The 10 Best Places to Buy Chocolate in Boston
From stone-ground bars, to a chocolate piñata cake, truffle samplers, and more, these shops will sate any chocolate fix.
A sampler of Gate comme des Filles bonbons. / Photo by Colin Price
Chocolate: We’ll take it. In triple-chocolate-cheesecake form? Yes. As indulgent cups of warm drinking chocolate? Absolutely. Sometimes, though, and especially when certain holidays hit, you need to find the best shop for traditional—or whimsical—arrangements of bonbons, truffles, and barks. (“One for them, one for me…”) Here’s where to find chocolatiers that hit every carryout-friendly sweet spot.
A sampler from Beacon Hill Chocolates. / Photo by Toan Trinh for “Buying the Cacao”
Beacon Hill Chocolates
Great for Valentine’s Day or just for fun, Beacon Hill Chocolates offers a well-curated assortment, including keepsake boxes decorated with handmade artwork that can be customized for any event or occasion.
91 Charles St., Boston, 617-725-1900, beaconhillchocolates.com.
Cacao
Chocolate covered nuts and dried fruit are the decadent snacks that bring us back to Cacao, where bite-sized macadamias, pecans, cranberries, and ginger are bathed in dark and milk chocolate. That’s besides all the chocolate bonbons (try the Aztec Spicy!), truffles, and barks that line the cases. The original Jamaica Plain location just earned a sibling in Newton, which plans to have at least a few seats for guests once the pandemic abates—presumably, cozy nooks for curling up with some of Boston’s best hot chocolate.
660B Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-390-2400; 23 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, 617-467-4599, cacaonuts.com.
Eataly Boston
Gourmet Italian chocolate abounds inside Eataly. From classic choices like a Roma dark chocolate bar, to a more eccentric options like a white pepper chocolate from Modica, experts in the store can help you pick the perfect piece or sampler. Online, sort through the options by price, producer, and even Italian province.
800 Boylston St., Boston, 617-807-7300, eataly.com.
A sampler from EHChocolatier. / Photo by Toan Trinh for “Buying the Cacao”
EHChocolatier
Visiting this off-the-beaten-path working shop also comes with a behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate-making experience. Staff favorites include rochers, a French treat made up of caramelized corn flakes and almonds coated in chocolate; and caramelized peanut butter cups.
145 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-284-6096, ehchocolatier.com.
An assortment from Gâté Comme des Filles / Photo by Colin Price
Gâté Comme des Filles
Alexandra Whisnant’s lovely little shop at Somerville’s Bow Market is home to huge talent. Whisnant studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and served as pastry chef at Chez Panisse, simply one of America’s most important restaurants. Most impressive, though, is how she packs all that tremendous technique and talent into square-inches of chocolate bonbons—all filled with flavors like local raspberry, pistachio praline, and rose-pink peppercorn. Her boutique holds a few chocolate desserts too, including cocoa cones filled with chocolate mousse.
1 Bow Market Way #8, Somerville, MA 02143, 617-764-5872, gatecommedesfilles.fr.
Gourmet Boutique
Inspired by European chocolate shops and patisseries, this Back Bay boutique offers more than a dozen brands of European chocolate, such as Milka, Valrhona, and Maxim’s De Paris. It carries gift sets with high-end pantry items, plus baked goods including French macarons in flavors like white chocolate and Nutella.
10 Huntington Ave. (Westin Copley Place), Boston, 781-367-5629, gourmetboutique.net.
Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. / Photo provided
Formaggio Kitchen
With locations in both Cambridge and the South End, this gourmet grocery store offers plenty of chocolate on top of artisan cheeses, pastas, wine, and more. The shop cuts blocks of chocolate to order, and sources varieties both locally and from locales around the world—from Italy to Vietnam to Lithuania. Note: The 244 Huron Ave. location will soon relocate to 360 Huron Ave; confirm before visiting.
244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-4750; 94 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 94 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-714-5758; 268 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-350-6996, formaggiokitchen.com.
L.A. Burdick Chocolates
Who hasn’t had a rich, creamy “drinking chocolate” from L.A. Burdick? With two café-shops in the Back Bay and Harvard Square, it’s hard to beat this New Hampshire-based chocolatier’s selection. Find seasonal bonbons, like green tea, ginger, mango, and even Sichuan pepper for the Lunar New Year; and passion fruit-raspberry for your Valentine. On a normal day, choose a classic, hand-cut assortment, or specialty ganache mice and penguins.
52 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-491-4340, 220 Clarendon St., Boston, 617-303-0113, burdickchocolate.com.
Modern Pastry
This North End staple has more in its glass display cases than just cannoli and cakes. The store also offers a wide selection of chocolates, and the Italian nougat candy torrone, in unique varieties like chocolate, cappuccino, espresso, and caramel.
263 Hanover St., Boston, 617-523-3783, modernpastry.com.
Chocolate Mexicano Discs from Taza Chocolate. Photo provided.
Serenade Chocolatier
If choices like sea salt caramels, Irish truffles, and almond bark aren’t cutting it, make any upcoming occasion extra special with this Brookline Village’s shop’s “piñata cakes.” Each “cake” is a giant chocolate shell filled with various truffles, caramels, and candies. They can be customized for any celebration, and also come with a keepsake hammer—smashing!
5 Harvard Sq., Brookline, 617-739-0795, serenadechocolatier.com.
Taza Chocolate
You can find these stone-ground discs in flavors like cinnamon, coffee, and guajillo chilli at locations around the country, as well as directly from the factory store in Somerville.
561 Windsor St., Somerville, 617-284-2232, tazachocolate.com.
