Markets 
Get a load of this haute chocolate.
Benjamin Steakhouse in Midtown is catering to cash-flush chocoholics with a new, ultra-decadent, three-tiered hot cocoa cocktail — and it runs customers a cool $1,000 per coupe.
High prices are hopefully no obstacle to die-hard cocoa nuts.
The extravagantly dubbed Versailles Velour — an opulent concoction imbued with five wallop-packing prestige spirits — is even adorned with gold leaf, like a collaboration between King Midas and Willy Wonka.
The amped-up espresso martini was “inspired by the grandeur and ceremonial indulgence of the French court,” or so suggested the restaurant’s exclusive marketing pitch to The Post.
The real story, though, is a bit less posh.
Bartender Victor Dedushaj told The Post he was actually inspired by a client with “exquisite taste” who wanted to impress his hot chocolate-loving wife.
“He said, ‘One of these days, I really want to blow her mind,’” the tap master recalled while whipping up a Versailles Velour for The Post.
Dedushaj asked where he should draw the line.
“Go the whole way,” was the man’s response, and Dedushaj got to work.
Dedushaj infused the choc-tail with Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlúa, fresh espresso, steamed milk and orange bitters, plus delicately heated Grand Marnier Quintessence and Hennessy Richard cognac.
It’s those two final spirits that account for most of the gilded beverage’s high price tag: just 2 ounces of either would normally set you back $400 and between $600 and $700, respectively.
And ever-so-slightly more reasonable 1½ ounces of Hennessy goes into the hot chocolate for “proper strength,” said Dedushaj. Meanwhile, they add 1 ounce of the Grand Marnier.
The coup de grace is a velvety layer of shlag — German shorthand for whipped cream — that’s topped with 24-karat edible gold leaf for a little “extra decadence,” per the barman.
“The leaf alone is about 50 bucks a box,” boasted Dedushaj while gold-flecking the foam with the precision of a Midtown jeweler. Topping the ostentatious tipple is a similarly glam, logo-stamped chocolate that runs 100 bucks a pop.
The drink is rich in more ways than one. If you accidentally knock one over, a refill could bankrupt you.
This chocolate Fort Knox looks almost too good to drink, but the blinged-out confection is rich, brawny and boozy, evoking a more upmarket Irish coffee — its finish like diving into the chocolate river from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” after embarking on an all-night bender.
Customers may wish to lick the cocktail glass clean, knowing that any stray streak of cocoa probably costs as much as a whole meal at the restaurant, known for its can’t-miss succulent steaks.
While the Versailles Velour is essentially a boozy dessert in a glass, Dedushaj said it’s a great complement to Benjamin’s rich dessert lineup.
“It’s more along the lines of digestif than aperitif,” said the barman, adding that it goes well with everything from tiramisu to pecan pie.
Just don’t pair it with foods that are “too bright in acidic,” he warned, because that would counter their flavor.
Ultimately, Versailles Velour belongs in the pantheon of highfalutin steakhouse specials alongside Empire Steak House’s gilded beef for New Year’s Eve and Old Homestead’s $200-per-dollop cranberry sauce.
Coincidentally, Versailles Velour is not the most expensive cup of cocoa in NYC — or the world, for that matter.
That honor goes to a special $250,0000 diamond-studded Frrrozen Hot Chocolate that Serendipity 3 served for Valentine’s Day in 2023. The hotspot more recently offered a decadent romantic dessert last month that contained a diamond valued at anywhere from $15 to a whopping $10,000.
One might pause before charging a grand for a hot chocolate in the inflation age, a time when people are increasingly forgoing drinking and flocking to Chinese coffee shops that offer more bang for one’s buck.
But Dedushag maintains that there will always be a market for those who appreciate the finer — if ostentatious — things in life.
“I believe the people will want the very exquisite,” he said. “If the client wants Domaine de la Romanée-Conti,” he said, referencing ultra-exclusive wines that can sell for up to $20,000 per bottle, “they’re going to get Romanée-Conti.”
“For people who are looking for the outstanding, there will always be a market.”
The Versailles Velour will be available at both Benjamin Steakhouse, 52 E. 41st St., and its sister surf-and-turf spot Sea Fire Grill, located at 158 E. 48th St.
Read the full article here
