The Bottom Line
- Friendly, knowledgable tour guide
- Staff at stores shared history and background of the different shops
- Chance to sample chocolates at each shop
- Unique opportunity to understand differences among the high-end chocolate shops
- 5% discount on purchases at each chocolate shop
- Not really appropriate for young children
Description
- Featured Chocolate Shops:
- Charbonnel et Walker
- Debauve & Gallais
- La Maison du Chocolat
- Pierre Marcolini
- RichArt Design & Chocolat
- New York City Luxury Chocolate Tour Price: $70
Book Tickets Online with Viator - The tour covers nearly 1.5 miles at a comfortable pace, with bathroom breaks and lots of time spent in the chocolate shops.
- You'll get plenty of chocolate at each shop -- bring a water bottle with you to help cleanse your palate.
- Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. You'll be walking from shop to shop and the tour takes place rain or shine.
- The New York City Luxury Chocolate Tour is offered Fridays and Saturdays at 12 p.m.
- Advance reservations are required and tours often sell out. Book Tickets Online with Viator
- Pictures from the Luxury Chocolate Tour
Guide Review - Luxury Chocolate Tour
Bert led us through the bustling first floor of Saks up to the Charbonnel et Walker shop on the store's 8th floor for our first tasting experience. A store representative told us a bit about the British company's history and pointed out some of the signature chocolates that they offer, including rose and violet creams. We were each charged with the difficult decision of choosing two chocolates to sample. I chose a dark chocolate covered caramel and the violet cream. Bert wisely cautioned us to pace ourselves, and that it was perfectly acceptable to save some of our chocolate samples for later.
At each store, the routine remained largely the same -- but it was astonishing how even among this group of high-end chocolate shops located within less than a mile radius, each chocolate shop had a distinctive style and even more distinctive chocolate offerings. My husband and I smartly tucked away more than 1/2 of our chocolates -- opting to share a piece or two from each shop. We got to try twice as many chocolates, and to (barely) dodge chocolate overload.
The New York City Luxury Chocolate Tour was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon and we came away from the experience knowing a lot more about chocolate and having a better understanding of the differences among the shops. It's also a great chance to stock up on souvenirs for folks back home (or for yourself).
