Delicious treats are the perfect excuse to get out of the house and explore. New York City is home to some of the nation’s best chocolatiers, offering treats from a range of sources, from bean-to-bar manufacturers to fair-trade ethical sources. Here’s a guide to where to go for the best chocolate in NYC.
Raaka Chocolate
Raaka Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate shop based in Brooklyn. Their chocolates are crafted using organic, minimally processed cocoa beans, which are sourced from farms in the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Ecuador. An interesting aspect of the process at Raaka is that the cocoa beans are roasted and then pressed directly into chocolate to prevent bitterness. The result is a smooth, silky, and delicious chocolate flavor. Their creations include a variety of bar flavors from rosemary-toasted sesame to bourbon cask-aged.
Mast Brothers Chocolate
Mast Brothers Chocolate is a chocolate-maker from Brooklyn that has made its way into grocery shelves across the country. It focuses on ethical, small-batch production and offers a range of classic chocolate varieties. From their single origin bars to their limited-edition flaked almond chocolate bars, the quality of their chocolates is sure to please. The distinct flavors of the single origin bars come from the varied tasting notes in the cocoa beans that are sourced from different parts of the world.
Jacques Torres Chocolate
Jacques Torres Chocolate offers some of the most unique and delectable treats in the city. This chocolatier takes real pride in sourcing the best cocoa beans and working them into beautiful and tasty chocolate creations. The classic chocolate bars, truffles, and decadent desserts are all created with quality, sustainable ingredients. On Jacques Torres Chocolate’s website, they boast the use of “the best cocoa the world has to offer” and it definitely shows in the flavor of their chocolates.
Vosges Chocolate
Vosges Chocolate specializes in high-end, luxurious, and unusual chocolates that are made with ethically sourced cocoa beans. They offer some of the most unique and innovative combinations of flavors on the market, such as their classic bacon and egg white chocolate bar and their habanero and goat cheese truffle. Vosges Chocolate is also known for its award-winning artisan truffle selection, made from ingredients from around the globe, such as black Chinese truffles, Japanese matcha, and Mexican Arriba beans.
L.A. Burdick
L.A Burdick is a chocolate shop in Greenwich Village offering handmade chocolates crafted with only the finest ingredients, such as Belgian chocolate and Tahitian vanilla. The truffles and chocolate bars are equal parts delicious and beautiful, making them a perfect gift for any occasion. L.A. Burdick is also known for its hand-dipped hot chocolate, boasting 13 different variations of hot cocoa with intricate shapes of animals, hearts, and stars.
Jacques Genin
Jacques Genin is a world-class French chocolatier who has made his way to the United States with a chic boutique and a chocolate factory in Soho. Jacques Genin is known for its exquisite, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates crafted from fresh cream, crunchy nuts, buttery caramels, and all-natural ingredients. All of the chocolates and confections are created fresh daily, making them a truly memorable treat.
Voilà Chocolat
Voilà Chocolat is a Brooklyn-based chocolatier offering a range of treats, including handmade bonbons, chocolate bars, caramels, and more. The company focuses on sustainability and ethically-sourced ingredients, using cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Ecuador. Voilà Chocolat makes a range of classic and unique flavors, ranging from dark espresso truffles to light lemon-honey caramels.
Lluvia Coffee & Chocolate
Lluvia Coffee & Chocolate is a small cafe and boutique chocolate shop in the Upper West Side. Their chocolates are made with only fair-trade, sustainably sources cocoa beans, and their signature dark milk chocolate has been named one of the best in the world. In addition to their chocolates, Lluvia also serves a variety of coffee and tea, macarons and pastries, and hot chocolate based on the traditional Colombian recipe.
Finding the best chocolate in NYC is an ongoing journey. Whether you prefer ethically sourced, bean-to-bar creations or luxurious treats from a world-class chocolatier, there are plenty of delicious options to explore. From a classic bar of Mast Brothers to unusual flavors from Vosges Chocolate, your sweet tooth should be in for a treat.
