It was Queen Marie Thérèse, wife of Louis XIV, who made chocolat chaud—the new beverage of the 17th century—fashionable. She was passionate about this thick, dark nectar that had been introduced to France from her native Spain after being brought back from the New World. The new concoction—chocolate then was consumed only in its drinkable form—confused the court and church officials of the era. They couldn’t make up their minds: Was it a food? A medicine? An aphrodisiac?

Today, these questions remain unanswered. One way to tackle the issue is to try it for yourself in its many forms. Easter is an auspicious time for this: Paris’s exceptional chocolatiers (chocolate craftsmen) compete to satisfy our sweet (or bitter- or semi-) tooth.

A good place to start is the 1st arrondissement around the Palais Royal, of course. For many, Côte de France, a classy shop within sight of Palais Garnier, is the best value as far as luxury cocoa goes. It offers the Ganache au Palais d’Or, a glossy chocolate bite filled with creamed chocolate, as well as a praline (chocolate and almond paste), named “1936” in honor of the year the shop opened. Another favorite is their smooth chocolate caramel crème.

While Philippe Gosselin, on the nearby rue Saint Honoré, has twice won La Meilleure Baguette de Paris award, this outstanding patissier (pastry maker) also whips up chocolate wonders including the classic Opéra—a luscious layering of chocolate cake and chocolate crème topped with little gold flakes.

A few blocks away is La Fontaine au Chocolat, a gorgeous boutique with a real chocolate fountain, which Michael Cluizel, a chocolate specialist who has done extensive research on cultivating and processing cocoa beans, opened 20 years ago. On display are bars made from cocoa from all over the world. The luscious half-slices of orange dipped in chocolate (a favorite of Louis XIV’s) are popular.

On rue Saint Honoré near the Saint Roch church is Jean-Paul Hévin’s contemporary and classy tearoom. The celebrated chocolatier serves unique hot chocolates. He also incorporates unusual flavors to his renown chocolate [candies and] pastries: various sorts of honey, litchi fruit, dried ginger, dried fig… Take home (the beige and blue packaging is so chic!) a bag of chocolate-covered cheese morsels: a must.

Need a break? Head to Angelina, a vast, classic (and touristy) tea room on rue de Rivoli which is famous not just for its hot chocolate, but also for its Montblanc, a meringue wrapped in crème fraîche and chestnut cream (no chocolate!). There are also Ladurée’s macaroons, a bit further west. This tearoom, opened in 1862, also serves a wonderful hot chocolate…

A wide hop across the Seine to the 6th arrondissement leads you to two other great addresses: Pierre Marcolini, specialist in Belgian chocolates, and Pierre Hermé, a brilliant pastry chef and chocolatier who trained with Lenôtre (a long-standing brand name in the chocolate industry) and invented eatable haute couture.

So, could it be a mere a food?

Best Places
Côte de France, 25, avenue Opéra, Paris 1. M° Pyramides.

Pierre Hermé, 72, rue Bonaparte, Paris 6. M° Saint-Sulpice.