Walking into the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar in downtown Bethesda, you would think that the restaurant was a high-end clothing store that happened to smell like chocolate. Its artistic walls, wooden furniture and overall elegant atmosphere gives the place a chic feel, not unlike an upscale department store.

Fitting with the luxurious atmosphere, the menu is interesting and pricey. Max Brenner has made “addiction” the theme of his small restaurant chain, with menu items such as the Chocolate Syringe, printed with the sub heading of “get addicted, be happy,” thus making it a great place to get “chocolate wasted”.

The “syringe”, a thick, blunt, chocolate-shooting contraption, is one of the cheaper things on the menu, costing $4.75. The café is moderately expensive, with items costing up to $17.95 (Classic European Fondue for Two).

However, with the way the food is presented, the prices are understandable. Many of the dishes are served in elaborate ways; for instance, the pearl sugar waffle comes with a small flask of melted chocolate, along with a miniature bowl of chocolate beads, which customers can put on their waffles if they so desire.

The food (namely the waffles) is good, if you enjoy sweet, rich food.

The staff is not especially outgoing, but they are polite. They also do not take too long to prepare and deliver your food. If they did, however, it would be worth the wait.

Overall, the café is a nice place to go for a hot chocolate or a treat on a cold winter’s day. Though some dishes may be overpriced and the décor may seem ostentatious at times, the promptness, food quality and generally welcoming atmosphere of the Chocolate Bar will outweigh any drawbacks.

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar can be found at 7263 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, Md. 20814.

Opening hours:

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m.-12 a.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.