From the best booze-free pairings to the best child-friendly brunches, we talk about London’s dining scene a lot. But the Big Smoke has a sweet tooth – and chocolate shops from some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs and pâtissiers-turned-chocolatiers have been cropping up all over the city. Here are six to satisfy your cravings for cocoa.
Adam Handling Chocolate Shop
Where: Covent Garden
Best for: hand-painted truffles.
If life is like a box of chocolates, we only want the ones from Michelin-starred chef Adam Handling MBE’s new choc shop in Covent Garden. Specifically, his box of 24 hand-painted, technicolour dreamcoat-like truffles that look almost too good to eat. Here, Adam champions sustainability cooking – right down to the cocoa bean. And if you’re lucky, you might even meet Maya – his sweet Maltipoo mascot milling around – named after his favourite flavour, Mayan Red.
adamhandlingchocolate.com
17 Maiden Ln, WC2E 7NL
Birley Chocolate
Where: Chelsea
Best for: decadent dining in.
This tiny treasure trove of sweet treats is tucked away on Chelsea’s back streets (and just two doors down from fan favourite Birley Bakery). The interior’s textures are as rich as the chocolate – expect to see hand-painted walls plastered with ingredients used in its chocolatey creations and woven tables and chairs that visitors can choose to dine in on. Short on time? Swing by its takeaway window for ice creams in summer and waffles in winter.
birleybakery.com
24 Cale St, SW3 3QU
Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse
Where: King’s Cross, Borough
Best for: bean-to-bar purists.
This one’s from the godfather of French gastronomy himself – so, naturally, it’s très chic. Stepping inside Alain Ducasse’s cocoa-speckled jewellery box boutiques is a lesson in bean-to-bar craftmanship. Expect intense, grown-up flavours brought to life in a Parisian workshop with rare, single-origin beans. Whether you’re in the original Borough Market boutique or the cool Coal Drops Yard location, Le Chocolat is the perfect pitstop for those who treat chocolate like fine wine – or fine art.
lechocolat-alainducasse.com
Unit 15 Bagley Walk Arches, N1C 4DH | 5 Dirty Ln, SE1 9PA
William Curley
Where: Soho
Best for: all the sweetness, none of the artificial extras.
Four-time winner of Britain’s Best Chocolatier. Holder of the UK’s highest culinary title. We’re talking about William Curley MCA, of course. He brings Michelin-level finesse to every square of chocolate, all handmade in his London kitchen without any artificial preservatives, flavourings, colours, or excess sugar. Flavour-wise, he’s playful – from rosemary and sea salt ganache to Yuzu truffles – but precise. His sleek Soho space is somewhere those in-the-know (including top chefs) come for great gifts and great chocolate.
williamcurley.co.uk
33 Smiths’ Ct, W1D 7DP
Pierre Marcolini
Where: Marylebone
Best for: ethically conscious chocolate.
To put it bluntly, Belgian chocolate is the best. But Pierre Marcolini raises the bar. He sources rare beans directly from small-scale farms, paying double the going rate to support sustainable practices – no child labour, no chemicals. The result is glossy, ganache-filled gems with serious flavour profiles and a conscience to match. Part chocolate lab, part luxury showroom, Marcolini’s Marylebone boutique is stocked with seasonal creations and smart gift boxes made for those who take their sweets – and ethics – seriously.
marcolini.co.uk
37 Marylebone High St, W1U 4QE
Pierre Hermé
Where: Covent Garden
Best for: fun flavour combos.
The ‘Picasso of Pastry’ doesn’t stop at macarons – his chocolate is equally artful. Inside his sleek Covent Garden shop, you’ll find ganaches, bonbons, and cocoa-powered macarons. There’s nothing basic about the flavour pairings here (think milk chocolate with passionfruit and pure dark chocolate with spiced honey and roasted corn), and every box is beautifully wrapped, ready for gifting. True to its roots, the chocolate here is as Parisian as it gets: petite, perfectly presented, and pleasantly piquant.
pierrehermeuk.com
