Is traveling as much of a passion for you as eating chocolate?
Continue reading, because we have the top chocolate cities in the world you need to visit.
If traveling is not in the current budget but you want to explore the world's best chocolate, try subscribing to our Kekao Box. We search the world for the finest craft chocolate bars and bring them right to your doorstep monthly. From rich dark Peruvian chocolate bars to new start-up chocolate bars on the come-up, you never know what you get inside the box! Each month we will curate 4 to 5 premium specialty crafted chocolate bars.
Paris, France
The culinary capital of the world has to be first on this list. If anyone knows France, they know it has some of the best chocolate traditions in the world.
Although Parisian cafes are widely famous for their pastries a more profound look will highlight the fantastic love Paris has for chocolate.
Paris is full of beautiful chocolate shops and hot chocolate.
Top Chocolate Shops to Visit in Paris
Maison Pralu
Maison Pralus' story starts in Roanne, a small town outside of Lyon where Auguste Pralus opened his first chocolate shop. His son Francois Pralus took over in 1988, Francois has won a multitude of awards for his amazing chocolate creations. Pralus has invested in a plantation in Madagascar, allowing the chocolate maker to oversee the entire process from bean to bar.
Today, Pralus has four unique shops throughout Paris, where you can try a range of chocolates from confections to bars.
Chapon Chocolat
Chapon Chocolat is a creation by Patrice Chapon, a multi-award-winning chocolatier, and chocolate visionary. Before becoming his own chocolatier, he worked various culinary jobs. One of Patrice's early culinary jobs was as an official ice cream maker for the Buckingham Palace, where he satisfied the British royal family’s sweet tooth with his fresh fruit sorbets and ice cream.
In London, Patrice found his true calling, chocolate. He fell in love with chocolate displays at Harrod's department store.
When he returned to France in 1985, he began making chocolates in his workshop. Fast forward to the present day and his chocolates have won numerous awards, Chapon now has six stores, five in France and one in Japan.
Three of the five chocolate shops in France are located in Paris.
Michel Cluizel
Michel Cluizel is a French Chocolate Manufacturer since 1948. For three generations the Cluizel family has evolved amidst the fragrances of chocolate. With the help of skilled Cacaofèviers, confectioners, and chocolate makers, the family carries on with their tradition, where everything started in Damville, Normandy.
The Manufacture Cluizel has a direct, sustainable relationship with cacao planters.
If you are visiting Paris, visiting one of their three chocolate shops should definitely be on your list. They also have two chocolate shops in New York you can visit and a chocolate Museum in New Jersey, if Paris is not an option.
Brussels, Belgium
Belgium has a large selection of fine chocolate and some of the finest chocolatiers in the world. You have likely heard of Belgian chocolate or at least some of their brands such as Godiva and Côte d’Or.
What makes Belgium such a great chocolate country is because, in every small town, chocolatiers make their chocolate with their own chocolate traditions and recipes.
Belgium has over 2,000 chocolate stores and 16 chocolate museums.
The Flanders region in Belgium is considered the capital of chocolate. In the heart of the chocolate region, sits Brussels. Brussels is considered a chocoholics paradise.
Some even refer to Brussels as the world's capital of chocolate. In the Grand Place, chocolate can be found and sold everywhere.
If you take a trip to Brussels, you have to visit The Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate (Musee du Cacoa et du Chocolat). The chocolate museum educates visitors on the production and process of chocolate as well as its history.
Top Chocolate Shops to Visit in Brussels
Laurent Gerbaud
Laurent Gerbaud is the home of some of the most wonderfully handcrafted chocolates you will ever taste. Their chocolatiers bring uncanny attention to detail to each chocolate made.
They also have a chocolate workshop every Saturday which you can visit to learn more about their process and taste their amazing chocolate.
Chocopolis
Chocopolis is located conveniently between Brussels' main square, the Grand Place, and the Central Station. It is an ideal chocolate shop to visit when sightseeing in Brussels.
Their main focus is handmade chocolate and truffles. You can select and build your own box or pick one of their many pre-picked boxes.
Galler Chocolatier
Jean Galler, one of Belgium's most famous chocolatiers, started his career as a pastry apprentice. His love for chocolate took over and at the age of 21, he opened his first chocolate shop in 1976.
Jean Galler, is known for his stunning combination of flavors. At the chocolate store, you can find a range of beautiful chocolates and delicious macarons.
Oaxaca, Mexico
Walking through Oaxaca, you can find every street offering traditional chocolate or drinking chocolate. You can smell chocolate in the air, as the streets brew hot chocolate which covers the city with a wonderful chocolate aroma.
Chocolate has always been part of the Meso-American culture. It is the birthplace of the cacao tree and the crop has been grown there for about three thousand years. Aztecs used the incredible crop of cacao for medicinal purposes and even currency.
One city in Mexico which has a rich history of cacao and chocolate is Oaxaca. Oaxaca is the chocolate and culinary capital of Mexico. Oaxaca is most famously known for where Mexican Hot Chocolate originated.
Cacao is a traditional agricultural crop in the area. Cacao produced in the city is often spiced up with cinnamon and served with almonds.
Top Chocolate Shops to Visit in Oaxaca
Chocolate Texier
Chocolate Texier creates pieces of Oaxacan chocolate in combination with different products, managing to satisfy your palate. They strive for taste, quality, and presentation.
You can find different combinations of Oaxacan chocolate at the store, from traditional chocolate to hot Oaxaca drinking chocolate.
Xhuladii Chocolates
Xhuladii Chocolates makes chocolate with fillings that are representative of the state of Oaxaca such as chapulin, mezcal, tejate, among others, in handmade packaging.
Chocolate Mayordomo
Chocolate Mayaordomo was established in 1956 as a family business originally from Tlacolula, Oaxaca. Their chocolate is prepared entirely with natural products such as cocoa, cinnamon, almond, and sugar. Their process begins with the selection of the best raw materials, continuing with the preparation of mixtures developed by ancestral recipes that have been passed down to the present day.
Vienna, Austria
Word is chocolate first arrived in Vienna from Madrid in 1711 when Emperor Charles VI moved his court to Austria bringing with him the deliciousness of chocolate.
Today, you can't walk through Vienna without being tempted by one of its many chocolate shops. Vienna loves its chocolate and it's not hard to miss. Whether you are strolling through Innenstadt, Leopoldstadt, or Neubau you are sure to find the deliciousness of chocolate.
Top Chocolate Shops to Visit in Vienna
Xocolat Manufaktur
If you love craft chocolate bars like us, Xocolat Manafaktur is the place to visit on your chocolate tour of Vienna. You can find over thirty different chocolate bar brands at their Innenstadt location.
Xocolat has the largest craft chocolate bar selection by far in Vienna. Their bar selection includes Marou Chocolate, Francois Pralus, Domori, Original Beans, and Zotter just to name a few.
You can also find delicious handcrafted confections.
Schoko Company
Located in the center of historic Naschmarkt, Schoko Company is the home of Zotter chocolates in Vienna. You will not find a larger selection of Zotter in the city. Josef Zotter is known as the Willy Wonka of Austria and is renowned for his ethical fair-trade and experimentation with unusual foods such as bacon with chocolate.
Beyond the largest selection of Zotter, the shop offers Styrian delicacies and features a relaxing and enjoyable cafe. When exploring Naschmarkt, Schoko Company should be marked as a stop for either Zotter chocolates or an expresso.
BONBONS
Bonbons is a classic Viennese sweetshop in the heart of Neubaus and offer everything a chocoholic desires. From sweet confections to chocolate bars, it can be found. The store was founded in 1936 and is the oldest sweet store in Vienna.
Their chocolate bar selection is limited to a handful of brands mainly Zotter and their own Wiener brand can be found.
For a more indepth information on chocolate stores in Vienna make sure you read our post Five Chocolate Shops to Visit in Vienna.
To get started with craft chocolate, start with our Kekao Box. We search the world for the finest chocolate bars and bring them right to your doorstep monthly. From rich dark Peruvian chocolate bars to new start-up chocolate bars on the come up, you never know what you'll get inside the box! Each month we will curate 4 to 5 premium specialty crafted chocolate bars.
If you want to just try a couple of bars, check out our online chocolate store.
If you have any questions regarding this blog, our Kekao Box, or premium specialty crafted chocolate bars, feel free to contact us! Keep up with us by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
