It’s officially chocolate season.

And if you’re counting down the days until the Easter bunny arrives, you can get your fix with a grown-up twist at Cork’s Metropole Hotel.

The MacCurtain Street venue is celebrating Easter by launching a chocolate afternoon tea, available for adults and children from Saturday, March 23rd until Friday, May 31st.

The chefs have designed a menu using locally sourced ingredients with an emphasis on sweet bites. These include milk chocolate éclairs, chocolate macaroons and white chocolate blondie with chocolate ganache and hazelnuts.

*drool*

And for those with a more savoury tooth, there’s a Rosscarbery black pudding and Cashel blue cheese tartlet, Union Hall smoked salmon and dill pickled cucumber on Buckley’s brown soda and free range egg mayonnaise and truffle on brioche.

In keeping with the chocolate theme, the hotel has also launched a special chocolate cocktail. The Met Chocolate Martini is a decadent blend of Bailey’s, milk chocolate, vodka, tia maria and coffee.

There will also be an indulgent hot chocolate for adults and kids to enjoy.

The afternoon tea will be served from 12.30pm – 4pm daily and booking online is advised at €40 per person and €25 for children.