Photo: Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates
Whether you’re buying chocolate for Valentine’s Day, for yourself, as a gift, or even as a Vancouver souvenir, these decadent and divine Vancouver chocolatiers are making some of the best candy you have ever tasted! From bon bons and truffles to traditional Belgian delicacies, these artisan chocolates often incorporate regional and B.C. ingredients, giving these treats genuine local flavour.
Top 5 Vancouver Chocolatiers & Boutique Chocolate Shops
1. Chocolate Arts
Located on W 3rd Ave in Kitsilano, Chocolate Arts primarily uses local produce—like wild blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and hazelnuts—to give its confections the true flavour of the Pacific West Coast and of British Columbia.
2. Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates
Thomas Haas is a fourth-generation pastry chef who has been wowing critics and chocoholics for over fifteen years. In 2010, Haas was named a Top 10 Chocolatier in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine, just the latest in a slew of accolades. His press doesn’t exaggerate: his handmade chocolates are to die for!
3. Daniel’s Chocolates
Born and raised in Belgium, Chocolatier Daniel Poncelet opened the first-ever Belgian chocolate shop in Vancouver on Robson Street in 1981. Today, Daniel’s chocolates are a Vancouver institution, with locations throughout the Lower Mainland. My favourite: the Sea Salt Caramel. Yum!
4. Charlie’s Chocolate Factory
A family-owned favourite since 1970, Burnaby’s Charlie’s Chocolate Factory is home to a chocolate river and practically anything you can think of—from flowers and tools to cell phones—made out of chocolate. It’s the perfect spot to shop for personalized and funny gifts for candy lovers.
5. Granville Island Chocolate Shops: Rogers, ChocolaTas & Olde World Fudge
This one is a bit of a cheat, since I’m squeezing three chocolate shops into one slot and one of them is Roger’s Chocolates, arguably one of the most famous chocolate producers in all of Canada. Roger’s is a B.C. original—it began in Victoria in 1885—and the Roger’s on Granville Island is one of its best locations in Vancouver. ChocolaTas and Olde World Fudge are two local faves located inside the Granville Island Public Market.
Any other favourite Vancouver chocolatiers and boutique chocolate shops that I missed? Please leave your picks in the comments!
9:19 pm
Have you never heard of XOXOLAT? Exquisite, hand made delites! I learned about themwhen I attended a chocoate class there one evening in Dec. Who knew that the world of chocolates was as specialized as fine wine? This list is not complete without them. Burrard and 8th Ave. http://www.xoxolat.com Mmmmm!
10:15 pm
Oree,
Thank you for such a great tip; I haven’t heard of them. I LOVE chocolate and will have to try this immediately. (Maybe I can get my partner to get me a sampling for Valentine’s Day….)
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8:29 pm
CocoaNymph Chocolates & Confections – Located at 3739 West 10th Ave., Vancouver (just West of Alma). 604-222-4477. This cute little shop is locally owned and operated by Rachel…who does an amazing job of bringing the flavors alive in her recipes. Each chocolate is a work of art. She is featuring hot chocolate in yummy flavours during the winter months, right now it’s hazelnut hot chocolate. Also she is hosting a Chocolate Lovers Workshop at various times throughout the year (learning how chocolate is made and history, single origin chocolate tasting and truffle decorating lesson).
http://www.cocoanymph.com
5:54 am
Love Cocoa Nymph .. cannot leave Portobello West without a purchase each month! Thank you for adding Rachel to this list!
6:00 am
Sorry .. I failed to include Cinnamon’s in North Van, too .. my bad!
Happy Valentines!
9:42 pm
Have you ever tried the chocolate from Cocoa West? Honestly it is THE BEST. The best part is that it is organic and fair trade too! I had this one called Eden’s Harvest. It is a apple puree, white chocolate ganache that is infused with vanilla bean and then coated in a dark chocolate and then rolled in butter crunch toffee and toasted peacans. I think its seasonal, but oh my gosh it is absolutely to DIE for. I think their website is http://www.cocoawest.com
7:30 pm
For me, Rocky Mountain Chocolates (including ice cream) were a taste of heaven. :-)
10:33 pm
We love Urge chocolate, not just us but everyone we’ve introduced it to.
http://www.urgechocolates.com
5:52 am
All the above are def some of *the* best in the Lower Mainland. But there are, and have been some other amazing chocolatiers, like Beta5, Bad Girl and Dutch Girl (not related!) And Over the Moon – their chocolate-dipped cherries were amazing.
In fact, what I love about all the different producers around town is how each one would have a couple of ‘specialties’ that no one else copied..and the diversity was wonderful!
However, Chocolate Arts has been my go-to chocolatier since Greg and his wife Patricia first pioneered introducing amazing chocoate to Vancouverites. So they do deserve top-spot for me. Not only do I feel welcome when I shop there, even if only a few times a year, they seem to remember me! And I cannot leave a visit there without a lemon & basil truffle…who knew how addictive that flavour-pairing would be?! (cannot describe it, really is chocolate-umami).
6:02 am
and I failed to mention Cinnamons in North Van .. sorry!
Happy Valentines!
5:27 am
check out this place in Steveston called “Sinfully The Best”. What a treat!
10:23 am
Krystal thank you so much for the mention. We certainly appreciate your comments!
5:50 pm
Hagensborg Chocolates located in Burnaby is a boutique chocolate company that makes the best European chocolates! Having grown up in Europe it brings me back and leaves me coming back for more!