When it comes to restaurant desserts, we’re always on the lookout for the ultimate cocoa-laden experience. Here are five spots serving insanely indulgent chocolate puds, from OTT shakes to devilish chocolate-filled doughnuts.

Craft (Parkhurst, Johannesburg)

Craft already has a cult following thanks to its freakshakes, which are bourgeoning with candyfloss, marshmallows and spun sugar, but the winner here is the Chocolate Overload, featuring mixed milk chocolate and white chocolate shakes in dense layers covered in hazelnut-choc sauce, chocolate ganache, whipped chocolate, roasted marshmallows, Belgian choc sauce and, yes, chocolate sprinkles on top. There are also the freak hot chocolates and freak waffles made with Oreos, Nutella, white-chocolate caramel and whipped cream.

The OTT chocolate shakes at Craft. Photo supplied.

Honest Chocolate (City Bowl, Cape Town)

We just couldn’t leave off Cape Town’s dedicated chocolate bar. The menu ranges in all things cocoa, from milkshakes, bon bons and macarons to brownies, tarts and dark-chocolate cake. The pièce de résistance, however, is the banana bread ‘bunny chow’. The masterful baked bread is hollowed out and filled with an intense, smooth chocolate spread, vanilla ice cream and a side of spiced nuts.

A photo posted by Tra$h Boat (@naa_iela) on Apr 19, 2016 at 11:34pm PDT

Lucky Bread Company (Brooklyn, Pretoria)

The Jacaranda City’s favourite bread bar also serves filled doughnuts. These beauties come in a range of flavours, including the chocolate-mousse-filled version that’s impossibly decadent. There are also the richest, glossiest chocolate ganache tarts sprinkled with pistachio dust, and dark-chocolate shortbread encased in a rich chocolate-and-cream ganache.

The intense ganache tarts at Lucky Bread. Photo supplied.

The National Eatery and Speakeasy (Parktown North, Johannesburg)

Desserts here are so sinful they need to be shared. For chocolate lovers, there’s a deep-fried Snickers bar with vanilla-bean ice cream, freshly fried doughnuts served with dark or white chocolate sauce to dunk, and gooey chocolate brownies with a rum-and-raisin ice cream.

Republik (Durban North, Durban)

While Republik’s burgers are the main event, the chocolate-laden desserts and milkshakes deserve special mention, too. Choose from triple-chocolate brownies, deep-fried Bar One bites with ice cream, or the milkshake simply named Because Chocolate. This baby is blended with chocolate biscuits, Nutella, Crunchies, Milo and Bar One and topped with whatever chocolate they can find on the day. It’s also served with a mini chocolate on the side.

A photo posted by RepubliK Durban (@republikdbn) on Aug 20, 2016 at 12:21am PDT