The best chocolatiers Aquitaine

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®.

With a passion for history and the arts, Maëlig initially focused on archaeology, before succumbing to her passion for the craft of chocolate. After working at Maison Cochet in Saint-Raphaël and Maison Saunion in Bordeaux, she obtained a CAP Pâtisserie with a mention complémentaire in Pâtisserie, Chocolaterie, Confiserie, Glacerie. An Artisan Chocolatier, she chose to set up her chocolate factory in Saint-Emilion, where she expresses all her creativity. Made in France, her packaging even includes cocoa pods.

A visit to Maison Antton's workshop is a must: immerse yourself in cocoa-producing countries, and discover the different stages of processing, from the cocoa bean to the chocolate lozenges that will no longer hold any secrets for you! You'll see the chocolatier at work, and then sample some delicious treats. The chocolate factory is renowned for its respect for the chocolate-making tradition of the Basque Country, and for passing on the flavours of the Basque terroir through its superb creations. Intensity and authenticity.

La Chocolaterie de la Couronne is a famous sign in Pau, refined and multi-awarded since 1953. Although it has not been able to welcome many crowned heads, it has nevertheless seduced great men such as General de Gaulle, who was particularly fond of Créoles, a ganache with fine champagne and dark chocolate. Many other specialties have marked the sign: Golden pearls, old-fashioned pralines with white chocolate, cherries with armagnac and almond paste, ganache with raisins macerated in cointreau... creation is an art in this amazing chocolate factory.

Hasnaa, chef chocolatière spotted on the TV show "MasterChef", selects exceptional cocoa beans herself from the growers to make grand cru chocolates, without preservatives or artificial flavoring. Her creations are original and subtle, like the coriander praline or the timut pepper ganache. In her boutique-atelier on rue Fondaudège, she offers workshops to introduce visitors to the art of chocolate-making. A boutique is also open in Arcachon.

At Henriet, a Biarritz institution and pillar of the local gourmet scene, you'll find chocolate in all its forms and tourons (an almond paste preparation). The Basque beret, a range of refined chocolates with character, praline bites and cocoa powder... As for pastries, the house's great classics and seasonal novelties rub shoulders, such as gâteau basque, baba au rhum, saint-honoré, ganache passion cognac, florentin, not forgetting ice creams and sorbets. A warm welcome awaits you.

Here, the XL 40 (chocolate ganache combined with Armagnac from the Domaine d'Ognoas) is next to the Cahuète d'Aquitaine (60% peanuts from Soustons-Landes) and other specialties such as the Dudu, a sweet madeleine-mango cookie praline and chocolate icing crunch, to be tasted on the end of a stick. And the chocolate escarpin by Delphine Carrère, master pastry chef and chocolatier, has become a classic. She also makes your inspirations from the best chocolates (Mexico, Venezuela, Trinidad, Santo Domingo, Papua...).

It's melting, it's crunchy, it's spicy, it's colorful, it's spicy... Darricau is the place that drives chocolate lovers crazy - the real, artisanal kind! Owner Laurence is adorable, and her husband Michel is nowhere to be found... It's only to be expected that he's perfecting his beans in his workshop, which he brings with him from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Madagascar. In this boutique, you'll find absolutely every kind of chocolate you can imagine, not forgetting the original chocolate sculptures or the 100% handmade, palm-oil-free salted butter caramel verrines!

A gourmet institution created in 1890, this cosy store with old-fashioned displays, gleaming brass and crystal chandeliers is an invitation to discover a wide choice of specialities: gourmet bar, chocolate candy, turrón and Bayonne macaroon! Here, we love the great vintages with always the same chocolate signature: power, length in the mouth, delicacy of aromatic combinations. The almond pastes are "fresh", a rarity. In the same spirit, macaroons with little sugar have a remarkable almond flavour. Also present in Biarritz since 1930.

Les Gourmandises d'Aliénor, located in La Teste-de-Buch, near the Bassin d'Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat, invites you to immerse yourself in the world of chocolate. They produce traditional French fine chocolates with 74% pure cocoa. When you visit their workshop, you'll discover the fascinating history of chocolate, from its discovery by the Conquistadors in 1492 to its cultivation around the tropical belt in America, Africa and Asia. You'll watch chocolatiers work this noble material with passion, while tasting their delicious treats. This is your chance to discover the secrets of chocolate.

In the Lindt and Sprüngli factory store, you will be immersed in the wonderful world of chocolates. A discovery area explains in a few panels the steps involved in making the chocolates. You will also find the brand's specialties at factory prices and new products. Indeed, the store offers assortments reserved for export. Chocolates by weight, do-it-yourself assortments for gourmet compositions but also gift boxes, this great brand knows how to satisfy its followers with a know-how carried by passion.

This boutique has been part of Bayonne's finest family of artisan chocolatiers since 1854. Taken over by the Biraben family, Cazenave has become a benchmark in the Basque Country and beyond. Thanks to a rigorous selection of certified organic cocoa beans and a know-how that has become ancestral, the chocolate factory, which is also a renowned tea room, offers kanougas, spreads, tablets, assorted chocolates or homemade dark or milk chocolate bonbons, and tourons, one of its specialties.

More than a chocolate factory, Maison Saunion is THE house of chocolate in Bordeaux, a house that has been established for four generations on Cours Georges-Clemenceau. Thierry Lalet, nicknamed "Le petit Saunion" (the little Saunion), took over the torch of the family business in 1994, always with excellence. Refined shop, cosy welcome. On the shelves, a magnificent selection of fruit pulps, calissons, disguised fruit, and an irresistible range of chocolates: Montmorency, truffles, Guinettes, Clemenceau (rum-candied cherry coated with milk chocolate) as well as the must-eat Gallien de Bordeaux, the oldest chocolate from Saunion with a nougatine shell, almond heart from Provence and hazelnuts from Lot-et-Garonne. Great refinement and the promise of exquisite gourmet moments. In the summer, lovers of sweet treats can enjoy ice-cream in cones or jars sold in a very retro trolley.

Pascal Moustirats began as an apprentice pastry chef at Heynard, before moving to Paris to apprentice as a chocolatier at Robert Linxe's La Maison du Chocolat. He then spent 3 years at Ladurée before returning to the Basque Country. Bonbons de chocolat, ganaches, pralines and numerous chocolates à croquer make up Pascal's Noir range. He also offers bars of different percentages and origins. 3 stores now with tea room between Bayonne and Hasparren.

Artisan chocolatier Puyodebat is a benchmark in the small world of Basque chocolatiers. Between Cambo-les-Bains, Biarritz and the Art Deco-style store in Bayonne, you'll find the praline specialty: the Craquinette, so good you'll want to have one every time. You'll also find other must-try creations: mendiants, rocailles, aiguillettes au piment... and grand cru chocolates: napolitains, dark chocolate ganaches... Upstairs, you'll find the Salon de Chocolat, where you can enjoy a sublime hot chocolate.

A staple of Basque delicacies, it has been delighting generations of gourmets since 1946. You'll find classic regional chocolates such as Rocher de Biarritz, Touron Basque, Calissons and cocoa powder... In winter, truffettes are on offer, and all year round, chocolate lollipops, tablettes and caramels are on the menu. A house also renowned for its pastries. Gâteau basque, millefeuille, Saint-Honoré, fruit tarts, baba au rhum, etc... a difficult choice, with a range of creations to choose from.