These are our favorite chocolate dealers in the country
From the most refined bonbons to a pinch of cacao. These are our favorite chocolate dealers in the country.
Hop & Stork
Owners Anil Soekhoe and Remco Groenewold decided a few years ago to leave the banking world to learn the art of chocolate. If you ask us, that was a golden move. Because: Hop & Stork. You’ll find the wonderful shop in The Hague and Utrecht, and recently also in Magna Plaza in Amsterdam. From fine handmade bonbons to large chocolate sculptures, real hot chocolate and the famous break-apart chocolate: they have it all. And it’s not just chocolate that passes over the counter. You can also drink very good coffee here and… genever tea! Editorial favorite: the rochers. At first glance, they look like peanut clusters, but they’re filled with almonds and crunchy florentines. Go taste them.
Van Stapele Koekmakerij
Every day, there’s a queue on Amsterdam’s Heisteeg. A line that continues onto ‘t Spui and is only interrupted to let cyclists and cars pass. Don’t be put off by the high proportion of tourists waiting there. The cookies from Van Stapele are far from a tourist trap. Just come as early as possible – like the people of Amsterdam do. While tourists are still quietly picking at their breakfast buffets, you can calmly grab some warm cookies. A fresh batch comes out of the oven every fifteen minutes. Almost black with cacao on the outside; liquid white chocolate on the inside. The best cookie ever.
Metropolitan
One of Amsterdam’s great chocolate stars can be found on Warmoesstraat, where Kees Raat of Metropolitan has been sweetening our capital for ten years with fresh Italian gelato, ‘bean-to-bar’ chocolate, patisserie and even chocolate beer. Yet it’s a small mound of cacao right next to the entrance that always gives you a reason to step inside. That’s where you sniff cacao. According to some scientists, a good sniff is equivalent to an orgasm. But you can decide that for yourself.
THE DUCHESS
It’s downright impossible to keep your phone in your pocket when The Chocolate Explosion from THE DUCHESS appears on the table. The cold smoke curling out of the gigantic chocolate egg… The drop… The chocolate ruin revealing a mountain of chocolate mousse, brownies and macarons. Click. Click click. Put your phone away for a moment to order a cocktail with it. Every single one is a case of ‘I. HAVE. TO. TASTE. THIS’. If you haven’t had enough of this chocolate bomb after one visit, THE DUCHESS fills the egg with limited edition sweets on almost every holiday.
Tony’s Chocolonely Super Store
Last year, the Willy Wonka of the Low Countries opened his own chocolate factory five minutes from Amsterdam Central Station: the Tony’s Chocolonely Super Store. And you can play Wonka yourself here. You build your own bar. Choose your favorite flavor (dark, milk or white) – combining is allowed – and mix in three ingredients. Will it be caramel, popping candy, disco sprinkles, cookies? Choose, order, wait a moment and done! Naturally, you can also taste your favorite bars from the Mega Monster Super Chocomaat here.
Chocolate Company
Everything is love? Ha! Everything is chocolate at Chocolate Company. There are chocolate bars, chocolate bonbons, chocolate spread, hot chocolate, chocolate truffles and a chocolate fondue. There’s a good chance you’ll linger here for a Crazy Coldchoc – the freak shake of hot chocolate. And good news: you’ll find this chocolate wonderland throughout (almost) the entire country.
Urban Cacao Amsterdam
At Urban Cacao on Amsterdam’s Rozengracht, everything is completely homemade – and you can tell: from the shop, you look straight into the kitchen. There are bars with pepper, pistachio, stroopwafel or peanut butter crunch. There are grand cru bars made from one type of cocoa bean or even single estate bars from one specific plantation. If you don’t overindulge in all of the above, turn to the macarons. The outside cracks perfectly, while the inside is soft and chewy.
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