I can’t in good conscience run this website without talking about chocolate in Washington DC, my hometown. There is thankfully no more Godiva in DC, but even if there were, this is not where you’d find coverage of it. Nor will I be listing Neuhaus, Royce, or any other generic “premium” chocolate brands— this is all about the best chocolate shops in DC, none of which are the aforementioned European sweets. Below are around a dozen places you can buy chocolate online or in person in the District proper, with offerings that range from bean to bar chocolate to bonbons and other elevated confections.
In the research for this article, I stumbled across several shops which have changed their offerings or closed over the last couple years. For example, Krön Chocolatier appears to be permanently closed, and Harper Macaw Chocolate has now moved entirely online. Beyond that, despite the name, Bread and Chocolate doesn’t have truffles or bonbons, and Chocolate Moose is actually a novelty shop that happens to also sell some plain molded chocolates. So while this list is still a work in progress, that does mean it’s regularly updated!
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Washington DC Chocolate Shops
The Chocolate House DC
Having gone by many names over the last decade or so, including Cocova and Biagio Fine Chocolates, The Chocolate House has remained a steadfast source of delicious craft chocolate in DC. While not themselves a chocolate maker, TCH carries a few dozen different chocolate brands, and average 30+ flavors of bonbons in their display case. Before the pandemic, the small event space in the back was used for private tastings, book signings, and even truffle-making classes, all of which will be coming back soon.
The owner, Marisol, is almost always there and can offer you great bar recommendations, samples from the back, and insight into each and every maker they carry. The Chocolate House is also host and founder of the DC Chocolate Festival, which normally occurs every April. Stop in for a few bars from around the world, and pick out a box of bonbons while you’re at it!
Address: 1904 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Hours: 12pm-6pm, daily {open until 7pm Fri./Sat.}
Shop Made in DC
While there are a few chocolate makers in DC, none of them currently have their own retail shops, which is where Shop Made in DC comes in. SMID is a DC incubator with a focus on art and local creators, and especially visual and written art. However they also carry a small selection of Chocotenango products, as well as boxes of pre-selected Capital Candy Jar goods. It’s possible that they’ll stock some other DC chocolate makers seasonally, but for now we’re enjoying their artful selection as-is.
Address: 1353 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007 (multiple locations)
Hours: 11am-7pm, daily {closes at 6pm on Sun.}
Baked & Wired
This DC cupcake institution didn’t used to be a chocolate lover’s mecca, but over the last few years the company has expanded both their number of shops and their selection in them. At last count, Baked & Wired carries more than a dozen bean to bar chocolate makers, with products including both bars and confections. Not every chocolate they sell is a craft chocolate, but such a wide array of offerings, you’re sure to find something delicious to go with your latte and your cupcake.
Address: 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 8am-4pm, daily
Chocolate Chocolate
Chocolate Chocolate DC is quite probably the most conveniently-located chocolate shop in DC. Nestled in the first floor of one of the city’s many office buildings, the shop’s undeniable centerpiece is the long display case holding at least five dozen flavors of bonbons. It lures you in until you bump into it, slowly gliding along until you’ve passed the Christopher Elbow bonbons and reached the Neuhaus. Of course they also have the typical candy shop options in a by-the-pound self-serve station, from chocolate-dipped almonds to the fruit-flavored candies most of us grew up on.
But the specialties which make it unique to DC include the many local monuments molded from chocolate, as well as more kitschy molded items, like smartphones and lips. For those looking to indulge in chocolate bars or adult-style candy bars, they also sell full-sized Mayana bars, as well as Antidote, Zotter, and Valrhona. Lunchtime on a weekday here is busy, with five other patrons coming through during the 10 minutes I was inside, but if you’re in a hurry, they do take orders by phone.
Address: 1130 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Hours: 12pm-8pm, Sun.-Thu. & 10am-10pm, Fri./Sat.
Washington DC Chocolate Makers
Chocotenango
Perhaps one of the oldest chocolate shops in DC, Chef Ismael Neggaz’s Chocotenango was actually founded in Guatemala in 2005. The suffix “-tenango” is used there to denote a place-name, so he created the “place of chocolate” (a rough translation) right here in DC. Now well over a decade later, Chef Neggaz is still producing delicious and creative chocolates, both in bar & bonbon form. I’ve tried Chocotenango both ways, and I am a fan in either iteration, though the raspberry caramel bonbon sits close to my heart. If you want to buy a box or a bar, you can find his creations online and at around a dozen shops in the DMV.
Click here to visit their webstore.
Harper Macaw Chocolate
Harper Macaw was started in 2014 by a couple, one Brazilian and one American, who aimed to breathe life back into Brazil’s fine cacao sector. Through partnerships with conservation outfits on the ground and direct trade with cabruca-style farms, Harper Macaw has managed to make delicious bean to bar chocolate in DC, using only Brazilian cacao and organic sugar.
You won’t find this on their “About” page, but a couple years ago they sold the business to their long-time employees, who’ve been able to continue expanding the brand’s good sourcing in Brazil, even through the pandemic. For now Harper Macaw Chocolate is only available online or through any one of their retail partners, but they still release several seasonal bars each year, and do pop-ups throughout the holidays.
Click here to visit their webstore.
Willie Coca
This homegrown DC chocolate brand was started in 2018 by local creator W. James Canty Jr., who began this venture with the goal of bringing his eye-popping art to the world of chocolate. Crafting all his bean to bar chocolates himself, James offers plain single-origin chocolate bars in both regular and mini sizes, some of which are available with added flavors, such as rose & pistachio. This is all in addition to his two distinct hemp-infused lines available under the “Willie Eskobar Chocolates” label.
Each bar is packaged in wrappers designed by James himself, many of them prints of his own paintings. Due to DC retail restrictions, if you’re interest in purchasing either CBD chocolate or cannabis-infused bars, simply click below to visit James’ Instagram page and send him a message to place your order. Note that all the milk & dark chocolate is made in-house, but the white chocolate used in the infused line is all couverture.
Washington DC Chocolatiers
Petite Soeur
With their soft opening in November 2021, Petite Soeur is the newest addition to the DC chocolate scene. The company was started by pastry chef Ashleigh Wilson after many years working with some of the most renowned names in fine dining. While there are plans to expand after the holidays with some seasonal specials, right now the small shop has an even more limited menu. Current offerings include sable butter cookies, three flavors of caramel, nine flavors of bonbons, and the occasional flavored chocolate bars.
I’m not sure how many more flavors she may develop, but the passion fruit, raspberry, and chocolate fudge caramels are all absolutely superb. Really everything was stupendous, except the almond butter & jelly bonbon, which was just boring, though that probably speaks more to how I feel about almond butter than to her skills. Because after sampling every chocolate shop in DC, I can say with confidence that these are the best bonbons I’ve had in the city— though I’m looking forward to seeing Ashleigh top herself, one day.
Address: 1332 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 11am-6pm, Tue.-Sat.
LA Burdick Chocolate
LA Burdick Chocolate was born in New Hampshire in the late 1980’s, the dream of an American chocolatier who’d recently returned from training in Switzerland. It’s since grown to include six locations, and when you walk into their Georgetown outlet, you’ll first notice the huge variety of chocolate-dipped nuts & dried fruits. While none of the creations are sold by weight, overall the chocolates and even the shop itself reminds me quite a bit of Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels, Belgium.
Their bonbons are made with no preservatives, and a clear emphasis upon dark chocolate. Along one wall there are roughly twenty varieties of chocolate bars, while further into the shop are a dozen different cookies and pastries, and a small selection of croissants. There are even a few vegan options, as well as an expansive beverage menu. The bonbons themselves are very good, with options of single, double, and triple bonbons being priced slightly differently. The cardamom salt caramel, white chocolate apricot caramel, and the earl grey ganache were the group favorites.
Address: 1319 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Hours: 8am-8pm, daily
Arcay Chocolates
In their new permanent spot near Union Market, Arcay Chocolates is bringing Venezuelan-inspired flavors & creations to the DMV. Founded by Anabella Arcay, a highly-awarded master chocolatier and a Venezuelan transplant to DC, the shop that started with only her bonbons has now grown to include chocolate-dipped treats, spreads, and flavored bars. In warmer weather, you can also buy their house-made paletas (fruit popsicles) in a half dozen flavors.
But the most striking detail about the shop is simply how colorful it is, a blatant reminder of Arcay’s tropical roots, and a stunning aesthetic when applied to their packaging. On my visit I tried a box of 9 different bonbons, getting to pick out each flavor from that month’s selection. While some were more memorable than others, the Hazelnut and the Rosemary Sea Salt were by far my favorites, and I’d happily buy a full box with just those two— which luckily, I can.
Address: 1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Hours: 12pm-8pm, Sun.-Thu. & 10am-10pm, Fri./Sat.
Capital Candy Jar
Capital Candy Jar is just as it says it is: a candy shop. The brand’s focus is upon sweet treats with a DC motif, from their bonbons and fudge to the lollipops and caramel corn. But their biggest pull seems to be the chocolate-covered oreos ornamented with the region’s many monuments, or alternatively, with seasonally-relevant prints made with colored cocoa butter. Crowd favorites are the chocolate caramel clouds as well as the pre-packed candy gift boxes.
Address: 201 15th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Hours: 12pm-7pm, Tue.-Sun.
Isa A
Sunday 12th of December 2021
A great post! I haven't even been to the states yet. Good to see more selective names and even greater shops doing better. I liked a few names such as the makaw, and petite s. Will look them up! Xx Isa A
Max
Sunday 12th of December 2021
Thanks, Isa! I'm glad you found some new spots to check out!