Sugar Savvy

Where better to taste hot chocolate in Paris than in one of the premier chocolate stores? La Maison du Chocolat is one of the most popular chocolate shops, well known for their exquisite truffles. I thought it would be an appropriate end to my chocolat chaud series in Paris.

Everyone knows that things in Paris are expensive. In fact, a cup of hot chocolate made from cheap chocolate powder at a random café can cost you more than 5 Euros. So knowing where to go makes all the difference, and what drew me to La Maison du Chocolat was a sign saying that they did their hot chocolate to go for only 3.50 Euros.

Two things to notice:
1. It’s an amazing bargain for Paris. (Note- Drinking inside at the cafe, the hot chocolate is 6.50 Euros.)
2. To go? In Paris? Unless you go to an American chain, takeout is not a very popular thing, especially for coffee and hot drinks.

And the verdict? Not surprisingly, a great balanced chocolate flavor. In the first few sips, the taste of sugar seemed to be distinct from the chocolate, a little strange and disconcerting. But after awhile, it balanced out and had a good ratio of sweetness, richness, and deepness of flavor. Plus, it was piping hot. The size was also perfect for a single serving. You do get less than the other places I’ve reviewed, but the price is also much more affordable.

There are two versions of hot chocolate to choose from, but the shop I visited happened to stock only one (I’m not sure which). If you go to their main store in Paris, there is a brochure with a great description to help you choose.

With summer in full swing out here, hot chocolate is not really a drink that’s refreshing. Again, this store shows some great initiative by offering chocolat froid (cold chocolate). I dutifully returned, tasted (I take my job seriously) and really didn’t like it very much. It was basically their hot chocolate chilled. The texture was slightly grainy, and it was too thick to have the refreshing feel that a summer drink usually has. Maybe it would be better blended with ice or made with milk rather than cream? Stick with the hot chocolate, mes amis.

Since I am saying farewell to Paris in a few weeks, I take comfort in the fact that there are La Maison du Chocolat stores in New York. At least it’s 3,600 miles closer to San Francisco. Hopefully I can convince them to expand to the West Coast.

Thus ends the quest for hot chocolate in Paris. See the bottom of the post for my final rankings.

La Maison du Chocolat
Boutiques in:
* Paris (below is the main location, others are listed on website)
- 52, rue Francois 1er
75008 Paris, France
* London
* Japan
* New York
- 30 Rockefeller Center
New York City, NY 10020
- 1018 Madison Ave.
New York City, NY 10021

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Here are my final rankings for Parisian hot chocolate:
1. Ritz Hotel: Perfect hot chocolate, glitzy atmosphere, complimentary petit fours. High end of the price scale, now 9 Euros. I’m heading back there this afternoon for a farewell cup before leaving Paris!
2. La Maison du Chocolat: Great hot chocolate to go, an amazing bargain at 3.50 Euros. Plus, stores in the US!
3. Angélina: Le chocolat africain has deep flavor but served lukewarm, 6.20 Euros. Rude service, ordinary pastries.
4. Jean-Paul Hévin: Not enough chocolate flavor, 6.30 Euros. Cute café, good pastries.

I know there are many more places in Paris that I couldn’t review, but it’s my incentive for returning to Paris one day!