Chocoholics Unite: 2008
Imagine if all the chocoholics could share their best fixes. Are any chocolate factories still giving tours? In your travels, what sinful treat best satisfies that urge for something chocolaty?
Read the Distillation: Chocoholics Unite, 2005
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Joel Durand gets my vote!
Alas, I have not yet traveled well enough to experience Brugges chocolate, but on a recent trip to France, I LOVED the chocolates in St. Remy: Joel Durand at 3, Bd Victor Hugo.
The lady at the shop was exceedingly kind and gave us some free samples. We took a box of the 'Alphabet' home (each of their chocolates has a letter to it to identify one from another) and sampled each. It was fun to try and guess the flavor. We went back and bought our favorites.
Christine Champoux <email>
Acton, MA USA Tue 12/02/2008
Ritter Sport
I've been in Germany for 5 days now, and have discovered Ritter Sport - maybe not super fancy chocolate, but for as little as .85€, you get 150 g of dense, rich chocolate...I look for it in every grocery store I go to now - and need to get help for my addiction! God help me if I find myself in any of the recommended stores below...!
Elaine
Vancouver, BC Canada Wed 10/22/2008
Best Chocolate
The Chocolate Train is the most entertaining chocolate experience to be had in Europe. The train pulls out of the station in Montreux and climbs the slopes of the low mountains on the northeast side of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). The train cars are wonderfully restored Pullman cars with rich oak paneling, bright brass, elegant upholstery and tall “bay” windows. Your two destinations are Gruyeres and Broc. The Gruyeres stop includes a self guided tour of a cheese factory with an audio handset in the language of your choice. There is also shuttle bus to the top of a hill that includes a small village (plenty of shops and places to eat) and the Gruyeres castle. After a couple of hours, you're back on the train headed for the main destination of Broc for the Callier Chocolate Factory tour. My family took the English language tour the highlight of which was the all-you-can-eat sampling room. I ate so much chocolate I got a headache. The tour ends in the gift shop where the chocolate for sale is substantially discounted (about 20%) from what you pay anywhere else – I checked prices while shopping on the rest of my vacation. I planned my stay in Montreux with the famous Jazz Festival which puts room rates at a premium but you can’t beat the festival atmosphere in the town.
John Leo
Chicago, IL USA Sun 09/21/2008
Best Hot Chocolate in Florence
We were told by a friend to go to Rivoire for the hot chocolate. It is truly an amazing cup, capped with cream and when you poke a hole in that, the creamiest, richest hot chocolate comes oozing out like lava. Rivoire, Fabbrica di Cioccolata at Piazza Della Signoria. Molto bene.
Mark Osburn
Fresno, CA USA Fri 09/12/2008
Bruges chocolates
We just returned from Bruges, Belgium and found a wonderful chocolate shop - Jan de Clerck at Academiestraat 19. It's only about a 5-min. walk from the Markt. From the Markt, go NW on Vlamingstr., then right on Academiestr. It will be on the L side of street, several blocks down. Look for the red and white striped awning. Chocolates are hand-made in his shop and really delicious. Plus he's willing to let you sample a piece if you need to (but remember that he is in business to SELL the stuff, so be sure and buy some).
Also, skip the chocolate history museum elsewhere in Bruges. It's a rip off,in my opinion. Same for the Frites Museum and the other commercial ones. Stick with the true historic ones.
Linda H.
Ft. Worth, TX USA Sun 09/07/2008
good book about chocolate, etc.
Has anyone out there read the lastest Joanne Harris novel - The Girl Without a Shadow. It's the sequel to Chocolat. Although I didn't think it was as good as its predecessor, it still made my mouth water when reading it.
Incidentally, I stumbled upon an interesting chocolate shop in Manchester (UK) called Hotel Chocolate. My husband and I "splurged" on a slab of chocolate on sale - dark chocolate orange/almond mix. Although I'm not normally a fan of orange chocolate, it was quite tasty and I am now converted. The store is not a chocolaterie. It just contains pre-packaged chocolates, but they have an interesting assortment like pink champaign truffles or the Rocky Road slab (my choice next time I'm in town).
Cindy May <email>
Hilliard, OH USA Wed 08/06/2008
Ghirardeli factory outlet store
Ghirardeli chocolate factory has a factory store with great bargains. It is located across the bay from San Francisco in San Leandro. No tours, but great chocolate bargains. It's only about 8 miles from OAK. Too bad service to OAK is being suspended, your best bet is flying to SJC.
Gary <email>
North Richland Hills, TX USA Tue 07/29/2008
Healthy Dark Chocolate
Healthy Chocolate - sounds like an Oxymoron but cocoa used to be a medicine and now it's a candy...unless it's unprocessed, raw cocoa by Xocai! Check it out:
www.xocai-liz.com
Liz <email>
Calgary, AB CA Tue 07/29/2008
Learn how to make chocolate in Paris
If you love chocolate then just dont eat it. I am going to learn how to create it with one of the top chefs in Paris. I am so excited. I will post my pics and video of it on my blog
http://travelingwithtricia.blogspot.com/
My user name on YouTube is destinimages. This is the company that arranged it for me: Majura
My Genie in Paris
www.mygenieinparis.com
00 33 (0)1 40 82 71 90
Tricia <email>
Destin, FL USA Mon 07/28/2008
La Maison de Chocolat
Took Steve's boutique stroll in Paris and tried this recommended chocolatier. Since it was a rather warm day and my daughter and I were picnicing that day, we decided against the chocolates, but purchased chocolate eclairs for our picnic dessert. Absolutley the best eclairs I've ever tasted--enjoyed them in the Luxembourg gardens.
CalGal
Somis, CA USA Thu 07/17/2008
Leonidas
Leonidas was the best chocolate I have ever had! It was by far cheaper and much tastier. I tried all the major outlets in Brussels and ended up buying a bunch of chocolate from Leonidas to bring back for friends and family. The hazelnut cream with a hazelnut on top was by far the best choice.
Kelly
Columbus, OH USA Tue 07/08/2008
Great Chocolate in Amsterdam and Paris
Two of my favorites:
Puccini, a tiny store in central Amsterdam (http://www.puccinibomboni.com/)
Maison du Chocolade, great for small "gateaux" and a bit expensive (http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/fr/)
Cheers and great chocolate hunting!
Veronica
El Paso, TX USA Tue 07/01/2008
Beware Castelanne Maitre Chocolatier in Paris
I was charged 335.60 euros for 35.60 euros worth of merchandise. The girl in the shop rang up the few items I purchased on their register which totalled 35.60 euros. Evidently, the charge machine is not connected to the register and the girl manually punched in 335.60 euros instead. Unfortunetly, I didn't catch this error until it was too late. When I got back to the US I had my French speaking friend call them and they denied any errors. Always check the amount on the charge receipt you are signing.
Kathy <email>
Honolulu, HI USA Mon 06/30/2008
Bruges - it's best there
For me, the ultimate chocolate experience was going to Dumon in Bruges. My brother and I spent a weekend in Bruges a little while before Easter and we were amazed by all the windows full of chocolates. On our last day we went to Dumon and fell in love with Madam Dumon and her chocolates. She told us that her son also has a new store, Stephen Dumon, where we drank delicious hot chocolate (available in a variety of flavors) and bought even more chocolate to take home.
Erin
Hood River, OR USA Thu 06/26/2008
Gas station
I realized I needed a couple of gifts so stopped at autobahn gas station bought two boxe of belgium chocolates. Price was great and turned out to taste best. Just thought if should be in same situation
USA Wed 06/18/2008
More good Swiss Chocolate
Just back from Switzerland -- and indeed, I can highly recommend the Sprungli. But here's another tip. At the Migros (the national grocery chain), the house brand, Frey, is FABULOUS and CHEAP -- about the only bargain in the entire country. Milk, dark, and every variation you can think of. I particularly like the Vanilla Bourbon. BTW, Maison Du Chocolat fans, there's one in London as well as Paris and NYC...
Julie
Washington D.C., USA Wed 06/11/2008
Best Chocolate in Europe
I've traveled extensively through Europe, and Brussels has the best chocolates. For small individual chocolate, you can't go wrong with Leonidas; they're a little cheaper than Cornet, Neuhas and Godiva, but just as good (the white chocolate piece with a whole hazelnut at the top of hazelnut filling curls my toes!). For chocolate bars, Galler wins hands down; these can be purchased in any grocery store.
USA Thu 06/05/2008
Modica, Sicily, Italy -- original recipes
When the Spanish first brought chocolate to Europe, Sicily was under Spanish rule. The antique chocolatiers still use the old recipes. It's grainy because they only bring the temperature up enough to melt the cocoa, not the sugar. Just let it break apart on your tongue and melt in small bits --- wonderful! The Antica Dolceria Bonajuto wins prizes every year for it's chocolate.
Betsy
Kirksville, MO USA Sun 05/04/2008
Exploring Belgium Chocolades
Came back from Belgium and found this: Whittimer makes the best chocolate/rasberry cakes; Pierre Marcolini's individually bought pieces upstairs are better tasting than their prepackaged chocolate (but expensive); Delvina's on Rue des Eperonniers in Brussels have unique/complex chocolates like "Oscar" and some other praline (inexpensive...go the 2nd time & maybe get a discount); Corne Port-Royal in the Galerie de la Reine was another good but expensive one; Frederic Blondel near Ste. Catherine's Cathedral had the best hot chocolate & they give you a full teapot of it with their amazing yet cheap chocolates. I didn't love the chocolate in Brugge but they were unique, some with lavender or jasmin in it but it tasted like perfume. Cote d'Or, Jacquez, & others could be bought for half the price in the Brugge supermarkets compared to the local markets but the Leonides shops are worthy of a browse. In Belgium, more shops gave free samples than in Brugge but the Chocolate Museum (Choco-Story) on Sint-Jansstraat in Brugge and the Chocolate museum in Brussels by Grand-Place are worthy of a look for demonstrations and free chocolate. Oh, and the company Cupido has the best tasking chocolate truffels ever but they have partially hydrogenated oils in them. About the hydro. oils, I found that certain Cote d'Or products used some "graisses vegetales hydrogenees" in their bars like Dessert 58 and Praline Blanc even though cocoa butter is the primary ingredient in presumably all Belgium chocolate...most Cote d'Or products don't use it though. I was a little surprised. Those were my most memorable chocolate experiences.
Mary <email>
Massapequa, NY USA Sat 04/26/2008
Best chocolate in Amsterdam......the little bars found in gift shops, wrapped in paper VanGogh/Vermeer/Rembrandt paintings!
Margaret
USA Wed 04/16/2008
Mexican Hot Chocolate
My all time favorite travel chocolate fix was the Mexican hot chocolate served at my hotel in Cancun! Based on a Mayan recipe, it's actually got chili pepper in it for a kick, is about the consistency of tomato soup...and it's heavenly!
Hiker429
Baltimore, MD USA Tue 04/15/2008
Try Leonida's. I can't believe a better chocolate exisits! Although, i must admit i've never tried Galler!
Dina <email>
Canada Thu 04/10/2008
Definitely Leonidas
I absolutely agree that Leonidas is the BEST chocolate. The fresh cream chocolates are orgasmic! ;)
Jill
SoFla (where there is no Leonidas), FL USA Thu 04/10/2008
belgian chocolate
Was in Brugges last weekend. The BEST chocolate was Galler, and trust me, I tried more than my share around town. Galler is more expensive than the rest but......life is short, you deserve it.
The Galler chocolate just melts in the mouth, there is no "edge" or waxiness.
Paul S
Orpington, KENT UK Sun 03/30/2008
Seattle Chocolate Tour Now!
In Seattle there is a Tour De Chocolat now! I love it! Knowledgeable tour guides, and it goes to Theo Chocolates (for a factory tour), Frans (for a taste of their award winning sipping chocolate and caramel truffle with sea salt on top) and then to Oh! Chocolate to actually temper chocolate & dip your own treats to take home! We then got a bag of goodies representing each chocolatier on the tour along with having a mini city tour along the way. It was on www.toursofseattle.com.
The Original Chocoholic
Seattle, WA USA Mon 03/17/2008
Bernachon in Lyon
SA BERNACHON
42 Cours Franklin Roosevelt
69006 LYON - France
Recommended to us by a French physician who says chocolate is a health food. We went there a few years ago and I didn't want to leave. We bought enough to hand out to people on the rest of our trip and made a LOT of friends.
Rick
Indianapolis, IN USA Wed 03/12/2008
Antwerp chocolatiers
We lived in Antwerp for several months and got to try lots of little shops. Yes, Neuhaus is great, but my favorites in Antwerp are Bastin and Chateau Blanc. Our university group got a tour of Bastin's kitchen, and the proprietor of Chateau Blanc will shower you with free samples if the shop's not busy! You can find both shops near the cathedral.
Andi <email>
Harrisonburg, VA USA Sat 02/23/2008
Theo Chocolate, Seattle
While I love eating chocolate in Europe, when at home in Seattle I'm hooked on Theo Chocolate, located in the Fremont area of Seattle. The chocolate bars are amazing and intense, with high cacao content (up to 91%). Even small amounts are very satisfying. Unusual delicious flavors too, like coconut curry, chai, and bread and chocolate. Great factory tours with samples!
Gina
Seattle, WA USA Sat 01/26/2008
Neuhaus Rocks!
In Brussels, Neuhaus is my first stop! Leonidas is not even close. PS - chocolates are double the price when you arrive in Paris!
Thank God there is now a Neuhaus store in S.F.
Mary
San Francisco, CA USA Wed 01/16/2008
Galler is the best chocolate in Bruges
OK -just got back from Bruges and I tried chocolates from the following shops (all in one day, I might add): Neuhaus, Chocolate Line, Dumon, Sukerbuyc, Depla, Galler, Stef's, and Chocolate Corner. Without a doubt, the creamiest, freshest chocolate (no hard couverture) was at Galler.
Kristen B.
Madison, WI USA Sat 01/05/2008
Ciobar Italian Chocolate
There is Ciobar Italian Sipping Chocolate at a Chocolate Bar in Kirkland, WA. I'm pretty sure they are the only ones that do. Contact me at: dolcegusto@hotmail.com
Caroline Kelliher <email>
Kirkland, WA USA Sat 01/05/2008
Chocolate
Milka or Sucre's are great and everywhere!
Ed Wilson <email>
Lincoln, NE USA Fri 01/04/2008