Best Chocolate Shops in Paris
Unique spice- and flower-based chocolates you won’t find anywhere else. “The sweet miracles that Constant fabricates with passion will delight enlightened lovers of chocolate,” according to the Petit Futé Guide Paris 2001.
Speciality: chocolate-covered Sicilian mandarin orange sticks
Appointed official purveyors of chocolate to the French court in the early 1800s, Debauve & Gallais was founded by two former chemists with a passion for chocolate. The famous wood-panelled boutique on rue des Saints-Pères, open since 1818, remains the company’s flagship store. The ambiance is slightly pretentious, but the displays — and bonbons — are exquisite.
Speciality: 99 percent-cacao pistoles, or chocolate discs
Gérard Mulot
76, rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
Tel. +33 (0)1 43 26 85 77
Métro: Mabillon or Odéon
Hours: closed Wednesdays; all other days 6:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This celebrated pastry chef and master chocolatier is renowned for his attention to quality and detail, making him one of the most popular chocolatiers on the Left Bank.
Speciality: “Boléro Framboise” – a semisweet raspberry ganache
Speciality: “Woman” – green tea and bergamot almond paste ganache, covered in dark chocolate
Founded in 1977 by Master Chocolatier Robert Linxe, La Maison du Chocolat is today one of France’s most well-known luxury chocolate shops. They have 7 locations in Paris featuring exotic ganaches, pralines and truffles as well as chocolate-based pastries and ice-cream.
Speciality: “Figaro Noir” – a mixture of hazelnuts, almonds and caramel covered in dark chocolate
Michel Cluizel has been making fine chocolates since 1948, when he began his apprenticeship with his family in Normandy. Today, the company remains a family business. Their focus is on quality and purity of ingredients: none of their chocolates contain soya lecithin.
Speciality: “Premier Cru de Plantation” (single origin) chocolates
Pascal Caffet
40, rue Jacob, 75006 Paris
Tel. +33 (0)1 40 20 90 47
Fax +33 (0)1 40 20 91 68
Métro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Hours: Tues. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This Troyes-based chocolatier opened his first shop in Paris in 2008. His gourmet chocolates are subtly infused with the most delicate flavors and aromas, such as Thé Bergamote (Earl Grey tea), Vanille Bourbon and Troyen (ganache Marc de Champagne) to name only a few.
.
A rising star in the world of chocolate, Patrick Roger has already received some prestigious awards: “Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chocolatier 2000″ and “Meilleur Chocolat de la ville de Paris 2007.” Known for their stunning window displays, his two shops in Paris offer an interesting variety of chocolates made with unusual ingredients such as lemon, thyme, passion fruit or lime.
Speciality: “Marie Galante” – a classic, exquisite blend made with the finest Caribbean cocao beans
The international press has described Pierre Hermé the “Picasso of Pastry”, but the line-up outside the boutique on rue Bonaparte is as much for his assortment of delicate yet intense chocolates as for his gorgeous culinary creations.
Speciality: “Intense” – a bitter ganache
This Belgian master chocolatier offers exquisite luxury chocolates made with unusual ingredients ranging from apple, pear, black current and melon, to pepper, chestnut, tonka beans, patchouli, sandalwood and even oak.
Speciality: “Calin Fondant” – chocolate-covered almond flour crisps with Tahitian vanilla and caramel
Michel Richart continues the family tradition started by his father Joseph in Lyon in 1925. The company’s signature chocolates boast a mix of innovation, purity, elegance and clean design sure to delight even the most discerning chocolate connoisseurs.
Speciality: “Au jardin des Héspérides” – Venezuelan Criollo ganache with grapefruit pulp
