Translation from English

Thursday, August 29, 2013

La Maison du Chocolat

Yelp Manhattan just sent me an email saying they had chosen one location of this store at a subway station as being one of the best little sweet stores in Manhattan.

I wonder what they say about the big store here...Oh, interesting, mostly rave reviews for this store on the Upper East Side on Madison Avenue


La Maison Du Chocolat

4.5 star rating
124 reviews Rating Details
1018 Madison Ave
(between 78th St & 79th St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 744-7117
Nearest Transit Station:
77 St. (4, 6, 6X)
86 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
Price Range:
$$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "Truffles, chocolates, filled chocolates and HOT COCOA to die for." In 46 reviews
  • "And I got lots of free samples, even a few truffles." In 21 reviews
  • "and tasting their wicked warm ganache is pure a sex heaven." In 15 reviews
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124 reviews in English

  • Review from

    New York, NY
    8/2/2013 2 photos
    I've been coming to LMDC for years but never got around to reviewing it. This is a special occasion place. This is an "I'm in the doghouse big time" place, an "I'm depressed and need good chocolate" place, an "I just feel like blowing $100 in five minutes" place. It's all worth it. A friend of mine suggested that I try the chocolate frappe from here so I ducked in with my dad to pick up some chocolates, macarons and a drink for each of us. There are three options for the frappes - chocolate sorbet, chocolate ice cream and coffee ice cream. I opted for chocolate sorbet thinking it would be less fat (please don't tell me I'm wrong) and it was honestly the best frozen chocolate drink I've ever had. Perfect pick me up although maybe too much sugar for dad who needed a sandwich afterwards.

    The biggest reason I come to LMDC is for that little case in the front with all of the bouchees. The Jolika is my absolute favorite as I'm a marzipan nut, no pun intended. I grabbed a few others as well, a milk chocolate mendiant, a praline, a nougat, a florentine "cookie" bottomed in chocolate and some macarons, as well as my favorite orangettes from anywhere. They are truly the best, hands down, best orange and best chocolate. The macarons are not my absolute favorite but rank pretty high up there. I don't like to compare them to others because I think they are their own creature since every single one is filled with chocolate. However the texture is pleasant and the flavors are all there as promised. I also grabbed a large Salvador macaron for the little one which was devoured in about thirty seconds. Of the small size macarons, the vanilla was definitely my favorite which I know is an odd choice, but I think it's the perfect balance of a strong vanilla with an amazing ganache. The truffles are amazing, however I didn't purchase any on this trip. I remember being given a sample of a basil ganache filled truffle about five years ago and how amazing it was. Now if that doesn't speak to the quality of the truffles that I can remember exactly what I had five years later, then I don't know what will.

    For all of this I paid a pretty penny but this is not your ordinary chocolate shop. This is where you go to buy chocolates for those you love or when you want an honestly amazing chocolate fix. These are not to be bought for novices, this is an experience. Oh and get a frappe please. It's perfect for the summer.
    • Large raspberry macaron
    • Hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, coconut lime, choc…
  • Review from

    • 7 friends
    • 3 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    6/21/2013 5 photos
    A regular customer at La Maison Du Chocolat.

    Love the chocolate, eclairs, pastries and tea!
    A bit expensive, but well worth the price.

    Very warm and sophisticated interior, good for friends and dates.
    Workers are kind and well informative about the chocolate

    Talked to the waitress and a bit disappointed to find out that most pasties and cakes were all created back in France and imported to the US frozen.
    • Hot chocolate and pastries
    • Hot chocolate
  • Review from

    Chelsea, Manhattan, NY
    6/11/2013 1 check-in here
    Actually a neat little spot in the UES that I had surprisingly not heard of before.

    I only hung out in the front where all the chocolate is displayed and sold so I can't comment on the back room where people seem to drink coffee/chocolate related beverages.

    These guys import chocolate from all over the world and if you are an avid chocolate lover like me (dark please!) then the slightly expensive chocolates here are totally worth it. They have a new chocolate called Extreme that is just a simple dark chocolate (I'd say its around 70%) but its absolutely amazing and you get 2 for 1!

    I also tried the passion fruit chocolate which has a passion fruit center that was pretty good. The middle was a bit sugary in contrast to the dark chocolate surrounding it but it was still good and an interesting mix of flavor.

    Lastly, service here is impeccable. It is a chocolate store but like it beats some restaurants in terms speed, knowledge, and courteousness of service. Absolutely would come back if I am in the area!
  • Review from

    San Francisco, CA
    4/8/2013 1 photo 2 check-ins here
    A decade ago La Maison Du Chocolat seemed really pricey, but nowadays everyone is selling "premium" fair-trade single-sourced chocolate that the price tags here don't seem as outrageous.  Why eat an overpriced chalky chocolate bar from Ghana sold at Whole Foods when you can buy amazing French craftsmanship at La Maison?

    L'éclair au chocolat: Tons of rich chocolate custard inside of a crisp eclair shell with a respectable chocolate ganache strip on top.  It's so intense you wonder how you can finish the whole thing, but then it's suddenly all gone.

    Milk Chocolate Fruit & Nut Bar: A strip of tangy candied orange peel surrounded by blanched almonds (so you can avoid the bitter skin) and pistachios.  The milk chocolate is so creamy and way better than any of that cheap Cadbury stuff.
    • L'éclair au chocolat
  • Review from

    • 105 friends
    • 285 reviews
    Los Angeles, CA
    4/10/2013 1 check-in here
    This is another place I 'need to' stop by when visiting NY as they don't have a retail place in LA...

    I like this venue as they also have a tiny cafe space within.  I normally buy a bag of truffle chocolates, enjoy a nice cup of beverage with macaroon in the afternoon...
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    1/8/2013 1 check-in here
    Always the standard for chocolate, La Maison Du Chocolat offers exceptional quality.  From the snap of the couverture to the complex, not-too-sweet ganache centers of their chocolate truffles, this is where I go to get my fix of traditional chocolates (no "modern" flavors here like chilli or cheese).

    La Maison also serves a rich, dark hot chocolate, and probably my favorite chocolate eclair in the city, and offers beautiful, delicious patisseries as well, so don't overlook their cakes!

    This particular location is quite large and has a tea room in the back, which reminds me of the chocolate shops in Paris.
  • Review from

    Chicago, IL
    1/9/2013 1 photo 1 check-in here
    As someone who dreams in chocolate ( as well as works with it), La Masion is a must see on any outing in NYC.  The day we passed it they were closed (The 1st of January), so a couple of days later we were nearby by and searched them out (and aren't we glad we did).

    This is not your typical chocolatier.  Full of posh, style, and flavor, these chocolates seriously reflect the true art of chocolate.  From milk to dark, they have it all.  And do not be put off of the prices (which average about $115/lb) because the service is well worth it!  Always smiling, helpful, and ever so clever wit, these guys know what they are talking about and will get you onboard rather quickly.

    We picked out a range of 8 different pieces, sharing each and it was a true delight!  I know that they have other locations in the city but I think that they guys here certainly make the trip to the upper east side worth it.  As we visited several chocolatiers this was probably our favorite!

    So, if planning a trip to NYC, make sure to create a chocolate budget and stick to it (unless you come here)!  Happy New Year!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 96 reviews
    New York, NY
    12/12/2012
    Very good service here. Yes, they are expensive chocolatey goodies but they are worth every penny. The choco pieces are light as air which makes you feel like you could have them all day long. They melt away in your mouth with no residue or strange aftertastes. They get fresh shipments from France every one to two weeks and you can taste it! One visit here and you will surely feel the temptation to bring a few boxes back home with you!

    For $6.50 you can taste what every eclair wishes to be - caramel takes it away every time! Only once did I find the eclair a bit on the soft side. They also get their own take-away box if you should enjoy them later. They do have a few other treats that I enjoyed like the mendiants for $6.00 a piece before tax.

    With Lady M just nearby, why make a girl choose?
  • Review from

    Redmond, WA
    11/28/2012 1 check-in here
    I love chocolate. My aunt recommended my husband and I take a trip to La Maison Du Chocolat to pick up a present for my mom from New York.

    The moment we walked in the service was magnificent. They offered us samples of the champagne truffles (which were absolutely delicious!) and the man there began talking to us about our six month old daughter. He told us that they grow up so fast and that we should enjoy it.

    My husband and I bought chocolate and maracons for our friends and family. They loved every bite!
  • Review from

    Los Angeles, CA
    11/23/2012 1 check-in here
    La Maison Du Chocolat is PERFECT for die-hard chocolate lovers, who have a bit of cash to drop on expensive chocolate things. I'd heard a lot about their macarons and hot chocolate, but I am [unfortunately] not such a huge fan of chocolate. Which basically means you should ignore my review if you are!

    I was wandering by a while back in shorts and a tshirt and thought I'd drop in and pick up a few macarons. I felt REALLY outclassed since the feel of the store is like an upscale jewelry sales counter. Despite that, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I ended up just getting a box of assorted macarons for $16.50. At $2.75 each, that's really pricey especially compared to Bouchon. Most of the cost I imagine is from shipping, since they supposedly ship their macarons all the way over from Paris. I really question the freshness of macarons that have been shipped from overseas, even though probably doesn't take more than a day. Did I think it was worth it? Well... as a non-chocolate lover, I have to say no. I prefer a filling that "matches" the outside macaron shell. All of the macarons here had variations of chocolate ganache in them and were fairly small for a "mini" size.

    3 stars because I don't think it's worth the price, but is an interesting experience and a must-try for chocolate lovers!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 3 reviews
    Seattle, WA
    5/10/2013 3 photos
    New York is like my dream place to live, so when I got to go to the big apple(finally!) I was ecstatic. When my family and I finally got there, there was one thing I needed to find. Macarons.
    I stumbled upon La Maison du Chocolat while yelping, interestingly enough. It was number two on the places to go on the UES for macarons, the first being Ladurée. I wasn't in the mood to stand in a huge line(plus we're saving it for our Euro trip in a few months) so off we went to La Maison.
    At first we thought it was just a small boutique, then we realized that there was a little sitting space in the back and we just decided to sit and snack.
    First off, the chocolate tarte blew my mind. Sure, it was smaller than expected, but it was really, really good. As was the drinking chocolate, which proceeded to blow my mind yet again with it's deliciously thick semi-sweet goodness. The macarons weren't as mind-blowing, but they were pretty darn good.
    The service out in front was very nice, polished and professional, but the back cafe was slightly amateurish, since the girl who took brought out our tartes and chocolate kept scurrying back and forth with one tiny plate at a time. The cafe space was tiny, though, so it didn't take that long. It just seemed awfully inconvenient for her.
    Anyway, this place is wonderful! If you're ever in NYC or looking for a super chill place to eat chocolate, drink chocolate, breathe chocolate, and look at chocolate, you've found the place!
    • Drinking Chocolate
    • Chocolate Tarte
    • Chocolate and a Bouchée Minerva

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