Chocolate Store Reviews and More

I review chocolate confections (pralines, cordials, bonbons, and other chocolates with stuff in them). Here is a web site with reviews of solid chocolates and chocolate bars. Here is more information about what I will and will not review.

Use the geographic index to stores by location.

Reviews
My personal reviews.
Directory
Store addresses.
Guide
Latest updates, introduction, and more.
Notes
Explanatory notes.
Indices
Indices to reviews and directory.
The Guide
This page has some category guides for chocolate stores. The actual reviews are in my reviews page, and address and phone information for many stores is in my directory page.

Scroll down to the Guide if you are looking for a gift or want to see my picks for best chocolatiers.

Latest Updates

May 2008: Added Gâteau et Ganache. April 2008: Added Mackenzies Chocolates, Cosmic Chocolate, and Aida Opera Candies. February 2008: Updated Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate, Moonstruck Chocolatier, Neuhaus, and Leonidas. January 2008: Removed Goldleaf Chocolatier. October 2007: Reviewed Jomart Chocolates. Added San Francisco Chocolate Factory. April 2007: Added Alegio Chocolaté and Garrison Confections. December 2006 to March 2007: Wasted time and calories sampling chocolatiers not worth mentioning. Sorry there are no new chocolatiers to recommend, but I hope I am saving my readers some time, money, and calories. Please try some of the chocolatiers in the guide below. November 2006: Added Lulu Rae Confections, Chocolate Visions, Michael Mischer Chocolates, and Bittersweet, The Chocolate Café. Updated Bridgewater Chocolate. July 2006: Added Coco-luxe Confections. June 2006: Added Charles Chocolates. April 2006: Added Telluride Truffle and Enstrom's Almond Toffee. Updated Norman Love Confections and Chuao Chocolatier. March 2006: Added Les Cygnes. Updated Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Added Noka Chocolate. February 2006: Added MarieBelle and Valentino Chocolatier. January 2006: Updated Candinas Chocolatier and Varsanos Chocolates. December 2005: Updated B.T. McElrath Chocolatier. November 2005: Added Saratoga Chocolates. July 2005: Updated Richart. May 2005: Added Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate and Bridgewater Chocolate. April 2005: Added Jacques Torres Chocolate. March 2005: Added Cocoa Bella Chocolates, Chocolate Covered, and Bissinger French Confections. Updated Burdick Chocolate, Neuhaus, and Teuscher. February 2005: Added Martine's Chocolates, Knipschildt Chocolatier, and Chocolate Affaire. January 2005: Added Norman Love Confections, Schurra's Candy Factory, and The Chocolate Garden. December 2004: Added Wilbur Chocolate Company and Candy Man. November 2004: Updated Ghirardelli. Added Chocolate Heaven, Jubilee Chocolates, and Esther Price Candies. October 2004: Added Fleur de Cocoa, Chocolate Dream Box, Chocolatier Desiree, and Grendel Sweets Handcrafted Chocolates. September 2004: Added XOX Truffles and Goldleaf Chocolatier (removed January 2008). Updated Joseph Schmidt Confections. August 2004: Updated Lenôtre, Michael Recchiuti, and Ethel M Chocolates. Removed Faerie Queene. Added Theobroma Chocolatier, Notter School & Chocolate Studio, and Farris and Foster's Chocolate Factory. July 2004: Updated Stephany's Chocolates (since closed). Added Peterbrooke Chocolatier. May 2004: Updated Cacao Chocolates. Added Chocolate Connoisseur and Schakolad Chocolate Factory. April 2004: Added Chuao Chocolatier. January 2004: Added Bernard Callebaut. Updated Tom & Sally's, Burdick, Candinas, and Teuscher. December 2003: Added DeBrand Fine Chocolates. Updated Chocolat Celeste. October 2003: Added Donnelly Chocolates. September 2003: Added Swan Chocolates. el Eden closed. July 2003: Added Lenôtre, Côte de France, and La Fontaine au Chocolat in Paris, and Pedro (Alençon, France), Chocolaterie Auer (Genève), and Chocolaterie Bernachon (Lyon). June 2003: Added La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal, Mary Chocolatier, and others from my trip to Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium). May 2003: Jean-Paul Hévin. March 2003: I visited Paris and recommend Hédiard the most, followed by Dalloyau for more Fine chocolate, and Cacao et Chocolat for a good price. I was not as happy with Regis Chocolatier or La Marquise de Sévigné. December 2002: Café Ströbele in Ulm, Germany. August 2002: Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Marshall Field's. Updated Joseph Schmidt Confections and Moonstruck Chocolatier. July 2002: Stephany's Chocolates (since closed) and Chocolat Celeste. May 2002: Amy's Provisions. April 2002: Intemperantia. February 2002: Cacao Chocolates. The Truffle Shop. November 2001: Munson's Chocolates. October 2001: Au Chocolat. August 2001: Harbor Candy Shop. Updated Byrne & Carlson. July 2001: Added el Eden.

Introduction

My chocolate store reviews cover the best chocolate stores and chocolate makers I have found. Many of them are in New England, where I used to live, but I will report on any chocolatier I am able to try, no matter where they are.

I rate stores primarily on the quality and appeal of the finished confections, rather than the quality of the chocolate used. My goal is not to determine the best chocolate but to describe a lot of good chocolatiers so that you can find your own favorite pieces and flavors.

I like strong but not bitter flavors and combinations of flavors. Belgian chocolate is my favorite, but I am open to trying any chocolatier. I generally am not excited by truffles, especially when they are plain chocolate flavors. Instead, I like diverse flavors and textures, all sorts of chocolates with buttercrunch or hazelnut or fruit flavors or caramel or anything else.

The reviews page has full reviews of Fine chocolatiers and notable makers of Standard chocolate. A separate page, my chocolate store directory, contains directory information (address, phone number, web page) for the reviewed stores and many others. The directory does not contain reviews except for some brief comments. Below in this page are guides to selecting a store by category, such as gift giving.

Suggest a Store:
Are you a customer who would like to recommend your favorite shop? Please email me as much information as you have. These are helpful: name of the store, address, phone number, web address, and driving directions. Tell me a little about the store. What do they have that nobody else does? What are their best pieces? Also, please tell me if the store has Fine chocolates you think I should review or Standard chocolates and should just be listed in the directory.

Proprietors: Please do not send samples. I prefer to buy my own. Please mail two copies of your catalog to my home address. With the catalog or by email, please send information such as the above and addresses of your stores or a list of your retailers.

Guide

My Favorites:
Cacao Chocolates is my favorite chocolatier (who mostly makes her own chocolates). The Chocolate Truffle is my favorite shop (which mostly sells other chocolatiers' products) in the US and will supply all your chocolate needs—gifts, special occasions (like wedding favors), elegant truffles when you want something fancy, and all sorts of yummy flavors when you want to indulge a craving. La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal is my favorite shop in Belgium.
A Few Bests:
Best gift: Burdick, Jacques Torres Chocolate, and Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate. Best selection of Fine chocolatiers: Cocoa Bella Chocolates. Best marzipan: Li-Lac. Best hazelnut-chocolate: Lake Champlain. Best extreme gift: Richart. Best peanut butter: Linda Grishman. Best buttercrunch: Vacant since Stephany's closed. Consider Cary's and Munson's. Best Standard assortment: Swan Chocolates. Best truffles (general): XOX Truffles. Best truffles (raspberry and cherry): The Chocolate Garden. Best truffle (one superstar): The Truffle Shop.
Small Gourmet and Artisan Chocolatiers:
Small gourmet chocolatiers deserve the most attention, because they are precious and not well-enough known. Cacao Chocolates in Kittery, Maine, has become my favorite, with innovative new pieces every time I visit. Less than a mile away is Byrne & Carlson in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. San Francisco is booming with Michael Recchiuti making terrific chocolates with good flavors, truffle-specialist XOX Truffles, and Charles Chocolates just across the bay. 70 miles south is Chocolate Visions. We should also keep an eye on Gâteau et Ganache in Palo Alto and Lulu Rae Confections in Oakland. Burdick Chocolate is great for impressive gifts, with locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Walpole, New Hampshire; and Northampton, Massachusetts. Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate makes chocolates that are both beautiful and wonderful tasting. Jacques Torres Chocolate may be too big or well-known to classify as a small artisan chocolatier but is superb. B.T. McElrath deserves more attention. Fleur de Cocoa is hidden in Los Gatos, California. Martine's Chocolates is in New York City. The Chocolate Garden in Coloma, Michigan, makes terrific dark chocolate raspberry and cherry truffles. Swan Chocolates has a large assortment in Merrimack, New Hampshire. In France, try to get to Pedro. Notter School & Chocolate Studio is Orlando's best. Linda Grishman Chocolates makes Fine chocolates and a superb peanut-butter piece and solicits special requests. Other gourmet chocolatiers are: Donnelly Chocolates in Santa Cruz, California; Chuao Chocolatier makes excellent bonbons in San Diego, California; Candinas Chocolatier in Verona, Wisconsin; Li-Lac Chocolates in New York City; Norman Love Confections in Fort Myers, Florida; Telluride Truffle in Telluride, Colorado; Tom and Sally's Handmade Chocolates in Brattleboro, Vermont, with a large assortment of their own Fine designs and some inexpensive novelty chocolates; Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago, Illinois; Harbor Candy Shop in Ogunquit, Maine; Chocolat Celeste in St. Paul, Minnesota; and Schakolad Chocolate Factory near Orlando, Florida.
Good Gifts:
When you want to send somebody a very nice gift, consider Burdick Chocolate, Jacques Torres Chocolate, or Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate. Other good choices, not quite so expensive or fancy but still very good, are Chuao Chocolatier, and Harbor Sweets. For a beautiful presentation, see Norman Love Confections.
For Yourself:
If you are in San Francisco, Cocoa Bella Chocolates' selection of Fine chocolates from the US and Europe must be your first stop. Try Chuao Chocolatier's bonbons. Swan Chocolates' high-Standard assortment is nicely diverse. Lake Champlain Chocolates has a killer hazelnut chocolate bar. Of course, my favorite The Chocolate Truffle was the source for most of my personal chocolate in New England, and you can also use the chain stores below.
Mild and Light Flavors:
Mild and light flavors are not my favorites, so my reviews favor chocolatiers with strong flavors. If you like mild flavors, I suggest Elisabeth Brussels (in Bruxelles), Lenôtre (in Paris and Las Vegas), and Nirvana (mail order).
Europe:
I cannot cover Europe as well as I can the United States, but I will list a few European chocolatiers here. Côte de France is my favorite in Paris, and you should not miss La Fontaine au Chocolat. Hédiard in Paris is good. I like Café Ströbele in Ulm, Germany. There are some other nice shops in Germany listed in my directory but nothing outstanding. I do recommend the Imhoff Stollwerck Museum in Köln (Cologne). Also interesting in Paris are Jean-Paul Hévin, Dalloyau and Cacao et Chocolat. Less interesting in Paris are Regis Chocolatier and La Marquise de Sévigné. Stores in Bruxelles (Brussels) are covered in the special section just below.
Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium):
I walked to chocolate stores throughout Bruxelles over three days in May 2003. When you visit, I recommend La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal as your first stop. They have the best overall assortment and a good price. To make sure you get the best chocolates, you can also visit Mary Chocolatier and Wittamer. Another fine store, with mild flavors, is Elisabeth Brussels. That will cover the best of Bruxelles, including Le Chocolatier Manon, whose products are sold at La Maison and elsewhere.

In Grand Place (the main tourist area) is the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate. Stores near Grand Place include Galler, Planetè Chocolat, Godiva, Neuhaus, and Leonidas. However, I was not fond of the first two, and the latter three are readily available elsewhere. Godiva and Neuhaus were overpriced for Bruxelles (where Fine chocolate is cheap). Leonidas was very cheap.

Pierre Marcolini is in Grand Sablon but is bested by Wittamer. If you change trains in Bruxelles and do not have time to leave the train station, you can settle for the selection at Corné Port Royale.

My remaining listings are in the type I describe as Standard, not Fine. Good for the price are Brussels Pralines and Moeder Babelutte, and you might find something at Le Temps du Sucre. Several stores have molded chocolates with multicolor designs, such as fancy rabbits. Those might make nice gifts for children. You can skip Helene de Troies, Valentino, and Lady Pralines.

More Gifts:
Other mail-order chocolatiers are Candinas Chocolatier, Chocolat Celeste, Mendocino Chocolate Company, Moonstruck Chocolatier, and Dilettante. To go right to the top in gift-giving, use Richart. Near Richart is La Maison du Chocolat. All of these are more interesting choices than Godiva, Fran's, or Ghirardelli.
Small Nice Shops:
I have a fondness for the small proprietor, so here are some shops in the Standard type that rise above the crowd a little. They are not worth a special trip, but stop in when you are nearby. Amy's Provisions in Ayer, Massachusetts, has a good, unusual Rye Crunch Bar. Elk Candy Company in New York City has marzipan rolls, a personal favorite. Stowaway Sweets in Marblehead, Massachusetts, has a large selection of unusual pieces. In Orlando, Florida, Farris and Foster's Chocolate Factory is fun. In Scottsdale, Arizona, Seven Sisters Sweet Shop's chocolates have character. Varsano's is an overlooked shop in New York City. Chocolate By Design has a few above-average and unusual pieces. The Chocolate Dipper dips their own fruits at several Boston sites.
Landmarks, Famous Chocolatiers, and Chains:
Chocolaterie Bernachon in Lyon is world-famous. Marshall Field's in Chicago offers chocolates from several fine chocolatiers. Bernard Callebaut descends from the family that started Callebaut chocolate, now owned by Toblerone. Everybody knows Godiva, and Neuhaus and Leonidas are similar. Ghirardelli is a San Francisco landmark, but they were bought by Lindt & Sprüngli. See's Candies is a better San Franciso treat. Fran's is a Seattle landmark. Munson's Chocolates is a Connecticut chain with a terrific buttercrunch.

Advice to Chocolatiers

Since I have bought chocolate from over a hundred stores, I am one of the most experienced chocolate consumers. Fine chocolatiers are artisans and have to express their own style. Business, however, is another matter, so I have some advice in that area.

Links

Other resources for locating chocolate stores include Johnny's Chocolates and Pralines Survival Guide, Laura's Guide to Buying Chocolate in Boston, Yummy Baguette's reviews of chocolate stores and other sweet gourmet foods in Toronto, Cloister's reviews of solid chocolates and chocolate bars, Chocolocate, and Yahoo's chocolatier listing.

If you would like to know where chocolate comes from, here is a superb page. There is also information at the Exploratorium's chocolate exhibit. Also, scientists find that chocolate is good for you here and here.

If you would like to bake with chocolate, try the recipes in Death by Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers. Here are a few recipes. Hank Friedman publishes truffle recipes he creates.

© Copyright 1996 by Eric Postpischil.