The Bottom Line
Pros
- 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
Cons
- Not appropriate for young children
- Less interaction with the chocolate shop staff than on the Luxury Chocolate Tour
Description
- Featured Chocolate Shops:
- Vosges Haut Chocolate
- Kee's Chocolates
- Mariebelle
- Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven
- New York City New Cuisine Chocolate Tour Price: $70
Book Tickets Online with Zerve - The tour covers less than a mile at a comfortable pace, with bathroom breaks and lots of time spent in the chocolate shops.
- You'll sample chocolate at each shop (and hot/frozen chocolate at some) -- bring a bottle of water to 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 New Cuisine Chocolate Tour is offered Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m.
- Advance reservations are required and tours often sell out. Book Tickets Online with Zerve
- Pictures from the New Cuisine Chocolate Tour
Guide Review - New Cuisine Chocolate Tour
Next, we headed to Kee's Chocolates, where all the chocolates are handmade next door to the shop (we were able to see Kee herself hard at work through the window). We each chose two truffles to sample; still high on chocolate from Vosges, my mom and I shared a truffle and stashed our other three away for later.
The tour continued with stops at Mariebelle and Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven. At each shop Bert pointed out the unique features of the shop, as well as some of his favorite truffles. In addition to two truffles, we sampled hot chocolate at Mariebelle and frozen chocolate at Jacques Torres. I was happy that we stashed many truffles for later, as it became tough to savor them as we approached chocolate overload.
The New Cuisine Chocolate Tour was a fun way to explore the neighborhood of SoHo while sampling many interesting confections. If the weather is cooperative (in particular, not too hot) it's also a great chance to buy gifts for folks back home (or for yourself).
