The 6 Best Chocolate Shops in New York City

Creamy, not-too-sweet chocolates with intense fillings are made fresh daily at this small chocolate shop, started as a love project by Kee Ling Tong when she left her job in the corporate world. You can watch the chocolates being made next door to the original Kee's shop, and relish the fact that you can only purchase these chocolates in person at one of Kee's two New York locations: one on the Upper West Side and the other in Midtown.

Kee’s is definitely an international chocolatier, as her flavors are inspired by, and the ingredients sourced from, destinations around the world. Try the honey saffron for a taste of Spain, or the citrusy yuzu chocolate from Japan.

As Jacques Torres was inducted in the Chocolate Hall of Fame in 2016, you'd do well to visit one of his chocolate shops. His first chocolate store and factory came to Dumbo in 2000, and he has since opened six more locations around New York City: SoHo, Upper West Side, Rockefeller Center, Midtown, and two within Grand Central Station. You can even watch the chocolatiers craft these famed heavenly treats at several of these locations.

Don't get so distracted you forget to taste the delicious chocolates, hot chocolate, and chocolate chip cookies. The shops always get creative around the holidays, offering fun, delightful goodies such as candy cane turkeys for Thanksgiving and chocolate snowmen for Christmas.

Boasting the title of the oldest chocolate house in Manhattan, Li-Lac has been satisfying chocolate cravings in the West Village since 1923. This local New York City shop offers chocolates in memorable shapes (including the Empire State Building), as well as delicious treats like turtles and almond bark. They have a wide selection of NYC-themed gift boxes, in addition to NYC-shaped confections, making this a great spot to grab souvenirs for friends at home. They have six locations in the city, in the West Village, Greenwich Village, Grand Central, and Chelsea Market in Manhattan plus Hudson Yards and Industry City in Brooklyn.

MarieBelle's famous chocolates are so artful, you might find it difficult to bite into them. Go ahead: They are just as delicious as they are beautiful. The small chocolate ganaches look like small decorated tiles, each one painted with a handmade, and edible, scene, available to purchase by the pair or in any number of box sets at her SoHo store.

But just as famous as these artisan chocolates are the Cacao Bar, which is part of the SoHo store. Decorated like the interior of a Viennese palace, MarieBelle serves European espresso drinks, light snacks, and decadent hot chocolates, including the famous Aztec Hot Chocolate. For a real unique treat, order it spicy with ancho chile and cinnamon.

You'll get only the most indulgent treats at this classic French chocolatier: champagne cognac truffles, intense dark chocolate ganache made with Ecuadorean cocoa, pralines that have been coated in caramelized almonds and hazelnuts, and more. Can't decide what to sample? Ask the staff for help. They are knowledgeable and can help you pick out the perfect treat to take home (or eat on the way to your hotel).

La Maison du Chocolat started in Paris but has four shops in Manhattan, Rockefeller Center, The Plaza Food Hall, Columbus Circle, and the Upper East Side. And if you need a minute to relax back at the hotel, you can get same-day delivery if you're staying in Manhattan.

The cocoa beans here are sustainably sourced from eastern Colombia, and all the chocolates are handmade. Nunu Chocolates specializes in classic favorites, like the 70 percent dark chocolate bar or dark chocolate with caramel, but that doesn't mean it doesn't get creative also. The bacon toffee crunch bar is a perpetual favorite, as are the many different types of alcohol-filled ganaches such as prosecco, absinthe, and sake.

The shop is much more than a chocolate store. Located in the World Trade Center Occulus, you can not only pick up your favorite confections, but also sit down and enjoy a green tea latte, chocolate, and wine pairing, or one of the many craft beers on tap.