The best chocolatiers France

The Marneese's favourite chocolate maker... is Emmanuel Briet. After having worked with great Parisian pastry chefs, Emmanuel Briet opened his chocolate factory in Epernay. A showcase shop from which you can see the chef officer in his workshop in the back shop, where he elaborates his creations from 17 cocoa crus and carefully selected ingredients, from Sicilian pistachios to Piedmont hazelnuts, Valencia almonds, Lebanese orange blossom and products from Madame Izrael for her chocolates with 5 peppers and spices.

Marions Les Chocolats is an artisanal chocolate workshop and store near the church in Pennautier. It is constantly innovating: first of all, with the creation of small chocolate characters, orangettes, macaroons, single chocolates or bars. But also on the substance, with workshops and tasting sessions around wine for chocolate-wine pairings. Marion is also a chocolate trainer for your private events, a rich idea to transmit her remarkable craft work combining creativity and greed.

François Pralus has opened a beautiful boutique in Saint-Etienne with a burgundy front. You don't know him yet? Certainly you do, you know, it is this chocolate maker-pastry maker from Milan who offers you his famous pralulines, from brioches to pink pralines with a secret recipe and inimitable taste. The Pralus family owns cacao tree plantations in the north-west of Madagascar and makes chocolates from grand cru cacao to be enjoyed in the form of bars or fancy chocolates. A real delight... His productions are renowned throughout France! The flagship products: the pyramid of the tropics and the infernal bar.

The Coutant chocolate factory will soon celebrate its 50 years of existence in Nantes, in the gourmet district of Copernic. This artisanal chocolate factory is known for its seriousness and its quality, never denied until today. In the district, regulars but also newcomers and other tourists regularly stop in front of the attractive store. Held by the sympathetic Véronique and Laurent Carretero and their faithful team, the artisanal creations are born under the sign of the subtlety and the balance. Every month, the store window changes according to the seasons, the holidays and the news from Nantes. Among the many creations, let's mention the Muscadettes nantaises (a ganache with muscadet brandy) or the macaroons (coffee, chocolate, Grand Marnier, blackcurrant, caramel, passion, lemon, etc.). The house also makes delicious florentines, these nougatine and candied fruit palets placed on a chocolate disc. Original creations of impeccable quality. Try the home-made chocolate bites like the Duchesses (orange ganache, caramel coulis and pistachio almond paste). Created by Mr. Coutant, the Anne de Bretagne crowns (70% cocoa, raisins, almonds and hazelnuts) have become famous. One comes of course to discover the traditional chocolates house, but also the chocolates of origins (Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Peru and the innovations 2022 with Uganda or Papua. Always with the surprising Equacacao directly from Ecuador from the producer to the processor! In boxes, bags or bars, we succumb to the pleasure of chocolate. The Coutant fondant (chocolate fondant with 64% cocoa from Peru, chopped roasted almonds: excellent!) is a hit. Try also the new shortbread with raspberry inserts... In summer, homemade sorbets are available for our greatest pleasure. In 2022, we can now enjoy the new Nantais Coutant cake (4 or 6 parts according to the gourmands). The little bears made of marshmallow and dark or milk chocolate were also created! Not yet 50 years old, but still very creative.

The Segonzac chocolate factory is a pretty store with a thousand and one chocolate treasures, which highlights a tradition handed down from father to son. The specialty of the house is the delicious Guinettes with old Armagnac, but of course you can taste chocolate in all its forms: subjects (eggs, fish, rabbits, hearts, and even Santa Claus lollipops that delight the little ones at Christmas time), ballotins of fine chocolates, Bouchons du Médoc, and other exquisite delicacies... An address that will seduce the most expert and delicate palates.

For 5 generations, the master chocolate makers of the Pariès house in Bayonne have combined know-how, tradition and excellence in the production of chocolates, sweets, pastries, ice creams and sorbets. Bayonne is the cradle of the dynasty that saw the birth of the first Kanougas® and other Basque delicacies. It is in the workshop (which can be visited) of Socoa that our craftsmen realize with ancestral methods the specialities, of which the Basque cakes, the touron, the Mouchou®, the pastries, the ice creams and sorbets, the Kanouga® and the last born, the Espelines®.

Éclat de Chocolat delights gourmets all year round. Mickaël Martin's creations, true works of gustatory art, celebrate the high points of the year, such as Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day. As refined as they are gourmet, they include exceptional chocolates such as these pralines in candy form, a varied range of entremets including the pistachio-strawberry-lemon opera in summer, artisanal ice creams, macaroons and small snacks, including adorable marshmallow teddies. A must for lovers of refined sweets.

Working in Roanne, where they used to rub shoulders and collaborate with the chef Pierre Troisgros, Célia and Guillaume moved to the wine capital. She, getting closer to her family bases. Their rustic shop and workshop smell good as soon as you enter, like the succulences that the chef prepares on his marbles. Confectionery, pastries and chocolates have immediately won over a tasteful public. Their flagship products: giant madeleines, the "Caramel à l'O" in partnership with Salins, marshmallows, chocolates... even ice creams in season. We are amazed.

Caprices is a real institution located in the city center of Mulhouse. The years pass, the city changes but this exceptional chocolate maker is still true to itself, at the top, that only great professionals are capable of doing. The Metzger family managed to combine the trade of confectioner-chocolate maker with real artistic talent, offering enticed lovers a wonderful show for the eyes and the tastebuds. Admiring real themed works of art in the window (for example edible books full of chocolates for the beginning of the new school year...) is already a way of giving in to these pleasures and accept to open the doors to learn more. There, myriads of chocolate, petit fours and specialities of all kinds seem to call you out to take them home. Lovers of candied chestnuts and fruit jellies will not be outdone, you will find forgotten flavours. Caprice is a real tradition house with a talented artisan chocolate maker at the helm. As Oscar Wilde said it: "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." What are you waiting for?

For a career change, here's a particularly successful one. It was passion that led Philippe Vareillaud to make a radical change of profession. He now excels in the world of chocolate, and his reputation continues to grow. In terms of innovation, this year the beans will be processed on site using the Bean to Bar method. Creations such as the delicious Vin Jaune, to name just one among many, deserve a mention. In this profession, here's a name that rightly stands out. Attention connoisseurs.

Founded in 1964, this family-run business fervently nurtures its undeniable cacaophilia! It boasts a pleasant tea room with a large terrace. Here, you can sample over 20 grands crus of hot and cold chocolate, as well as delicious homemade desserts. The Grimmer chocolate factory produces 100 varieties of chocolate bonbons every day - the house specialty! A must for lovers of chocolate in all its forms, as well as confectionery: sugared almonds, candies, caramels, marshmallows, fruit jellies..

Artisan chocolatier and specialist in high-end delicacies since 1960, the Thil chocolate factory offers luxury and quality chocolates with original flavors that delight the taste buds of the finest gourmets. In its workshop based in Saint-Léonard and its four stores in the department, this passionate chocolate maker offers a huge choice of fine pure cocoa butter chocolates made by hand. The flavors are varied and original, like the Espelette pepper praline. Whether it is for you or for your close relations, this address is impossible to circumvent.

In the Graslin district of Paris, Capkao has set its sights on cocoa, bringing on board the expertise and talent of two complementary partners: pastry chef Nicolas Riveau and chocolatier Anthony Bourdillat (son of Angevin chocolatier Stéphane Bourdillat). These two enthusiasts met at the Valrhona school, where they were both instructors. The idea of this pretty establishment, which is both a laboratory and a boutique where you can discover their delicious and creative creations, was born from their experiences at fine addresses (such as the Crillon with Christophe Adam). Their Capkao brand offers a wide range of chocolate bars (including the gourmet white chocolate and raspberry), spreads, delicious beketés (little chocolate candies with corn, dark chocolate, etc.), pralines and ganaches, including Souvenir d'enfance (vanilla yoghurt ganache with raspberry confit), Original (black sesame praline with fresh ginger) and Breton (buckwheat praline). As for pastries, you'll love the creamy vanilla flan, the pavlova, the chocolate financier, and cakes with evocative names: Cap sur l'Ardèche, featuring chestnuts, or Cap sur les States au chocolat. The welcome is warm, and Nicolas and Anthony take the time to explain their know-how. Good news: in 2022, L'Atelier Capkao has just opened. Pastry and chocolate-making classes can now be booked for 3 to 8 people maximum. Count on 2h30 of sharing and conviviality. And, of course, you get to take home your own creation! Anthony teaches the chocolate classes and Nicolas the pastry classes.

If you're a chocolate lover, don't miss this store in the heart of town. Not far from the Old Port and a stone's throw from Place de Verdun, this shop has a window display that's enticing to say the least. Colorful and rich in delicacies, it draws the eye and makes you want to come in. You'll be charmed by the friendly atmosphere and warm welcome. The team is always smiling and attentive. You'll fall in love with rochelines, those icy, chocolatey sweets, as well as orangettes, berlingots...