Sometime during your vacation in Barcelona, you'll need to devour some Catalan chocolate. Creamy…read moreand crunchy. Rich and sweet. It's a fact. Don't argue with me. It happened to Jamie W and me when we were strolling around the Sagrada Família when we saw the locals and tourists swarming around this shop. Part of the attraction was the chocolate replica of the Sagrada Família in the front window, an impressive sculptural feat for sure (Photo 8). Once you've finished staring at it, your head will turn to all the packaged confections on display. Beyond the chocolate is the local specialty, turron, a chewy delight made of honey, sugar, egg whites, and toasted almonds. It comes in soft and hard forms, and contrary to rumor, I prefer soft. There are other candies that are probably worth sampling, but even I have my limits. Just get your chocolate fix and move along. People are waiting. RELATED - Exploring Barcelona? Here's my collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/DfAWLtoaOd

Torrons Vicens is a specialty store that sells turrón, a type of nougat. Usually eaten around…read moreChristmas, it is made of almonds, sugar, honey and egg whites and shaped into blocks of varying lengths. The company specializes in Agramunt turron, named after its city of origin. It is so treasured that it has protected status from the Spanish government. With the city located inside Catalonia, Torrons Vicens has shops located across the region with the largest concentration in Barcelona. This branch is located right across from the Sagrada Família. One of the tour guides recommended this shop for local souvenirs to take back home. When I visited the Sagrada Família a few days later, I also came back here to shop for said delicacies. I was impressed with the selection of nougats as they came in all different flavors and textures. The traditional circular-shaped nougat is sold along with hard- and soft- versions of the brick-shaped nougats. I was particularly attracted to the "natura" line, which is a collaboration between Vicens and Albert Adrià (former pastry chef of El Bulli and now the chef-owner of the El Barri restaurant group [Tickets, Enigma]). They sold small and large versions of their blocks. With the small blocks being €5 and the large blocks 5 for €55 I bought a combination of blocks with the intention of the small blocks as gifts for friends and the large blocks to share with family. - The small blocks had more non-traditional flavors such as rice pudding, curry and strawberry and rosemary truffle. I handed those at a Yelp Elite event the next week and said treats were appreciated. - The larger blocks had more conventional flavors such as toasted corn and lime truffle, pumpkin seeds, vermouth and bread and salt. Every flavor I brought back was appreciated save for vermouth as the recipient of the vermouth chocolate did not appreciate the strong alcoholic content. They also sold samples of their drinking chocolate which is more of an accompaniment to churros than an actual hot chocolate. Keep this in mind. Still dense and kept me warm on a cool day in early March. Many thanks to the tour guide Jessie at Runner Bean for the recommendation! I enjoyed this chocolate and I look forward to having this again should I ever find myself back here.

Absolutely loved Torrons Vicens! There were so many different types of torron (nougats) and…read morechocolates and they let me sample lots of them. The young ladies handing out the samples were friendly and so generous with the samples; they kept urging me to try different ones and, believe me, I didn't need much encouragement! I love nougat! I love the softer nougats with almonds best, but I also had some with pistachios and fruits. The best was the one with almonds and chocolate! The bars come in different sizes, so if you want quick and easy-to-handle souvenirs to take home, this might be it. I think the smaller bars were 3.95 Euros while the larger bars were 9.95 Euros. My friend purchased a large box of the round ones before she realized they had smaller boxes and they graciously allowed her to exchange her purchase. Service was very quick and friendly. Wish there was a shop like this near my home; I'd be there quite often!!

Items tasted: Hard Torron, Traditional Torron…read moreWhite Chocolate Pistachio, Chocolate Hazelnut Gema Cremada Albert Adria Natura - Gin & Tonic, Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate, Yuzu Featuring several locations around the Globe, without doubt a more 'tourist friendly' place than Turrones Ramos in Valencia, it was after a visit to Sagrada Família Basilica that a stop was made at Torrons Vicens, the staff unequivocally friendly with plenty of samples available including Chocolates made in collaboration with Michelin-starred Chef Albert Adria. Originally founded in 1775 and still family owned, years of fame and intelligent investing allowing the company to expand into several International markets and styles of Nougat and Chocolate including a Sugar-Free line said to be indistinguishable from the real thing, it was just after 15h00 that the lengthy store on Carrer Provença was entered, a greeter at the door quickly leading patrons to a serving dish of four chopped treats, both the White Chocolate and Pistachio Block as well as Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut sort of like American Holiday "Bark" and pleasant enough while the hard and moist Torron were both very sweet, actually quite a bit moreso than Ramos or La Turronería Iváñez in Bilbao. Quite the operation, the company now with nearly three dozen stores including a Turron Museum outside of Lleida that many have said to be worth the drive, it was walking deeper into the space that guests found themselves tempted by Bars, Tablets and Chocolate Bon-Bons, a trio of samples from the ElBarri collection all delightful with the Gin & Tonic particularly well crafted and the Olive Oil filled version simple and clean while exaggerating the fruity flavors of the Cocoa. Picking up some gifts for others plus a few small bars for later it was finally en route to the register that eyes fell upon a package titled Gema Cremada, the Candy that is apparently quite popular around holidays without a doubt the most impressive thing tasted at Vicens with a creamy body made from Marzipan and Sugar beneath a brûléed exterior that helps to mellow the sweetness while also adding a remarkable texture that compelled the purchase of a weighty €7 package for the road.

We were able to sample everything before buying so you knew what you were getting into. If there…read morewas something that wasn't out for a sample the staff gladly opened it for a sample. The service was impeccable. They also did tax refund if you don't live in the EU.

This is definitely somewhere you should stop in Barcelona if you have a sweet tooth…read more I had the hot chocolate without whipped cream. It was such a treat. One cup is definitely enough to share! I loved the dishes the chocolate was served in. They have a nice gift shop and a sitting area for the cafe. The cafe area also has salads, sandwiches, coffee, and pastries. Considering how busy the area is, the cafe was not busy at all when I went. I was easily able to find a seat and did not have to wait in line which was a huge plus

While we were in Barcelona rushing to make an appointment I noticed this shop out of the corner of…read moremy eye.. it looked so good that we decided to come back just to try some of their treats and boy they did not disappoint. We tried one of their chocolate desserts, a chocolate chip cookie and a matcha drink. All of them were great.. so great that I ended up buying a pistachio brookie to go. To this day we regret not buying more stuff to bring back home. The service was great and quick. The place was clean and cute to dine in with a few tables! Overall I'd definitely stop by if I'm in Barcelona again!

Had to try a gluten free bakery while in Barcelona of course (one of many). Chok is for chocolate…read morebut they didn't sell any actual chocolates... but there was a rotation of special flavored cinnamon rolls, rookies, brownies, mini cakes, cookies, and cheesecakes. There were a few loaves of bread but mostly there were those sweets and it seems they have those all the time. We got a regular cinnamon roll because the flavored ones didn't have as much of the frosting on it which is the best part, and a pistachio cream rookie... no im not sure what a rookie is but it looked like a Levain cookie (the famous one from NY) as it was a mountain of a dessert. We had both treats heated up... although they weren't actually hot lol. The cinnamon roll was on par with others I've had, maybe even slightly drier but the frosting was amazing and I still enjoyed it a lot. The rookie was quite decadent and the inside was an almost cake texture? Still quite tasty but I think both would've knocked it out of the park if they were actually hot and ooey gooey. Five stars because it wasn't bad but I can't say I'm super impressed. I will be going to other gf bakeries over this one

Xocoa just makes you feel good when you enter the place...the aroma and the beautiful clean…read moredisplays just makes you want to buy something, even if you aren't that hungry. I've never been any bakery like it as far as design and style. The good taste in design spills over into the chocolates and coffee. Mm, I'm still thinking about it months after...

A beautifully imagined sassy & modern chocolate shop that offers something a bit more adventurous…read morethan conventional chocolatiers. Xocoa satisfies my two requirements for a good food experience: an inspired space and sumptuous... decadent chocolate! The pistachio, green tea, Jamaican pepper, black (90%) and almond are my favorites. Also the powdered coco is divine for cooking. Be sure to buy extra you pack away in your luggage as well as in your carry-on!

The tiktok famous spot! Lots of different churro options. We…read moregot the deal for 6 churros and a cup of chocolate. Very rich chocolate, personally I thought that the churros themselves were oily. No spots to sit.

We stumbled upon this place walking back from Park Güell. There was quite a long line, so I had to…read moreinvestigate.... bookmark. Stopped back in during our evening stroll

Indudablemente la mejor relación calidad-precio que he podido encontrar en Barcelona (e incluso en…read moreEspaña). Los que han viajado un poco sabrán que LEONIDAS es un estándar en Bélgica, Francia, Holanda y otros tantos paises... donde prácticamente hay una tienda por cada pueblo importante. Y creédme, ser un estándar en Bélgica, cuna del chocolate, es estar a años luz de lo que estamos acostumbrados aquí en cuanto a variedad, calidad y frescura. Y si les digo que el precio está por debajo de nuestros mejores bombones nacionales, se preguntarán ¿cómo puede ser? Todavía no lo sé pero algún día lo descubriré... Sea como sea, los LEONIDAS me apasionan y les puedo asegurar que ver como los sirven en la tienda que tienen en Barcelona, es todo un espectáculo que una no puede perderse... ¡ Un 10 !

From the owner: Punto de venta oficial de los legendarios BOMBONES frescos de CHOCOLATE belga LEONIDAS…read more Sus deliciosas "pralines" son creadas respetando las mejores tradiciones del Maître Chocolatier: 100% pura manteca de cacao, 100% gusto, 100% calidad, 100% frescura... y con los mejores ingredientes del mercado. Su extensa gama de más de 100 referencias diferentes, con rellenos de nata fresca, cremas caseras, mantequilla, ganaches, pralinés, licor, las orangettes, la pasta de fruta, las trufas, etc. han adquirido fama mundial y siguen causando sensación entre los choco-adictos. Productos sin azúcar, sin glúten, kosher. Venga y déjese seducir por nuestras especialidades. Haremos de Vd. todo un experto.