is Melbourne’s flagship temple to artisan chocolate.

Koko Black Como sits on the busy corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in South Yarra, one of the city’s most stylish precincts. Since opening in 2019 it has become a destination for locals grabbing a mid-afternoon treat, visitors hunting for gifts, and anyone who believes chocolate should be an experience rather than a snack.

From Royal Arcade to South Yarra Flagship

Koko Black began in the early 2000s with a simple observation: Australia had plenty of good chocolate, but it lacked a premium, distinctly Australian offering that could stand alongside the great European houses. Founder Shane Hills travelled to Germany and Belgium to learn traditional techniques. He returned with Belgian chocolatier Dries Cnockaert and in 2003 opened the first Koko Black salon beneath the arches of Melbourne’s historic Royal Arcade.

The brand grew quickly. What started as a small collection of pralines became more than 260 products — truffles, marbles, blocks, boxes and silky hot-chocolate blends. In 2016 entrepreneur Simon Crowe acquired the business and, working with Melbourne design studio Studio Round, gave it a more contemporary Australian identity. Native ingredients such as lemon myrtle, strawberry gum, Davidson plum and even green ants found their way into the range. The chocolate is still made by hand in Melbourne using the finest Belgian couverture (100 per cent cocoa butter, no palm oil) and 100 per cent sustainably sourced cocoa. There are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

The Como store was conceived as the brand’s flagship — a place that would showcase both the product and the story.

A Space Designed to Linger

Architects DesignOffice and Studio Round created a lofty, light-filled interior finished in Australian timber with custom lighting and furniture. At the centre hangs a striking zigzag brass pendant. Beneath it sits a custom counter displaying more than 40 varieties of hand-crafted praline. One entire wall is given over to those 700-plus chocolate blocks — a colourful, almost architectural statement that stops most first-time visitors in their tracks.

The first-ever Koko Chocolate Bar occupies one side of the space. Purpose-designed milk wands steam the signature Belgian hot chocolates to a precise 70–75 degrees. Flavours include classic Belgian, chilli, orange and mocha. There are also “Chills” (natural-ingredient frappés), freshly churned milkshakes, ice-cream and sorbet highlighting native Australian flavours, plus croissants, cakes and cookies. A handful of seats at the bar and an outdoor area overlooking Toorak Road invite you to stay rather than simply grab and go.

What to Try

The range is extensive, but a few items have become local favourites:

• The classic and chilli hot chocolates at the bar
• Salted caramel and pistachio pralines
• The Australian Natives collection (look for strawberry gum and lemon myrtle)
• Colourful chocolate blocks in flavours from creamy milk to dark and experimental
• Magic Marbles, Dotties and Bites for snacking or sharing
• Seasonal and limited-edition boxes — Christmas, Easter and Father’s Day collections are particularly popular for gifting

Staff are generally knowledgeable and happy to offer tastings or recommendations. Many visitors leave with a personalised gift box or hamper; the packaging is as considered as the chocolate inside.

Practical Details

Koko Black Como
Shop 001E, Como Centre
299 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141

Phone: (03) 9969 2134
Website: www.kokoblack.com
Instagram: @kokoblackchocolate

Opening hours (confirm on the official website as they can vary):
Monday–Thursday: 8.30am – 6.00pm
Friday: 8.30am – 7.00pm
Saturday: 8.30am – 6.00pm
Sunday: 9.00am – 5.00pm

The store is wheelchair accessible, accepts cards, and offers takeaway. Online orders can be collected in-store (free click-and-collect) or delivered. South Yarra station is a short walk away and the surrounding Chapel Street and Toorak Road precinct is packed with shops, cafés and restaurants.

Koko Black Como is more than a chocolate shop. It is a carefully designed space that celebrates handmade Australian chocolate in one of Melbourne’s most walkable neighbourhoods. Whether you are after a single perfect praline, a box to take home, or simply a seat at the bar with a steaming mug of Belgian hot chocolate, it delivers.

Pop in the next time you are in South Yarra. Resistance, as they say, is futile.