8 Best Chocolate Shops in NYC

1. Jacques Torres Chocolate

Named after its founder, Jacques Torres, who grew up in a small town in the southern region of Provence, this chocolate shop tops the list. With four locations in the city, Jacques Torres manages to create chocolate that will triumph over your taste buds. For the ultimate experience, visit their Hudson Street location to witness chocolate being made from fresh beans. The entire place is enveloped by glass to allow patrons to watch the factory do its magic.
jacques-torres-chocolate.jpg' Jacques Torres, New York City © J Hritz

2. Martine’s Chocolates

Martine’s Chocolates creates a variety of fresh cream chocolates and truffles. Their delicacies are handmade right in front of their customers with the finest ingredients including Belgian Callebaut couverture chocolate, French butter, fresh American cream. Martine’s is, perhaps, the best place in the city to watch the chocolate-making process. Be sure to take out an order of your favorites in their signature pink boxes for a friend.

3. MarieBelle

MarieBelle doesn’t manufacture chocolate. They create works of art. The most aesthically pleasing on the list, MarieBelle’s chocolates will satisfy all of your senses. Their traditional blue boxes are the perfect gift for a loved one. Each box is filled with a sampling of their finest work. MarieBelle also has entertainment on Wednesday nights. Visitors will enjoy Jazz In The Chocolate Factory at their Madison Avenue location.
marie-belle-chocolate.jpg MarieBelle, New York City © Clemson

4. Kee’s Chocolates

Founded by Kee Ling Tong, Kee’s Chocolates makes handmade bon-bons and hand-rolled confections. Their flavors have an international taste with imported yuzu from Japan, sea salt from France, and saffron from Spain. This is the ideal stop for individuals who prefer a small SoHo shop over the glitz of La Maison or elegance of MarieBelle. Be sure to try the ultra-creamy truffles.

5. La Maison du Chocolat

La Maison du Chocolat built its reputation as one of the preeminent chocolatiers in France. It has extended that legacy to New York City. The most expensive chocolate on the list, La Maison creates mouthwatering ganaches, pralinés, and a variety of fruited chocolates. Do note that it’s closer to an ultra-high end boutique than a quaint shop.

6. Mondel Homemade Chocolates

Mondel Homemade Chocolates has been a neighborhood favorite, near Columbia University, for over sixty years. Mondel’s was also the preferred shop of four-time Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn. It has a wide range of chocolates ranging from truffles and creams to cordials and break-up chocolate. Mondel also has a tasty selection of sugar-free chocolate.
vosges-chocolate-new-york.jpg Vosges Chocolates, New York City © The Pink Peppercorn

7. Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Vosges turns out the best truffles in New York City. Created by Chicago’s Katrina Markoff, Vosges’ truffles will leave you feeling satiated. Visitors will try a range of exotic flavors including curry, Thai pandan leaves, and wasabi in several of the chocolates. If you’re not living in Chicago or New York City, it’s possible to order these unique sweets over the Internet.

8. Evelyn’s Chocolates

Evelyn’s Chocolates has been satisfying customers for decades in the Financial District. Created by Evelyn Robb, this shop has hand-dipped chocolates and delectable confections. Understated in comparison to its competition for New York’s best, Evelyn’s maintains a homey feel. It will feel just like mom’s kitchen. Try the homemade Chunkys.

In a New York state of mind? Read about the best pizza in NYC or free things to do in NYC.
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gennaroeditor.jpgGennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Feel free to contact him with questions, comments, or inquiries with reference to contributing an article or photograph for publication.

 

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70 Comments

  1. I love chocolate. We’re talking l-o-v-e. I would have included Li-La Chocolate, but the rest of my favorites are there. Agree with Jacques Torres at the number 1 spot. Amazing chocolate. The hot chocolate is incredibility rich too. Never had Mondel.

  2. Yummy. Love the images. Wish I was in NYC so I could begin trying all these great shops. My favorite here in LA is K Chocolatier, L’Artisan du Chocolat, or Snickers 🙂

  3. I loved Debauve et Gallais chocolates on Madison Avenue. Yum!

  4. MarieBelle looks very interesting to me. I have family in Soho, so next time I am out there I will look up MarieBelle.
    Thank you,
    Giovanna Garcia
    Imperfect Action is better than No Action

  5. I need to get back to NYC- your post are killing me all the way down here in Charlotte, NC. 🙂

  6. @Lisa

    Li-Lac Chocolate has some great chocolate. Thanks for the recommendations.

    @Suzy

    When I’m back in LA, I’m going to try those out. I can have snickers, right here 🙂

    @Jack

    Looks like a elegant and tasty spot.

  7. @Giovanna Garcia

    It’s definitely a great spot. Have them Fed Ex you a box!

    @Jay

    Ha! I’ll get to work on a NC post.

  8. Those places look amazing. I tried La Maison du Chocolat in Paris and it was a fanciest place I’ve ever seen for chocolate. It was really great too. Melt in your mouth good.

    My favorite place is Granny’s Chocolate Creations here in Arizona.

  9. That looks like some scrumptious chocolate and I don’t have any at home so my craving will go unmet until tomorrow! I don’t have a favorite chocolate spot, but I like Lindt a lot.

  10. @Sid

    La Maison is Paris is equally good. If not better. No better name for a chocolate shop than Granny’s.

    @Tim

    Are you sure you don’t want to step out and get some 🙂

  11. Wow – these pictures are amazing, they’re making my mouth water! Now I have to go see if they have online stores…

  12. @Tabitha

    Quite a few have online shops. I believe Kee’s and Evelyn’s may be the only ones without.

  13. Ouch! looking at the pics and reading all this make me feel like having piece of chocolate 😉
    Very tasty post, Gennaro!
    Do i really need to go to NYC to have it? 😉

  14. @Alik

    Nope. There are plenty of great places around the world and most of these can be ordered online for a small fee.

  15. I have to say, the pics look yummy — and great write up.

  16. I soooo cannot wait to go back to NYC. My partner is from there and he is always homesick. I will definitely hit up at least one of the chocolate shops on our next visit!

  17. @J.D. Meier

    Thanks for the kind words.

    @Carla

    I can see why your partner feels that way, New York has a special vibe to it.

  18. Quite the list here, Gennaro! I am definitely trying Vosges. Chocolate with curry, pandan, wasabi…so 90’s fusion, but I like-y !

  19. @jen laceda

    Vosges definitely adds a few random flavors in there, but that works for me too.

  20. Now I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I can’t stop the drooling.

  21. My husband received a box of chocolates from his publisher – from your #1 choice, Jacques Torres! The box was quite small, but they were amazing.

  22. @Terry Kearns

    Ha! Go out tomorrow and get some chocolate.

    @Things That Inspire

    Thanks for the confirmation. Love Jacques Torres.

  23. Wish I lived in or was visiting NYC soon!! Nothing beats a great piece of high quality chocolate!! Thanks for sharing!
    ~angela @ peonypatch

  24. @Angela

    I’m with you about the chocolate 🙂

  25. A new (Oct. 2008) chocolate shop opened in NYC’s West Village called Pure Dark.It’s like no other chocolate store I’ve ever seen. First thing to strike me as different is the huge interior space which is sparsely filled with consumables. It has a very rustic feel, almost jungle-like, in an intentional manner — it’s meant to simulate the natural environment from which the mighty cocoa bean hails.

    The chocolate offered is as the name implies — pure (or natural) and dark. This isn’t your Madison Ave. Godiva store! Slabs of chocolate bark are sold by the ounce — delicious concoctions of dark chocolate infused with various nuts and fruits. Tasting samples are freely offered. Also available is a chocolate bar of sorts where you can purchase their mix of the day consisting of cacao nibs, nuts, fruits and spices – OR you can create your own variety from the dozen or so options. Chocolate discs with sprinkled spice like chipotle powder are also for sale and sample. Purchases are weighed and packaged in wrapped brown paper. Other pre-assembled arrangements of chocolate delicacies can be purchased too — if you can’t decide what to put together yourself! Hot chocolate drinks are available at times as well.

    In the back of the amazingly spacious shop is a sort of mini cocoa history tour. Bowls of cocoa beans in their varying stages of the chocolate making process are there to view and touch along with pictures and explanations of how chocolate is made.

    The whole shop and experience and taste of the concoctions can be summed up in one word: earthy. You really feel like you’ve stepped away from the bustling city and into nature — smack dab in the middle of one of NYC’s greatest neighborhoods. It’s a really wonderful departure from more traditional chocolate shops.

  26. @Laura

    Thanks so much for sharing that. It sounds like an amazing place for chocolate. I love the idea of having a “mini cocoa history tour” along with being able to touch the beans.

    Here’s a link to the chocolate shop Laura is describing: Pure Dark.

  27. Debbykay

    Love, love, love chocolate!! The darker the better!! Wish I was in NYC!!

    Debbykay
    Rose Cottage Gardens and Farm

  28. Oh my gosh!!! I love them all. If I tell you it’s my birthday this Sunday, would you send me a box my way? 😀

    joy
    Norwich Daily Photo

  29. @Debbykay

    You can always order online. Many of these companies deliver 🙂

    @joy

    Some great choices there. I’ll be sending out a lot of boxes of chocolate if I agree to that!

  30. Oh Yum! Great post….we will have to try one of those chocolate places out on our annual trip to NY!

  31. You are speaking my language here. The language of chocolate. Great post! Makes me want to fly to NYC this weekend and try out all 8 of these shops. 🙂

  32. @Summer Kitchen Girls

    Great to see that you make it to NYC regularly. Enjoy!

    @Julia

    Thanks. They’re worth the flight 🙂

  33. Hi Gennaro,

    By the picture, I’m drawn to La Maison du Chocolat – it looks so rich, and so dark (my favorite!). Maybe it’s time to plan a trip to NYC!!

  34. @Lance

    I love dark chocolate too. Apparently it’s the healthiest type.

  35. Oh, this post is wonderful! There is nothing like high quality chocolate. I bit into a mini Hershey dark chocolate bar recently and had to throw it away. It was horrible. I need truffles!

  36. @Gayle

    Thanks. That made me laugh! It’s nice to mix in a little of the “special” chocolate.

  37. Vosges is always on my list of things to do in Manhattan. When are you going to post chocolate haunts on the Left Coast? San Francisco has a wealth of great chocolatiers. We even have a firm that gives Chocolate Tours.

  38. @Travel Muse

    Just had Vosges the other night. Black Pearl is a favorite of their selection. We will definitely do a broader post on chocolate in the future.

  39. darklove

    I totally agree with Laura. Here’s another vote for ‘Pure Dark’ in West Village. I had been to their store a week back – the store had a great ambience!!! I had a ‘hot chocolate with nibs(?)’ (basically small pieces of cocoa beans for texture) – and it was the richest hot chocolate I’ve had.

    I brought back the semi-sweet bar and WOW-W-W-W! Dark choc lovers – this must be on your ‘go to’ list for sure!

  40. @darklove

    Thanks for the tip. Sounds like a great place. I’m going to try it in the coming weeks.

  41. OMG – THIS is one tasty post to be aware of!

    Thank you!

  42. @Jannie Funster

    No problem. Love chocolate too.

  43. I haven’t been to the city in ages, but now with this post, I am going to have to schedule a trip! Mmmmm, chocolate is definitely the way to my heart!

    Kate

  44. @Kate

    Lots of great chocolate in the city. Love it too.

  45. I love chocolates. Reading this now with all the images you just made me want one and it’s 00:30 a.m here with none in the house..ooouuuf!

  46. mark meath

    This is a great site Gennaro! So informative.
    I’ve been to Kee’s a few moons ago and the raspberry discs were to die for. (not to mention the intoxicating smell of the finest cracklemeal)
    I’m going to have to try the other shops you mentioned. In fact i just may begin my quest tommorow! 🙂

  47. @mark meath

    Kee’s offers wonderful chocolate. Good luck on your quest. Well worth the effort.

  48. mark meath

    So i completed my quest for fine chocolate in NYC. After visiting Lilac’s in Greenwich Village for a box of incredible dark raspberry discs, i ventured down to Mondell’s on my way to visit my nephew who curently attends Colombia University.
    Initially i was impressed with the sights and smells and overall ambience of Mondell’s. However i was dissapointed with the overall quality and pricing of their chocolates. After spending almost forty three dollars on various type of chocolate, i found the peanut butter cups to have a harsh metallic aftertaste, the dark chocolate was too sweet and the truffles were dry and almost tasteless.
    An hour later we tried to return the unused portion of chocolates to find the cleaning crew using harsh chemicals to mop the store DURING business hours.
    Im done with Mondell’s. I think Jacques Torres will be the next place i check out.

  49. wow! Thank you for this chocolate tour!!!! My favorite place is Vosges Chocolat

  50. These are not only tasty choices, but pieces of art. Beautiful photos. I’ve only been to Vosges and really loved the chocolate. New York has some of the best chocolate in the world.

  51. They are all great, but I’d reserve a special for Kee’s; they are markedly more elegant, precise, imaginative and satisfying than Jacques Torres.

  52. @mark meath – Sorry to hear about your negative experience. Jacques Torres is great. Enjoy!

    @TrendyBrandyKids – Thanks

    @John H – NYC is a great place for chocolate, for sure.

    @Anthony – Love Kee’s too.

  53. Best chocolate in NYC? That’s my kind of article. I love all chocolate, but Vosges is my favorite. Living in Chicago I have it quite often. I have to get to New York City soon to try the best chocolate in that city.

  54. @Lisa R – Definitely make the trip to the Big Apple. It really does have some of the best chocolate in the world.

  55. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm love it! Cannot live without chocolate! So when i go to NYC, ill defo visit all those places 😀

  56. I’m surprised you didn’t mention Teuscher in NYC. I personally think the Swiss are responsible for the best chocolate and I think this import is the best ever. The champagne truffles are to die for!

  57. I agree with Danee Gilmartin Teuscher should be in the list. Moreover, it should be in the number one spot. I have had Jacques Torres chocolate, which is great, but in my opinion in the truffle category it doesn’t even come close to smoothness and richness of Teuscher truffles especially there signature champagne truffles.

  58. I love Mondel’s for being a more oldfashioned chocolate store with very satisfying chocolate (caramel bunnies always hit the spot), but it cannot (and should not) be compared with the other places on this list, which are much more “haute” than Mondel’s! There are worlds between e.g. Kee’s and Mondel’s, but both are great for the very different things they offer.

  59. NY is a great place for some amazing chocolate for sure! We would love to invite you up to our factory for a tasting some time! Chocolat Moderne was just named sofi silver finalists for our Lime Moderne Bar AND our Dark Drinking Chocolate!! It’s been a great year! Look forward to hearing from you!

  60. I have been to Kee’s Chocolates before but I have never heard of any of these other chocolate shops! Can’t wait to try them out! As an employee of one of the romantic hotels in NYC, I will be sure to pass this info along!