Because I grew up in Washington, District of Columbia (DC), a discussion regarding chocolate in that city would be inappropriate on this website. It is a blessing that Godiva does not exist in the District of Columbia any longer; however, even if it did, you would not find coverage of it here. In addition, I will not be mentioning Neuhaus, Royce, or any other generic “premium” chocolate brands because the focus of this article is on the best chocolate shops in the District of Columbia, none of which sell the European candies mentioned previously.
The following is a list of approximately a dozen locations within the District proper where you can buy chocolate either online or in person, with offerings that range from beans to bars of chocolate as well as bonbons and other refined confections. During my research for this article, I came across a number of stores that have either altered the products or services they provide or have closed their doors in the past couple of years.
For instance, it would appear that Kron Chocolatier has shut down for good, and Harper Macaw Chocolate has completely relocated their operations online. In addition to this, despite its name, Bread and Chocolate does not sell truffles or bonbons, and Chocolate Moose is actually a novelty shop that just so happens to sell some plain molded chocolates. Neither of these two establishments sells any other types of chocolates. Even though this list is still being worked on, rest assured that it is being updated on a consistent basis!
Contents
Washington DC Chocolate Shops
The Chocolate House DC
The Chocolate House has been known by a variety of names over the course of the past decade or so, including Cocova and Biagio Fine Chocolates, but it has remained a reliable source of delicious craft chocolate in the District of Columbia. Despite the fact that TCH is not a chocolate manufacturer themselves, they stock their display case with over 30 different flavors of bonbons and several dozen different chocolate brands. Before the pandemic, the small event space in the back was utilized for a variety of different activities, including private tastings, book signings, and even truffle-making classes; all of these activities will soon be resumed.
Marisol, the proprietor, is practically always present, and she is able to provide you with excellent bar recommendations, samples from the back, and information about each and every maker that they stock. The Chocolate House is not only the founder but also the host of the annual DC Chocolate Festival, which takes place in April of each year. Visit this shop to pick up some chocolate bars from different countries, and while you’re there, grab a box of bonbons too!
Address: 1904 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Hours: 12pm-6pm, daily {open until 7pm Fri./Sat.}
Shop Made in DC
The District of Columbia is home to a number of chocolate manufacturers, but none of them operate their own retail shops at this time. This is where Shop Made in DC comes in handy. SMID is a business incubator in the District of Columbia that focuses on art and local creators, particularly in the areas of visual and written art. However, in addition to that, they have a limited selection of Chocotenango products and boxes of pre-selected Capital Candy Jar wares available for purchase. It is possible that they will stock some other chocolate makers from the District of Columbia during certain seasons, but for the time being, we are enjoying their artistic selection as it is.
Address: 1353 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007 (multiple locations)
Hours: 11am-7pm, daily {closes at 6pm on Sun.}
Baked & Wired
This DC cupcake institution was not always known as a chocolate lover’s paradise, but over the course of the past few years, the company has increased the number of shops as well as the selection available in each of those shops. At the most recent count, Baked & Wired carries the products of more than a dozen bean-to-bar chocolate makers. These makers create a variety of chocolate goods, including bars and confections. It’s possible that not every bar of chocolate they sell qualifies as a craft chocolate, but they have such a diverse selection that you can easily find something delectable to pair with your latte and your cupcake.
Address: 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 8am-4pm, daily
Chocolate Chocolate
It’s safe to say that Chocolate Chocolate DC has the most accessible location of any chocolate business in the District of Columbia. The lengthy display case that contains at least fifty different varieties of bonbons is the unmistakable focal point of the store, which can be found on the first floor of one of the numerous office buildings that the city is home to. It entices you in until you collide with it, then it gently guides you forward until you’ve moved on from the Christopher Elbow bonbons and arrived at the Neuhaus. From chocolate-covered almonds to the fruit-flavored sweets that the majority of us grew up on, they of course also have the standard candy store alternatives available at a self-serve counter priced by the pound.
The numerous local landmarks that are molded from chocolate, in addition to other molded things that are more kitsch in nature, such as cellphones and lips, are the specialities that make it distinct to Washington, DC. They also offer full-sized Mayana bars, in addition to other brands such as Antidote, Zotter, and Valrhona, for customers who are interested in indulging in chocolate bars or adult-style candy bars. There were five other customers who came in during the ten minutes that I was inside, indicating that lunchtime on weekdays is a popular time here; however, if you are in a hurry, they do accept orders over the phone.
Address: 1130 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Hours: 12pm-8pm, Sun.-Thu. & 10am-10pm, Fri./Sat.
Washington DC Chocolate Makers
Chocotenango
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Chocotenango, owned by Chef Ismael Neggaz and established in 2005 in Guatemala, is considered to be one of the oldest chocolate shops in the District of Columbia. Because the suffix “-tenango” is used to denote a place-name in that region, he invented the “place of chocolate” (a rough translation) right here in Washington, District of Columbia. Even now, well over a decade later, Chef Neggaz continues to produce chocolates that are not only delectable but also inventive. His creations come in bar and bonbon form. I have sampled Chocotenango in both of its incarnations, and while I enjoy it in either one, the raspberry caramel bonbon is the one that holds a special place in my heart. You can purchase one of his creations, such as a bar or a box, online or at one of the roughly a dozen stores located within the District of Columbia.
Click here to visit their webstore.
Harper Macaw Chocolate
A Brazilian and an American couple, one of whom was from Brazil and the other from the United States, launched Harper Macaw in 2014 with the intention of revitalizing Brazil’s fine cacao industry. Harper Macaw has been successful in producing bean-to-bar chocolate in the District of Columbia by forming partnerships with conservation outfits on the ground and engaging in direct trade with cabruca-style farms. They use only cacao from Brazil and organic sugar in their chocolate.
They sold the company a couple of years ago to their long-time employees, who have been able to continue expanding the brand’s good sourcing in Brazil, even though the pandemic is still going strong. You won’t find this information on their “About” page, but it happened. Even though they only sell their chocolate online or through one of their retail partners at the moment, Harper Macaw Chocolate continues to produce several limited-edition bars each year and hosts pop-up shops all over the country during the holiday season.
Click here to visit their webstore.
Willie Coca
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W. James Canty Jr., a local artist, launched this chocolate company in his hometown of Washington, District of Columbia, in 2018. He did so in the year 2018 with the intention of introducing his eye-catching artwork to the realm of chocolate. James makes all of his chocolates from bean to bar himself, and he sells basic single-origin chocolate bars in both standard and tiny sizes. Some of the chocolate bars have additional tastes added to them, such as rose and pistachio, while some are just plain chocolate. In addition to all of this, Willie Eskobar Chocolates already carries two unique lines of hemp-infused chocolates under the brand name “Willie Eskobar Chocolates.”
Every single bar comes in a wrapper that was created by James himself, and the majority of them are reproductions of his own paintings. Because of the limitations on retail sales in the District of Columbia, if you are interested in buying CBD chocolate or cannabis-infused bars, all you need to do is click the link below to go to James’ Instagram profile and then contact him to make your purchase. It is important to note that although all of the milk and dark chocolate is produced in-house, the white chocolate that is used in the infused line is couverture.
Click here to contact James.
Washington DC Chocolatiers
Petite Soeur
Petite Soeur will make their debut on the District of Columbia’s chocolate scene with a soft opening in the month of November 2021. After spending a significant amount of time working for some of the most well-known names in the field of fine dining, pastry chef Ashleigh Wilson decided to launch her own business. In spite of the fact that there are plans to expand after the holidays with some holiday-themed specials, the menu at the modest shop is even more constrained right now. Cookies made with sable butter, caramel in three different flavors, bonbons in nine different flavors, and even the occasional bar of flavored chocolate are all part of the current selection.
It’s hard for me to say how many more flavors she might come up with, but the raspberry, passion fruit, and chocolate fudge caramels are all outstanding in their own right. Everything was fantastic, with the sole exception of the almond butter and jelly bonbon, which was uninteresting. However, this likely has more to do with how I feel about almond butter than it does with her abilities. Because I have tried bonbons from every chocolate shop in Washington, DC, I can say with absolute certainty that these are the best bonbons I have ever had in the city; however, I am looking forward to the day when Ashleigh will be able to outdo herself.
Address: 1332 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 11am-6pm, Tue.-Sat.
LA Burdick Chocolate
In the late 1980s, an American chocolatier who had just recently returned from receiving training in Switzerland brought his dream to life in the form of LA Burdick Chocolate, which was founded in New Hampshire. Since then, it has expanded to include six locations, and the first thing you’ll notice when you walk into their Georgetown outlet is the enormous selection of chocolate-covered nuts and dried fruits.
Although none of the creations are sold by weight, the chocolates and even the shop itself remind me quite a bit of Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels, Belgium. This is despite the fact that none of the creations are sold by weight. Their bonbons are prepared without the use of any preservatives, and there is a strong focus placed on dark chocolate. A little further in, there is a selection of roughly a dozen distinct cookies and pastries, as well as a few different kinds of croissants. Along one wall of the shop is a display of approximately twenty different kinds of chocolate bars.
There are even a few vegan options, in addition to a comprehensive list of beverages to choose from. The bonbons themselves are of very high quality, and there is a choice of paying a slightly different amount for a single, double, or triple serving of bonbons. The cardamom salt caramel, the white chocolate apricot caramel, and the earl grey ganache were the unanimous choices for best in show among the group.
Address: 1319 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 8am-8pm, daily
Arcay Chocolates
Arcay Chocolates is bringing Venezuelan-inspired flavors and creations to the District of Columbia with the opening of their new permanent location near Union Market. The shop that was initially only selling Anabella Arcay’s bonbons has since expanded to include chocolate-dipped treats, spreads, and flavored bars. Anabella Arcay is a highly-awarded master chocolatier who emigrated from Venezuela to the District of Columbia. You can also buy their homemade paletas (fruit popsicles), which come in a half dozen different flavors when the weather is warmer.
However, the most striking aspect of the shop is simply how colorful it is. This is both a blatant reminder of Arcay’s tropical roots and a stunning aesthetic when applied to the packaging of their products. During my visit, I sampled a box of nine different bonbons and was given the opportunity to select each flavor from the current month’s offering. Even though some were more memorable than others, the hazelnut and rosemary sea salt flavors were by far my favorites. In fact, if I could buy a full box containing only those two flavors, I would do so without hesitation. Fortunately, I can.
Address: 1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Hours: 12pm-8pm, Sun.-Thu. & 10am-10pm, Fri./Sat.
Capital Candy Jar
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A sweets store, Capital Candy Jar is exactly what its name suggests it is. The bonbons, fudge, lollipops, and caramel corn sold by this brand all feature some sort of DC-inspired design, as does the branding for the company overall. However, it appears that the chocolate-covered Oreos that are adorned with images of the region’s many landmarks or, alternatively, with prints that are relevant to the current season that are made with colored cocoa butter are their most popular item. The chocolate caramel clouds and the pre-packaged candy gift boxes are two of the most popular items among customers.
Address: 201 15th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Hours: 12pm-7pm, Tue.-Sun.
Washington DC Chocolate Shops Map
FAQs
Who is the best chocolatier in the US?
Chocolates made by Phillip Ashley. One of the most decorated chocolatiers in the country, Chef Phillip Ashley, has been given the nickname “Real Life Willy Wonka,” which is a fitting moniker for someone in his position. You may recognize him as a finalist on Chopped Sweets, which is broadcast on the Food Network. His designer candies have been featured at the Grammy Awards.
What is the number one chocolate in the US?
Milk chocolate from Hershey’s brand
This pub is considered by many to be the benchmark for American cuisine. In the year 1900, Milton S. Hershey sold the very first bar of chocolate. But there have been some adjustments made to it.
Who has the best chocolate in the world?
7 Countries That Make The Best Chocolate
- Belgium. If you go to Belgium, you simply must stop in at least one of the more than 2,000 chocolate shops that are spread out across the country. …
- Switzerland. You’ve definitely had Swiss chocolate at some point in your life, even if you’ve never traveled to Switzerland…
- Ecuador. …
- Kingdom of Great Britain…
- Ivory Coast… Ivory Coast.
- Italy. …
- United States of America.
What is the most eaten chocolate in America?
American chocolate bar brands: The most popular chocolate brands in the US
- Hershey’s Chocolate Company. Hershey’s is one of the most well-known chocolate firms in the United States, and its products can be found in almost every supermarket in the country….
- Peanut butter candy in the form of Reese’s cups…
- Nestlé …
- Mars. …
- The name Cadbury….
- Lindt. …
- Dove. …
- Tootsie Roll.
