Six Best Swiss Chocolatiers in Geneva!
Sometimes a sky-high reputation can be hard to live up to. For example, the Swiss are well known for their skill in watch and chocolate making. And yet for as long as I can remember, I haven't really been all that impressed. I mean yes, confectionery from Toblerone and Nestlé isn't bad, and some Lindt chocolates are even quite good, but by and large they aren't (in my opinion) that much better than many other brands available on our shores.
The secret, though, is that the best Swiss chocolate isn't made by multinational manufacturers, but by the dozens of small individual boutique artisan shops around the country. By nature of their (relatively small) size, they don't actively export any of their chocolates outside the country - so for those of us in Asia we really do need to fly to Europe to buy and try. Or ask someone else flying there to buy on our behalf, of course!
So without further ado, here's our in-alphabetical-order mini-guide to Six of the best Swiss Chocolatiers in Geneva! For maximum convenience we've chosen only stores that are within walking distance of Geneva's main shopping street, so you'd totally be able to visit all the stores within an hour or two.
Auer Chocolatier
Amandes Princesses - 15.00 CHF
Auer's signature Amandas Princesses are almonds in crispy sugary coating, and then further coated in creamy milk chocolate with a dusting of cocoa powder. This was one of our favorite chocolates - the sugar gives just the right hint of crispiness to go along with the creamy chocolate and crunchy almonds. 4.5 stars.
La Bonbonnière
Alcohol-center chocolates and Pavé de Genève - 26.00 CHF
These spheres (a variety of liqueurs including vodka, brandy, whisky, etc) are alcohol'ed on steroids - the teetotalers amongst us could actually get tipsy on a couple of these. The Pavé de Genève (those cube things) literally translate to "Geneva's Pavement," and are named after city's cobbled sidewalks. These are rich, silky, and supremely luxurious - but perhaps slightly lacking the complexity of Du Rhone's version (see below). These are best eaten cool - they're a little too hard if eaten straight out of the fridge, but melt too quickly if they're out too long in our Singapore heat. 4.0 stars.
Du Rhône Chocolatier
Moccas Glacés - 25.50 CHF
These coffee-flavoured Pavé de Genèves are absolutely delicious - the coffee adding a depth of flavour that's absent from regular offerings. Du Rhône won the Gault & Milleau Prize for these chocolates and we think it was well deserved! 4.5 stars.
Favarger
Avelines - 9.70 CHF
The most 'commercial' chocolatier on the list, these were also the least enjoyable chocolates for us. Don't get us wrong, the hazelnut praline sandwiched between layers of smooth chocolate are still pretty good; just that they're a little weak in comparison to the others. 3.0 stars.
Note that Favarger sells two additional 'colors' in their Aveline range with green and blue wraps (milk and dark chocolates). These aren't worth the effort to buy and carry back to Singapore.
Läderach – chocolatier suisse
Assorted Chocolates - 24.20 CHF
These assorted chocolates are typically made by hand and priced by weight. We quite liked most of the choices - particularly the ginger ones, although some were perhaps a tad on the sweet side - like the dulce de leche. 4.0 stars.
Teuscher
Truffes au Champagne - 31.50 CHF
A tad bit disappointed here. Teuscher makes a big deal of these truffles being made with Dom Pérignon Champagne. But we couldn't detect any hint of alcohol, and the truffle overall was really really sweet (bordering on sickly sweet). 3.5 stars.
We hope this mini-guide helps you on your quest to find the best Swiss Chocolate in Geneva! If you noticed, the prices aren't exactly cheap, so if you're on a budget we'd recommend definitely trying Auer's crispy/crunchy almonds and Du Rhône's coffee pavement slabs. Happy chocolate hunting!
At time of writing, 1.00 CHF = 1.43 SGD.
The secret, though, is that the best Swiss chocolate isn't made by multinational manufacturers, but by the dozens of small individual boutique artisan shops around the country. By nature of their (relatively small) size, they don't actively export any of their chocolates outside the country - so for those of us in Asia we really do need to fly to Europe to buy and try. Or ask someone else flying there to buy on our behalf, of course!
So without further ado, here's our in-alphabetical-order mini-guide to Six of the best Swiss Chocolatiers in Geneva! For maximum convenience we've chosen only stores that are within walking distance of Geneva's main shopping street, so you'd totally be able to visit all the stores within an hour or two.
Auer Chocolatier
Amandes Princesses - 15.00 CHF
Auer's signature Amandas Princesses are almonds in crispy sugary coating, and then further coated in creamy milk chocolate with a dusting of cocoa powder. This was one of our favorite chocolates - the sugar gives just the right hint of crispiness to go along with the creamy chocolate and crunchy almonds. 4.5 stars.
La Bonbonnière
Alcohol-center chocolates and Pavé de Genève - 26.00 CHF
These spheres (a variety of liqueurs including vodka, brandy, whisky, etc) are alcohol'ed on steroids - the teetotalers amongst us could actually get tipsy on a couple of these. The Pavé de Genève (those cube things) literally translate to "Geneva's Pavement," and are named after city's cobbled sidewalks. These are rich, silky, and supremely luxurious - but perhaps slightly lacking the complexity of Du Rhone's version (see below). These are best eaten cool - they're a little too hard if eaten straight out of the fridge, but melt too quickly if they're out too long in our Singapore heat. 4.0 stars.
Du Rhône Chocolatier
Moccas Glacés - 25.50 CHF
These coffee-flavoured Pavé de Genèves are absolutely delicious - the coffee adding a depth of flavour that's absent from regular offerings. Du Rhône won the Gault & Milleau Prize for these chocolates and we think it was well deserved! 4.5 stars.
Favarger
Avelines - 9.70 CHF
The most 'commercial' chocolatier on the list, these were also the least enjoyable chocolates for us. Don't get us wrong, the hazelnut praline sandwiched between layers of smooth chocolate are still pretty good; just that they're a little weak in comparison to the others. 3.0 stars.
Note that Favarger sells two additional 'colors' in their Aveline range with green and blue wraps (milk and dark chocolates). These aren't worth the effort to buy and carry back to Singapore.
Läderach – chocolatier suisse
Assorted Chocolates - 24.20 CHF
These assorted chocolates are typically made by hand and priced by weight. We quite liked most of the choices - particularly the ginger ones, although some were perhaps a tad on the sweet side - like the dulce de leche. 4.0 stars.
Teuscher
Truffes au Champagne - 31.50 CHF
A tad bit disappointed here. Teuscher makes a big deal of these truffles being made with Dom Pérignon Champagne. But we couldn't detect any hint of alcohol, and the truffle overall was really really sweet (bordering on sickly sweet). 3.5 stars.
We hope this mini-guide helps you on your quest to find the best Swiss Chocolate in Geneva! If you noticed, the prices aren't exactly cheap, so if you're on a budget we'd recommend definitely trying Auer's crispy/crunchy almonds and Du Rhône's coffee pavement slabs. Happy chocolate hunting!
At time of writing, 1.00 CHF = 1.43 SGD.
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