Best Chocolate in Los Angeles?

Hi, there,

I'm on a lofty quest to find the best chocolate/hot chocolate/chocolate everything in Los Angeles and very willing to search far and wide.

They have great hot chocolate at Chocolatt in Brentwood, but might you have any suggestions?

Thanks!
melissa

[schrutefarms]

If you are downtown, Rivera has a chocolate cake with pineapple thing, it more like a slice of super rich choc truffle. I could do without the pineapple, but without a doubt one of the best chocolate tastes I have ever come across.

[OC Mutt]

Leonidas is my favorite chocolate in the world. Their hazelnut pralines are to die for. I used to have to wait for someone to come back from Europe to get them, then they came to NYC, and now they're in Santa Monica.

[choctastic]

Don't they have an outlet in Pasadena as well? At least it used to be there and the website is still up.

[krick]

Possibly the best chocolate bars I've had anywhere anytime are the Amedei bars (in particular the 9 and Chuao), which, as far as I know, can only be found in LA at Wally's Wines and Niemans. They're not for everyone and they're on the pricey side, but if you're on a quest for the best, you need to at least give these a shot. I also second Wine House, which always has a pretty good selection of chocolates.

[simpsonslaw]

The Chocolate Bar in Encino has a great selection of bars and truffles/bonbons. They carry chocolates by several chocolatiers in the US and Europe. May favorite is the Sultane Nue. It's a rich creamy milk chocolate with a cherry that has been aged in brandy and a layer of cream on the bottom. Ooh, La La. You can find them on yelp.

[pravada17]

Compartes (www.compartes.com) in Brentwood has some of the most innovative and delicious choco I have ever laid my lips on... it's a weekly obsession for me!!

[unocal]

what about some good ole fashioned chocolate pudding?? there's this place by my folks in white plains, NY that makes theirs w/ valhrona chocolate...can anyone say OH MY GOD?! and what about a jacques torres style hot chocolate; they must have something like that here. if i could get that pudding though, forget it...

[emily]

Has anyone tried Sprinkles hot chocolate? It sounds good on the website, but I've never heard any reviews.

[cdub]

in terms of hot chocolate, the one at senior fred with churros is spectacular. city bakery at the brentwood country mart is good too.

[rednyellow]

Neiman Marcus has a great chocolate selection

[Woolsey]

No love for Jin Pâtisserie? They're not my favorite chocolates, but I prefer them over Boule, which has been mentioned several times.

http://www.jinpatisserie.com/

-----
Jin Patisserie
1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

[mermy]

Boule is great!

Carver: peanut praline, Brittany: fleur de sel caramel, Isis: rose-caramel, Lilli: passionfruit-ivoire, Bronte: earl grey-rasberry truffles are alllllll delicious!

They have great gelato also.

[pinpei]

K Chocolatier is hands down the best. Their truffles are amazing. They aren't inexpensive, but they are well worth the price.

[kel]

Any current take on this ? Especially dark chocolate?

[DanaB]

I was wondering whether this thread had been revived for a reason!

If Picholine is still doing chocolate, I'd nominate them as the best.

Picholine
3360 W 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90004-6000
Phone: [phone]

[Woolsey]

Picholine is now L'Aritsan du Chocolat.

http://www.lartisanduchocolat.com/

Try the chocolate truffles (hazelnut or coffee) and the chcolate macaroons at L'Artiste Patisserie. All handmade, rich and delicious.

L'Artiste Patisserie
17312-A Ventura Boulevard
Encino

Here's a list with addresses.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

My chocolate loves in LA:

1. L'Artisan du chocolate (Virgil & 1st next door to Picholine): Plain truffels and carmel fleur de sel.
2. K Chocolatier (Bev. Hills): Plain truffels, marzipan covered and liqueur filled.
3. Boulde (La Cienega): Chocolate tart.
4. Sweet Lady Jane (Melrose & Orlando): Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake.
5. There is a woman in a small Olvera Street cafe that makes the best Mexican Hot Chocolate I've found in LA.
6. The Mexican Chocloate cream pie at Border Grill in Santa Monica.

I still haven't found great hot chocolate of the non-Mexican variety and make my own. I don't care for Leonidas and I like Teaucher but find it not chocolatey enough.

[kreilich]

Try MarieBelle. It's pure couveture and was voted No. 1 by the New York Times last year.

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I can't wait to taste!

most of the replies seem to be dealing with truffles.
Although I love the truffles at Teuscher and the chocolate fish, and the lubeck (marzipan) chocolate - here are two alternatives that I like.

Edelweiss on Canon in Beverly Hills. Not for the truffles. They have wonderful fresh and preserved fruit in chocolate - the pineapple and orange peel are great, as is the ginger. They have their own specialties as well. for those of you starf@(#*$%&s, acdg to Scott Berg, katherine Hepburn always demanded a box of edelweiss whenever people would go east to visit her.

My fave almond bark, dark, Littlejohn's in the farmers market.

Formerly the best and no longer extant, the chocolates at Bit of Sweetland, near the Bev'y Center. Had there been a chowhounds, they would have lasted. They had gerbeaud's recipe book for chocolate (best confiserie patisserie in Budapest). Great things. They went wholesale for a while as Jerbo in camarillo, left the business and the folks now make strikingly good "gourmet" peanut butters. I was surprized to learn it was the same people. maybe they'll get back into the chocolate making business.

LITTLE JOHN'S ENGLISH TOFFEE
6333 W 3RD ST #432
90036
LOS ANGELES

EDELWEISS CANDY KITCHEN
444 N CANON DR
90210
BEVERLY HILLS

[Hughlipton]

I'll join in on Edelweiss. Some of the best chocolate covered marshmallows I ever used to eat (age and waistline are restrictive to amybe once a year). If you have small children you can call them and they will tell yo when you can bring the children in to see the chocolates made. If you are an adult who thinks you are a child I'm pretty sure they would let you in too.

I like K for truffles and chocolate covered marzipan, L'Artisan du chocolate for truffles and filled chocolates, and Teuscher for champagne truffles.

Boule makes excellent chocolates but I generally prefer the others.

I was also quite impressed with Whoodhouse when we were in Napa last year.

Link: http://www.woodhousechocolate.com/

Teuscher's champagne truffles are heavenly!

Try Leonidas (Santa Monica) - their Mocha drinks are amazing and their chocolates are really good as well. Fantastic sugar free options.

I think "K" is a bit over-rated and overpriced. The chocolate was good but not the best in my opinion. I have not tried all varietys there though. It didn't have the melt in your mouth component. The owner are wonderful though - will offer tastes of many of the items.

[Jwsel]

I like Woodhouse, but for mail order, Hotel Chocolat is amazing. It is a UK brand that just began a US operation. www.hotelchocolat.com

The gold box "Hand Piped Selection" is amazing and I have never been disappointed with their seasonal boxes. Their new US website, however, is a pain to navigate.

You'll find an excellent selection of chocolate bars, mostly made in France, at The Wine House. (My favorite brand is Michel Cluizel)
Wine House
2311 Cotner Avenue
Phone: [phone] x260
Fax: [phone]
Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday nights open until 9 p.m.
Sunday open 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

I, too have been on that quest. (And managed to make it to a few artisanal chocolate shops on the east coast as well, this summer.) That said...

In tem pur a tia (I think that's how they spell it) in the Pacific Palisades, has amazing truffles. They are ridiculously expensive. I haven't tried their hot chocolate.

The L'Artisan du Chocolat, next door to Picholine in Silverlake, has lovely truffles. Unfortunately their hours are odd. Call to make certain they are open.

"In tem pur a tia" in Pacific Palisades. I can not find them on the web -- no mention. Maybe the spelling. Can you help? Also, do they have coffee?

The absolute best chocolate in LA is not sold at any price. I was told it is only given as a gift to clients. Box is totally unmarked. I was lucky enough to be offered a taste. Belgian Bittersweet Chocolate. Flavors are unusual. I recall Mango infused with French Napoleon Brandy, Apricot infused with Orange Licquor and something with Thai Chili Paste. Since that is not an option, there is a very good chocolate shop in Pacific Palisades on the street behind the Bank of America. Try the Pave. They are little squares of intense chocolate ganache. Does anyone know anything about the Mystery Chocolatier?

no clue about the mystery choclatier but the palisades shop is called "intemperantia" and it's on antioch.

Teuscher, BH. Leonidas, Larchmont & Santa Monica.

i second teuscher, their champagne truffles are unbelievable

"K" Chocolatier is very good. In Beverly Hills by the Peninsula Hotel. Teuscher is also worth a try.

"K" Chocolatier--high end chocolates manufactured by Diane Kron, who is usually in her tiny shop--is not by the Peninsula Hotel; it is near the southwest corner of Camden and little Santa Monica, on the south side of little Santa Monica.

I agree on Teuscher's champagne truffles; I also like the walnut buttercrunch. I find K only ok overall -- I really enjoyed the alcohol filled pieces, though. Chuao Chocolatier (based in Encinitas) is coming to the Irvine Spectrum at the end of September. Their caramel-based chocolates (banana, passion fruit and strawberry-balsamic) are excellent.

The passion fruit heart is absolutely one of my faves!
OMG I didn't know they were coming to Irvine! Thanks for the info!

[cookee]

They're already at Irvine spectrun-they've been there for a while now.

[Woolsey]

I agree completely on K - just okay, and the alcohol-filled pieces are the best. I find the chocolates there really are marked up way, way too high for what they are, too. I personally expect more creativity at that price point. She does have a great sales technique though: She plies customers with enough of her chocolates to get them buzzed, and somehow, wallets tend to open. Then, ten minutes later, one finds oneself three blocks away, holding a tiny bag of chocolate and fifty dollars poorer...