10 Places Chocoholics Must Visit in Paris

Paris’ love affair with chocolate first began in 1615, when Anne of Austria married Louis XIII. The infanta of Spain brought drinking chocolate to the court from her native land, and indulging in the bitter brew quickly grew in popularity. By the time chocoholic Louis XV ascended to the throne in 1715, it was a mainstay of the nobility; it’s said Louis XV’s favorite, Madame du Barry, indulged frequently, thanks in large part to its purported aphrodisiac qualities.  

It wasn’t until 19th-century industrialization took hold that chocolate became widespread among the peuple, in France, notably thanks to pharmaceutical brands like Menier, founded in 1816. By the 20th century, chocolate had evolved away from its medicinal reputation to become what it is today: a simple, fairly affordable luxury.

Today, Paris is home to no shortage of chocolate shops, many of whom peddle the French style of bonbons, made with a ganache or praline center covered in a thin layer of chocolate couverture. Chocolate fans will also encounter no shortage of Belgian-style shops like Pierre Marcolini, Jeff de Bruges, or Leonidas, known for their thicker shells protecting rich praline or runny caramel centers. But that’s just the beginning. Today, chocolate is a mainstay of French breakfasts, from chocolat chaud to pain au chocolat. It’s also a delight come the 4pm goûter, whether in the form of the traditional square of dark chocolate on a slice of crusty baguette or the more modern, internationally-inspired rich chocolate cookie. From bonbons to mousses to ice cream, here are the spots chocoholics absolutely must visit in Paris.

Tablets 

Chocolate tablets are perhaps the purest form of chocolate enjoyment, sans bells, whistles, flavorings, or fillings. And for the very best, head to Plaq, Paris’s foremost bean-to-bar chocolatier on the diminutive foodie rue du Nil. This shop sorts, roasts, and stone-grinds its beans on-site for the array of single-origin tablettes dotting the shelves. Try the Maya Mountain, co-founder Sandra Mielenhausen’s favorite, with its intense floral notes.  

While you’re here… Grab a hot chocolate shot, made from the still-same single-origin chocolate. You choose whether it’s prepared with hot milk, for a luxurious creaminess, or water, to let the purity of the chocolate shine. 

Plaq, 4, rue du Nil, 2nd

Bonbons 

There’s no shortage of spots making phenomenal chocolate bonbons in Paris, from Jacques Genin to Alain Ducasse. But if we had to pick just one, it would undoubtedly be William Artigue, whose seasonally-driven chocolates are generous in both size and flavor. In summer, indulge in a dark chocolate ganache laced with balsamic vinegar and paired with raspberry confit. Come fall, sink your teeth into a maple-scented almond praline married with maple caramel. And all year round, do not miss the chocoholic’s dream: a cocoa bean praline with a soft cocoa-infused caramel enrobed in dark chocolate couverture and topped with cocoa nibs. 

While you’re here… Pick up one of the house-made pâtes de fruit. True to Artigue’s mission, these also change with the seasons, but our favorite is the autumnal butter-baked apple spiced with cinnamon. 

William Artigue, 30, rue Yves Toudic, 10th

Chocolate Éclair 

Visitors are often surprised to find that when it comes to Parisian éclairs, you can judge a book by its cover: The icing always matches the flavor of the pastry cream within. At Louvard, however, the chocolate éclair goes one step further, with a cocoa-scented pâte à choux encasing a rich chocolate pastry cream, all topped with a thin layer of chocolate ganache dotted with cacao nibs. And we’re not talking just any chocolate. Stéphane Louvard sources his from Xoco Gourmet, a mission-driven company that grows its own cacao in four Central American countries, roasting the beans them at a far lower temperature than most for an ultra-fruity chocolate with nearly no lingering bitterness – even at 80% cocoa. “That’s what’s so magical about it,” says Louvard. “You really taste the bean.”  

Mayan Red was the company’s first signature chocolate and remains Louvard’s favorite thanks to its explosive, full-bodied flavor with notes of plums and berries. 

While you’re here… Louvard was also the instigator of the crookie – a croissant-cookie hybrid that took TikTok by storm – and his is still the best. Not only does he begin with a standout croissant, but he studs the cookie dough with Mayan Red chocolate for a truly luxurious flavor. 

Louvard, 11, rue de Chateaudun, 9th

Chocolate Mousse 

A bistro dessert par excellence, chocolate mousse can be found all over Paris, from the bottomless vat at Le Quincy to the fine dining iteration topped with pear brunoise at A.Lea. But if mousse fans make it to just one spot, it should undoubtedly be Chapon. Here, the signature chocolate mousse bar features five different single-origin mousses, each of which is made from cocoa beans roasted in-house to perfection. Choose from among floral Ecuadorian 77% cacao mousse or a 75% Malagasy mousse with cherry and plum notes. And the 100% Venezuelan mousse boasts an intensity you won’t find anywhere else. 

While you’re here… Give chocolate pulp a try! Also known as baba, this sticky white substance surrounds the cocoa beans and offers a totally different flavor profile than chocoholics may be used to: sweet, tangy, and almost lychee-esque. At Chapon, it’s sold as a refreshing beverage. 

Chapon, 69, rue du Bac, 7th

Cookie 

American-style cookies have taken the French capital by storm in recent years, but none quite holds a candle to the more-is-more offering from Julien Dechenaud. A brownie-esque base boasts an even-handed sweetness that’s just rich enough. It’s topped with Provençal almond paste and a rich salted caramel with just the right note of bitterness. Plus, it’s available in several sizes, in case you want to share. 

While you’re here… It’s hard to pick just one of Julien Dechenaud’s creations to spotlight, from his single-origin bars to his generously filled pralines. But when push comes to shove, we’ve got to recommend his bold ganache bonbons, flavored with anything from bright yuzu to buttery olive oil. 

Julien Dechenaud, 16, rue Rendez-Vous, 12th

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Hot Chocolate 

You’ll find hot chocolate on the menu of nearly every Parisian café, but it just hits different at Cyril Lignac’s chocolaterie. Here, the creamy cocoa is the Goldilocks ideal: Neither too rich nor too watery, neither too sweet nor too bitter. The chocolate itself boasts a wonderful hazelnut aroma, and a lovely touch of vanilla elevates it to pure bliss. Enjoy it plain or add whipped cream and a mini chocolate teddy for a two-euro supplement.  

While you’re here… Pick up a phenomenal chocolatine (Lignac is, after all, from the south) or enjoy a pain au chocolat actually worthy of the name: a bitter cacao-scented bread dough studded with dark chocolate chips. Etiher one is perfect for dunking. 

Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac, 25, rue Chanzy, 11th

Pain au chocolat 

The pain au chocolat is a boulangerie classic for a reason, but time is generally of the essence: Whereas a croissant can happily linger in the case for several hours, every minute the twin bars of dark chocolate are left in contact with buttery pastry, the cocoa does its work sapping it of moisture. Not so at Blé Sucré, where some sorcery has resulted in a pain au chocolat that stays moist and tender even hours after baking. We love the slight smoky note offered by the Valrhona chocolate, which balances out the richness of this time-tested viennoiserie. 

While you’re here… Pick up a tender madeleine with a sticky sweet glaze. 

Blé Sucré, 7, rue Antoine Vollon, 12th

Chocolate Sculpture 

You’d be forgiven for assuming, as you wander past Joséphine Vannier, that it’s just one more gallery dotting this particularly artsy part of the Marais. You would be mistaken. Since 1998, the small team at this shop has been sculpting everything from stilettos to violins in its signature 72% dark chocolate. Many stalwarts of the collection were born of collaborations with businesses, including teeth originally created for Oral B. These days, the shop has turned its attention to collaborations with local street artists for creations like a 3D Kraken or a box of flavored palets reflecting the moods of artist Jo Little.  

While you’re here… Don’t miss the classic chocolate-covered pralines, generously filled with cinnamon-spiked hazelnut nougatine or black pepper-scented almond praline. “It’s old-fashioned praline, and very dense, which is harder and harder to find these days,” explains Julien Wajnsztok, CEO. “It’s expensive to produce, but we really want to hang onto that quality.” 

Joséphine Vannier, 4, rue du Pas de la Mule, 3rd

Chocolate Ice Cream 

Reÿs Glaces Eternelles is known for its creative French gelato, which is lighter and softer than your typical crème glacée. Founder Jean-Pierre Braun crafts each of the flavors based on a memory or a voyage, and in addition to a regularly-changing roster of flavors as creative as the kulfi-inspired Indian wedding or garlic-spiked tzatziki, there are two permanent chocolate flavors on offer. Le Chocolat de Pépé Charles is a rich chocolate ice cream, an homage to Braun’s grandfather’s “extraordinary” hot chocolate. Les Dieux d’Amazonie, meanwhile, is a rich and creamy vegan sorbet made with whole cashews and naturally fatty single-origin Peruvian chocolate. The deep flavor of the cacao is offset by the slightly spicy aromas of tonka bean, whose addition transforms this sorbet into a true evocation of Amazonian terroir.  

While you’re here… Pair your scoop with one of the non-chocolate flavors. Braun likes combining les Dieux de l’Amazonie with a scoop of Elixir de Java, a mango sorbet spiked generously with spicy ginger, and he adores the rich, creamy Chocolat de Pépé Charles affogato-style. 

Reÿs Glaces Eternelles, 4, rue du Bourg Tibourg, 4th

Tartelette 

The most intense chocolate tartlet may well be made by Jean-Paul Hévin, whose approach to this classic patisserie is a triple threat of cocoa. “I wanted a recipe that was at once powerful and fragile in flavor,” he says. A double barreled filling pairs a deeply aromatic chocolate mousse with a layer of rich chocolate ganache, all settled into an almond short crust pastry infused with just a touch of cacao. This, Hévin says, adds a touch of welcome acidity to help fully develop the flavor of the chocolate. The balance of textures and flavors brings out a lovely umami character in the chocolate that Hévin himself characterizes as “magic” – and we can’t help but agree. 

While you’re here… Sample one of his six different chocolate macarons, from the bitter Equateur made with Grand Cru Ecuadorian cacao to the Frambois’in with a dark chocolate ganache infused with raspberry purée. 

Jean-Paul Hévin, 23bis, avenue de la Motte-Picquet, 7th