Marilyn Monroe used to enjoy hers while studying lines, Andy Warhol paid for his with drawings, and if Cher really could turn back time, chances are she would revisit the moment she had her first taste.
The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate might just be the world’s most famous pudding, and it’s soon to make its London debut.
Later this month, Sette by Scarpetta, the Italian-American restaurant in Knightsbridge, will begin a new partnership with Serendipity3, New York’s 70-year-old dessert parlour once frequented by Grace Kelly, Cary Grant and Joan Rivers, and which is now popular with such names as Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian.
A closely guarded recipe — even the former First Lady Jackie Kennedy was denied access when she asked to serve the dessert at the White House — the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate combines crushed ice with sweet hot cocoa mix, and is topped with “a cloud of whipped cream” and shaved chocolate.
Serendipity3 serves the drink in a fish-bowl like goblet and says its “secret blend” contains 14 varieties of exotic cocoa.
The Standard was told the collaboration allows guests to become better acquainted with New York heritage: Serendipity3 has been a Manhattan fixture since 1954, has appeared in numerous movies, including the 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, and is now part-owned by the pop star Selena Gomez. Talk show host Oprah once declared that a visit to the café should be on everybody’s bucket list.
London, meanwhile, is continuing its love affair with an American kind of la dolce vita. And so the dessert will be available at Sette for six weeks as part of a limited edition menu of classics from Scarpetta, the restaurant group’s flagship in NYC.
It comes as Serendipity3 celebrates its 70th anniversary. Management recently claimed the shop had served its 30 millionth Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, a figure that seems impossible for the parlour to know, but which probably won’t be contested either.
John Meadow, the founder of LDV Hospitality, which owns Sette, Scarpetta, and other high-end bars and restaurants, said: “We are thrilled to bring the magic of Serendipity3 to Sette and ensure our London diners don’t miss out.
“It is a pleasure to be working with such a renowned institution and a perfect opportunity to align two New York venues in the heart of London.”
