We’re all chocoholics; let’s just confess and move on. Coco exploits this condition shamelessly with the food of the gods appearing in drinks such as the “Chocolate Sin” and dishes the likes of a “Salade au Chocolate” and scallops poached in cocoa butter. Coco’s duck confit even pits chili peppers against a chocolate and cherry jus. It is possible to avoid falling under Theobroma’s thrall with the relatively straightforward “Moulin Rouge Pizza” with tomatoes three ways, but why fight it?

Desserts naturally further the theme, with Coco’s signature cake, “The Kiss,” featuring a dome of single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate over mousse and more. The décor is equally excessive, with chandeliers both painted and pendant and shell-shaped red velvet booths acting as foils for their occupants. In the unlikely case that a solo male diner should stumble into Coco unawares, he should be reminded that owner Philippe Placé’s desire to appeal to distaff diners and drinkers has been wildly successful—so much so that an adjacent nightclub, Coco XO, has recently opened to satisfy late-night demand. Fearless Critics would seriously fear for the food if not for the action abetting the eats.