During the holiday season, that kind of just passed, I could not escape IG reels that romanticized…read morethe power of hot chocolate. Apparently, it can be so rich and thick (European Style) that it is part healing warmth and the other part just wildly delicious. So I decided to go ahead and find a cup of thick, and rich cocoa to hit me with holiday splendor, the kind that can re-assemble Frosty after his final melt. My friend Conrad and I were the duo who ventured to ChocoVivo to try chocolate, on chocolate, on chocolate, with some water on the side. ChocoVivo is in Culver City. The place itself is on Washington Blvd amidst some bars, and eateries. This place lends itself to be a dessert spot, an experience for chocolate lovers and those who are not, and anyone who just wants to experience the taste of chocolate in-depth and in odd luxury. As soon, as I entered, I made a beeline for the counter. I was overwhelmed with all the chocolatey choices: pastries, drinks, squares, with the list continuing exhaustively, it even included a chocolate skull that might serve better as decoration than a treat. I excused myself and went to use the restroom, I dared not ask questions to understand my options, when my bladder was full. I might make rash decisions, due to my inability to focus. And with so many options in front of me, I wanted to sample what was right and balanced for me. I wanted to sample chocolate, I just did not just want to taste chocolate. My trip to the facilities was a small adventure in itself. I passed a room with a man working on his laptop. But the room, seemed to be, like a Sultan's rest-room. It had pillows, hanging lamps, and a cream like colored that reminded me of sun-kissed sand. I clipped the room. There is a Minion (from Illumination fame) chilling in one of the couches. Another picture shows, a fishing net (maybe) with make-shift clouds pouring out of it, also leafs and butterflies. It seemed to be the remains of a shipwreck but it also held decorations that could have made the space more beautiful. I believe, and I could be wrong, of course, that this room used to be functional. A place to lounge, and see beauty, while enjoying chocolate. Now it was a forgotten room, whose purpose never fulfilled, and thus had stuff scattered around. I am sure, everyone can relate to that feeling, of getting stuff for an imagined room that never quite materializes and thus the room becomes storage, more than anything. Kondo deliver us! After, I came to the cashier, I ordered a hot chocolate. Conrad made a point, that the hot chocolate I ordered was not the European sipping hot chocolate that I had talked about on our car ride there. He then. made a point, that I should read a menu and then ask questions. I ask questions, as I read the menu. I eventually, ordered two hot chocolates, (one for him and one for me) and then we sampled 12 chocolate squares--- a sampler. The total was close to 60.00 dollars so this is an experience that is not going to the local mart and buying a Hershey's bar. The 12 chocolate samples were just great and enough, there were bigger samples, which I considered buying, but the price deterred me. The one that I got was super appropriate for both of us, by the end I was enjoying slightly by force, I mustered the strength to finish the half marathon. The full marathon would have tapped me out. The samples came with a card. Conrad was the one who was consulting the card, so we could not what chocolate we ate. It was truly fun, to be with someone who read of the information of the card, and then we tried to identify the taste as the card described. I wish I would have taken a picture of the card, but honestly, I am more of a determine by taste taster than a person who wants to be informed of what he is tasting, to know what he is tasting. I do remember the worst tasting chocolate we tasted--- it had black tea infused into it, I do not remember its cacao percentage, each chocolate had a cacao percentage. The hire the percentage, the sweeter the chocolate. The black tea had this earthy and tea taste that was profound. I guess imagine tasting. a black tea without sugar that is kind of the taste I struggled with. I am glad I tasted this chocolate, however, because it was part of the whole experience. I did not drive to the beach and endure a pothole, I drove to the beach and was both intrigued and jolted by the bounce that the pothole produced. Some chocolates I really enjoyed, the hot chocolate was goodness in a cup. The chocolate sampler also came with an espresso that was split into two cups. I was provided a knife to cut each chocolate. I put the knife in the center with one arm, and use the other hand to pierce the chocolate. My halfs were not perfect. Sometimes Conrad got the bigger half square, sometimes I did. I annotate all this so one knows that when you visit ChocoVivo you will need to work, if you want to split those chocolates, but the work was part of the fun!

At least for the drinks and cookies, ChocoVivo is pretty solid. European hot chocolate and regular…read morehot chocolates have a reasonable set of choices, and the cookies we had were served hot and loaded with chocolate chunks. Service is friendly, at least given how late in the day we arrived, and the decor is best described as homey. They had the windows open at the front, which was both welcoming but a bit chilly in the fall if you were to sit by them-- the actual establishment was quite comfortable, just the window area that was a bit drafty.

I went to Artisanal Goods for coffee with my friend Amelia G., who lives in neighborhood. The place…read morewas packed at like 10:00 on a Tuesday morning, with a line to order and every table occupied the whole time we were there. I guess this is the spot for coffee and pastries in Pasadena. It was a cute shop with a millennial-friendly aesthetic. Brick walls, exposed ceiling, and lots of hanging lights. Case full of beautiful pastries, house chocolates and merchandise for sale. The line moved quickly enough, and service was friendly and reasonably fast. A table opened up for us when we needed it, and we sat and enjoyed our coffee and pastry. I got a salted honey latte, which was delicious. I'm not a habitual coffee drinker, and this felt like a special indulgent little treat. I'm not a pastry person either, but the kougin amann was fantastic, rich and buttery and shatteringly crispy. I also got a chocolate croissant to go for my husband, who said it was really good. We sat for maybe half an hour, and when we left, someone was there to take our spot, and we had to squeeze past the line that was coming through the door. I don't like coffee and sweets enough to do all that on a regular basis, but I enjoyed my visit to Artisanal Goods and would recommend it if you want top notch pastries in Pasadena.

I was finally able to try Artisanal Goods by CAR when my friend and I decided to do a chocolate…read morecroissant taste off with another place down the block. I was able to find parking nearby luckily and that was probably the hardest part. However, it was also really hot that day so I came prepared with a big hat because I saw the line wrap around the building. I was able to catch it when I was at a lull and the line moved pretty quick. A couple of other items that looked really good that I need to try. I know there is some seasonal items that sell out really quick to keep an eye out of. The chocolate croissant was great and I'll have to wait to try some of their other items next time which I also hear is amazing. The dining area isn't the biggest popular places. It's probably not the easiest to find a spot to sit and enjoy unless you time it correctly.

Stumbled upon this hidden gem behind downtown Culver on Venice -- and what a find! Milla Chocolates…read moreis a beautiful little shop offering artisanal bonbons, chocolate drinks, and other sweet treats. I ordered a black sesame chocolate drink with two bonbons: pistachio and yuzu caramel. My kid devoured the pistachio in one bite, but the yuzu caramel was absolutely divine -- rich dark chocolate balanced perfectly with fragrant, real yuzu flavor. The drink was definitely too sweet for my taste though. Needed to take home and add milk into it and actually turned it into two drinks. They also have gorgeous gift boxes, customizable assortments, and prepackaged goodies -- perfect for gifting or indulging yourself. Service was amazing. The barista was super friendly. My paper bag with my take away lunch ripped in their store and she offered a beautiful bag without me even asking. She was patient in explaining their menu and helped me picked out Chocolates that my kids would love. Warm, welcoming, and refined -- this spot is a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth in Culver City.

My husband searched far and wide for high quality chocolates here in LA and so far, this is the…read morebest chocolatier we've encountered in LA. Why is there so few options?? Seriously! Now, each time we travel to NYC or internationally, I'm buying boxes of quality chocolate. I wish Milla were closer. If so I would buy there more often.

Amazing service and love the atmosphere from this amazing people and the food is deliciousread more

Amazing service, extremely sweet and accommodating. I came here with a friend and we tried the…read moredubai chocolate strawberry cup. Everything is made in house which is so cool and the flavor itself was amazing, literally the perfect sweet treat: Crunchy, sweet, tart, yall need to come get yourself some of this. They also offer a variety of other sweets, would love to try next time!

Laderach Chocolatier Shop not only looks delicious but also smells delicious. We stopped by on a…read moreThursday afternoon. We were a few stores down from Laderach and we can smell the sweet scent of chocolates from a far. We decided to stop by and check out this fancy and yummy chocolate shop. As soon as we came in Laderach, the sales people were welcoming and greeted us. They also offered some samples and any sample of our choosing. We tried the strawberry chocolate and milk chocolate. They were both delicious. The chocolate was perfect. It was quality chocolate and semi sweet and not too rich. The combination with the dried strawberries were a perfect blend and balance. We left the store and purchased a couple of the pre packed milk chocolate and the strawberry chocolate. We can't wait to comeback to try other types of chocolates on Laderach's menu.

My fiancé and I came to the Galleria on a mission: buy a gift for our son at GameStop and leave…read moreimmediately before our wallets took emotional damage. We marched from Target, beelined to the right towards Bloomingdale's, GameStop's just right before Bloomie's - grabbed the game, and bolted--because let's be honest, video games especially the latest of the latest version + the special pack features already cost an arm, a leg, and possibly a kidney. But fate (and sugar) had other plans. On our way back to the main drag, we locked eyes with Läderach. The glass cases were glistening. The chocolates were posing. I casually said, "Let's just taste." Famous. Last. Words. Fast forward $70 later, we walked out proudly cradling a 1-lb slab of FrischSchoggi--a chocolate hazelnut masterpiece so decadent it should come with a warning label. Rich, creamy, crunchy, sinful... basically chocolate that whispers, "You deserve this." The staff? Super friendly and dangerously encouraging. The store? Small, bright, beautifully merchandised--minimalist Swiss luxury vibes. The chocolates? Divinely indulgent. It instantly transported me back to Europe, standing outside Lindt, watching chocolatiers scrape, spread, and turn molten chocolate like it's edible art. Läderach delivers that same magic--except now I'm the one eating it instead of just staring longingly through a window. We thought GameStop was the financial threat... turns out Läderach is the real boss level LOL. But honestly? Worth it. Every. Single. Dollar. Come for the "just a taste." Leave with a lighter wallet and a very happy soul.

Stumbled upon Artelice on mother's day at 9:45 AM, and upon arrival, there was a long line out the…read moredoor. Not sure if there is a consistent long line since it was a holiday, but my initial thought was either this place as really good pastries and cakes or it can be just all hype. As we made it in, you order as you walk down the selection of pastries then to the cakes. I ordered a danish with strawberries, chocolate croissant, almond croissant, tiramisu, and a yuzu cake. At the end we were pleasantly told our order came with two complimentary macarons so we got the cookoes and cream and passionfruit. Afterwards, we sat at the store to try the danish since we were hungry. Have to say it measures up to another one of my favorite patisseries that is located in Del Mar called Clemente. The danish texture was soft yet super flakey, and the thin layer of vanilla cream to strawberry ratio was perfection. It's so hard to find places that have exceptional quality croissant pastries, but this place is on the top of our list for LA. We enjoyed the cakes at home afterwards, but everything was so delicious. Unfortunately we forgot to take oir own ice packs and took a minute to get back home so the cakes slightly melted, but even after putting them in the fridge to enjoy later, they were so good! Highly recommend Artelice if you're looking for

Sadly they don't accept discover…read more Outdoor seating with 6 tables and plenty of chairs. Great place to people watch, eat cake and grab a cup of coffee. Champignon: Hazelnut crunch at the bottom with hazelnut creme. The mushroom cap had a small layer of sponge cake and hazelnut creme on top. Lychee rose: Very light on lychee flavor, there's a combination of lychee and a light rose scent. It's layered with sponge cake, 2 layers of jelly. Sweetness similar to Asian cake.

Great variety wverything looks great ... will come back to try something else first time herreread more

Love it here we always come here and its never been a disappointment. Everything is so delicious, a…read morebit pricy but it's definitely worth it. Service is very fast and kind, all the worker are quick and friendly. The place is very clean and put together and the music and lighting are always a vibe! Love it!

Wow! Where do I begin? These rare Brazilian delicacies are delicious and adorable. They make for…read moregreat gifts to friends and family. I purchased two boxes last week, one as a gift and the other I kept for myself. I'm so glad I did! I definitely will be buying in bulk this Christmas season.

The most beautiful chocolate box I have ever purchased! My valentine couldn't stop obsessing over…read morehow cute this gift was! Not only are these chocolates a good gift, but they are also for charity. Every chocolate that is sold, feeds a meal for a homeless person in Sao Paulo. The prices are unreal, for a box of 29 of these handmade sweets costs only $32. I would have expected anywhere from double to triple the cost here in LA. Also, the young lady operating Brigadier Sweets was very sweet(no pun intended) and informative. She described in detail over the phone every item they sold and updated me on when the chocolates would be ready for pick up. I do recommend these chocolates and will be buying many more in the future!