With a name like the Chocolate Café, it’s a given that treats await you at this nearly 10-year-old Fort Collins eatery. Friendly owners Mike and Diane Del Duca make approximately 20 different desserts, as well as offer cocktails and savory items in a relaxed and airy atmosphere.

After retiring from the hotel business, longtime home-baker and dessert-lover Mike knew he wanted to open a restaurant. He decided to model his cocoa-centric business after European chocolate cafes—cozy little daytime spots that specialize in light meals and desserts.

And while we love stopping in for the melt-in-your-mouth macaroni and cheese or tomato soup at lunchtime, the real draw at the Chocolate Café is, of course, the decadent sweets. Options range from warm white chocolate croissant bread pudding (the Café’s top seller) and chocolate ravioli to bacon-stout cheesecake. Can’t decide? Opt for the $25 sampler platter, which includes half sizes of five different desserts off the list.

If you happen to be in Fort Collins on National Chocolate Mousse Day (Monday, April 3), you’d be remiss not to order the Neapolitan. This towering treat is made up of four distinct layers: white chocolate mousse, raspberry-white chocolate mousse, dark chocolate mousse, and a brownie cake base. It’s decadent, creamy, and rich.

National holiday or not, any one of the café’s delicious desserts will leave you feeling sweet. “I have seen people come in here not in a great mood,” he says, “but as soon as they’re done, that chocolate hits their brain and boom! They’re in a great mood!

102 West Olive St., Fort Collins, 970-482-2725