This is a special chocolate shop. It's small but brings in the world of chocolate. There's all types represented from all over. Dark, milk, truffles, ganache (my gosh good) etc. each piece I tried was full of flavor. They also have chocolate bars and sipping chocolate. And they even featured hand painted greeting cards by a local artist! Lovely. Whenever I was in SB I tried to swing by because Chocolate Maya is a neat place to pick up a chocolate treat! read more

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Some of the most delicious chocolates I have ever tasted. This adorable shop has knowledgeable staff and makes quality and ethically sourced chocolates. Each one is unique and flavorful. Parking is available at paid lot across the street. read more

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Very intricate and beautiful chocolates with a wide variety of flavors. On the pricier end with $30 for 8 pieces in a bag (they charge an additional $2.5 for a box). Staff was nice and they sold other trinkets in store. It was very fun browsing the chocolates and wondering what they tasted like. It was a gift thus I didn't try any myself. read more

Chocolate Maya - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Absolutely divine. If heaven had chocolate, it would taste like this. The service was lovely too!

Was a gift from a favorite student. Was impressed with the select ingredients and presentation. Shipping was done with such care - even included a cold pack with the chocolates. Go on line and see the description of each chocolate. You will be so impressed! read more

The quality and selection here are truly mouth watering and it is a great stop for chocolate lovers. Everything tasted incredible. I brought a box home for my parents and they could not believe the quality. The only downside is that if you have a nut or coconut allergy, it may not be the safest spot. I wish they had better precautions to avoid cross contamination. read more

Chocolate Maya is an excellent shop if you're a chocolate connoisseur. Very unique and special experience

Picked up a beautiful box of bonbons to take as a hostess gift for a weekend getaway. Picked out al my favorite dark chocolate ones - miso ginger, lavender eucalyptus, jasmine tea, mint, chipotle, pistachio, orange blossom, urfa chile, bourbon date, and more. Our hostess was blown away not only by their beauty and the incredible airbrushed finishes, but also by the incomparable flavor. Chocolate Maya appeals to all ages. I may be of an advanced age, but my 23-year old son brings every out-of-town girlfriend here on his Santa Barbara tour and it sounds like it's always a highlight. Maya travels the world, visiting chocolatiers and farmers. Chocolates are made by hand by Maya herself and they are nothing short of world class. read more

Chocolate Maya - Chocolate and booze! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Filled w/"ORANGE BLOSSOM CARAMEL...Honey... w/white chocolate in a dark chocolate shell. Gluten-free ..."(per website) My perfect lil'treat @the end of the trail... @the bluffs overlooking our beautiful beach... Thank u ^_^ Chocolate Maya!! read more

Chocolate Maya - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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One of the greatest chocolate shops I have encountered anywhere in the world. Great selection of chocolate bars, from crowd pleasers to the not-for-the-faint-hearted 100% cacao. But the real event here is the mind blowing collection of fresh, hand made chocolates concocted by Maya, the shop's Belgian-American owner. Chocolates infused with fresh mint, or rosemary, or sea salt, yes; but also with pomegranate, chipotle, or tahini! An array that makes me think of Maya as the Ottolenghi of chocolates. We are lucky to have her here in Santa Barbara, the Central Coast, or Southern California, whatever your choice of homeland. read more

What are they selling.... " CHOCOLATE!?!?!?"(think of SpongeBob episode ;) I could have spent all day in this place. Decisions, decisions.. how can I just choose a couple? They have so many intriguing flavors. Ghost chili apple cider caramel had a nice heat with the chocolate caramel flavor- not so much apple, but a warm delightful treat. I also bought the Moka Cherry dark chocolate bar from Tanzania. There were actual cherries inside- very unique tasting. Will be returning again to spend another hour trying to decide what other fun things to try. read more

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Beautiful little shop with a unique assortment of chocolate bars and truffles. I loved the spicy hot chocolate! Their truffle flavors are very unique and chocolate quality is amazing. read more

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Small selection of high end chocolate bars that are well sourced with simple organic ingredients. There was a good selection of both traditional and unique truffle flavors. This could satisfy any taste palate in my option. The shop is very small. Service from the employee was kind but she was not able to answer any of my questions without asking the chocolate maker. When I asked about favor profile of the chocolate bars the woman working could not answer that question nor my question about how flavors come through in some of the truffles which I am accustomed to being answered when I've been to many other chocolate maker shops. read more

Wonderful service and such creative, delicious flavors! I loved the white chocolate passion fruit truffle, I had never had a chocolate anything like it. read more

What a lovely place. If you are touring SB stop by here, you will not be sorry! I tried the fig and port, the passion fruit, the rose and raspberry and the salted caramel chocolates and they were FABULOUS. Clearly quality ingredients are used here. I still have a fun goat milk milk chocolate bar yet to try! I really enjoyed my stop here and I wish I lived closer. The chocolates were so unique! I wish I could have tried more- but it was a hot day and I was worried they would melt as I walked. read more

This place is amazing. There was one lady in the store. We walked up 10min before closing. There were people in there already. The store allows for 4 people at a time with mask. It's a very small shop but filled with so much delight & wonder. Tje chocolates are $2.50 each unless otherwise stated. I end up purchasing 5 pieces. Each was better than the last. Since we were going wine tasting I brought the chocolates along to pair with the wines. I definitely recommend trying this place out if you're a chocolate lover. You will not be disappointed. The chocolates are made by hand everyday. They do offer chocolates from around the world prepackaged. read more

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Yummy, yummy!!! This place has amazing chocolates and most of them are homemade. The sea salt caramel was to die for; the caramel was soft and creamy and truly melted in your mouth. I also enjoyed the strawberry grenache. It really tasted like a chocolate covered strawberries, one of my favorites! The chocolates were all so adorable and even made into cute shapes with dye. I will definitely be returning for more scrumptious treats down the road to please my relentless sweet tooth. read more

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Picked up a yummy gift for my son at this little chocolate shop. The staff was friendly and their chocolates are beautiful! So many options, it was hard to choose! read more

European drinking chocolate with a South American twist? Had to try this. Outside the streets of Rome or Melbourne, it is hard for me to find authentic drinking chocolate. Drinking chocolate is 6 ounces of melted chocolate deliciousness- not to be confused with hot cocoa. Chocolate Maya has a menu with a few different options. I selected the drinking chocolate with habanero because why not! Most of my experiences blending chiles into chocolate have been favorable. Thankfully, this spot validates my feelings. So what if the weather is 80 degrees! Chocolate is good anytime. The drinking chocolate is delicious. The habenero is quite subtle to my over-infused spice palate, with a good flavor. The shop itself is small, colorful and fun. They sell a variety of handmade truffles, and bars of chocolate. Staff members are friendly. I definitely plan on returning for some more drinking chocolate. read more

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As a woman who prides herself on eating healthy, I make a point to include something from each of the basic food groups at all meals. In my order of preference, these food groups are: wine, pizza, chocolate, meat and beer ;-) It had been far too long since I had polled down to #3 on my list, so I took it as a sign when we found ourselves walking past Chocolate Maya one Saturday. This place was actually recommended by a dear friend who knew about of my dedication to healthy eating. That by itself would have been enough to get me to pay them a visit, but even without a personal recommendation their stellar Yelp reviews would have pushed me over the threshold for sure! It took only a few moments and several whiffs of Maya's delightful chocolate for me to realize I was going to become a regular. The selection of handmade, delicious chocolates was outstanding, and the service was exceptional. All my questions were patiently and knowledgeable answered :-) I ended up buying three boxes of four chocolates at a cost of $12.50 each. That's actually quite a bargain for handcrafted chocolates that are as good as these. My favorites thus far are the caramel, the chipotle, and the crispy almond chocolate. All the chocolates I tried were nothing short of fabulous; I'm glad I found this wonderful place to attend to my list of healthy eats ;-) Before leaving for our next wine tasting appointment, I got to try some of the dark chocolate almond bark. It turned out to be absolutely delicious - I'm planning to come back and buy some as a gift for the friend who recommended this place. Why didn't I buy some right then? This way, good manners will provide me an excuse to return really soon! read more

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Beautifully handcrafted and designed. The bonbons made in-house are out of this world, and they also have a large collection of chocolate bars from around the world. From State Street driving onto Gutierrez Street, the public parking lot on the left would be most convenient. The storefront is just a few steps away, close to other businesses like Santa Barbara Roasting Company and Backyard Bowls. 2 customers max inside due to social distancing, I was the only patron for a bit but a line start forming outside. The Chocolate Lounge was unfortunately closed. The lady behind the counter was so kind and helpful. I was overwhelmed by all the choices, I basically just asked, "what is the best milk chocolate bar you have?" She was more than happy to point out her top choices and explain a bit of the background behind each bar. I was leaning towards something a little crunchy, so I went with Dick Taylor Hazelnut Milk Chocolate. With hazelnuts from Oregon and cacao from Brazil, every bite was delightful. It was more of an earthy chocolatey taste, with the milk taking the backseat on this one for subtlety, but enough to bring balance to the flavor. I also went home with a box of 8, all very solid choices: - Salted Caramel: Dark shell with a bit of rum and sea salt - Fresh Mint: Dark ganache, lemon & mint combination - Ecuadorian Heirloom: 85% cacao is pushing it but it was good - Hibiscus Flower: I didn't get to try this one but they loved it! - Pistachio: chocolate shell with creamed pistachio - Lavender eucalyptus: dark chocolate with flower and honey infusion - Orange Blossom Caramel: White chocolate in a dark shell - Turkish Coffee: 70% cacao and a hint of finely grounded beans Kudos for offering a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, sustainably-sourced, high quality chocolate. read more

Chocolate Maya - Salted/O. Blossom Caramel, Mint, Hibiscus, Pistachio, Lavender, T. Coffee, E. Heirloom, Dick Taylor ⋅ Motor Way - Santa Barbara, California - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Such a cute little chocolate shop! Great stop on your walk around SB. We tried over 20 different chocolates and each one was so unique, cute/pretty and exquisite in taste! The woman helping us was very friendly, patient and wrapped up our boxes with such care. Can't wait to go back and try more! read more

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We had a gift card here and thought we'd give it a try! They really are some of the most beautiful and delicate chocolates I've ever seen. We tried the banana flambé (very banana), maple syrup caramel (delicious & sweet), Nutella mouse (adorable), vanilla cream caramel hedgehog (also adorable), salted caramel (perfect mix of salty and sweet), and ghost chili apple (amazing mix of flavors). Our $25 for us about 7 pieces of chocolate. We also tried one of the candy bars they had for sale that was not made there -- it was very bitter and chalky (dark toffee). I would recommend sticking to the chocolates made in house! read more

Chocolate Maya - Maple syrup caramel - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Don't know why I previously gave this incredible chocolate shop 4 stars.. they deserve 10... always helpful, always having different selections of incredible chocolates. Large vegan selection. Rare chocolates made fresh with top ingredients. The pictures do not do them justice. Deliciousness hot cocoa and other freshly made drinks. Packaged chocolates. If your craving delicious chocolates in Santa Barbara.. this is the only place to go!!! read more

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One of our must-visit places in downtown Santa Barbara every year is Chocolate Maya, to enjoy some delicious, beautifully crafted dark chocolate, and when it's available, the spicy hot cocoa called "Sacrifice". Every piece of chocolate is a piece of artwork, to be savored and appreciated. There are also quite a variety of vegan options if so desired. read more

Chocolate Maya - All the vegan options beautifully packaged to bring home! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Unfortunate that this business offers such lovely chocolate, because their customer service is abysmal. Have received gift boxes from Chocolate Maya twice and the contents were superb with lovely, imaginative flavors. Today was my second attempt to place an order for shipment or in-store pickup. The first time, I was charged an absurd fee for delivery within Santa Barbara (not during exceptionally hot weather and a quite pricy selection). When I inquired as to why this was, the person purporting to be the Owner was brusque to the point of rudeness. Today, I attempted to place an online order for in-store pickup. This was disallowed by the Maya website unless I wished to create an account (no). Instead I called the store and was informed by the (heavily European-accented female) answering the telephone that 1) "This is impossible" (interesting--highly computer-literate online shopper and a family member who is an Informational Technologist could not make it work sans account, either) and 2) "We are much too busy to take an order over the telephone". Wow. Obviously this business must be reliant upon out-of-towners, for if this is how they treat those which might become their faithful local client base, it isn't going to happen. Advising all of my local friends and colleagues to assiduously avoid Chocolate Maya. As their online ordering process is unwieldy (if not unsuccessful), those attempting this process might wish to avoid them also. read more

The chocolates here are divine. I'm not a huge chocolate fan but this place makes the most delicious bites I have ever tried. Stop in and get some if you're in the area. My favorite was one with a red dot it had some heat but not too much. read more

Cool little chocolate shop with plenty of selection! I ended up coming because I saw that they have some pate de fruit. Picked up a couple for the train ride home and they did not disappoint! Would definitely come back again! read more

The aroma alone should draw you inside. Hand crafted, thoughtfulMy designed chocolates with flavors like Tres Leches, Nutella-filled white chocolate "mice", Buddha-shaped chocolate with maple syrup caramel, ladybugs filled with peanut butter, jasmine tea caramel flowers and just sooo much more like my fav -- miso and ginger. Phenomenal. This is the place to order chocolates to impress. They wrap them up tied with a sweet ribbon. A box of 18 is about $45. read more

Chocolate Maya - Peanut butter ladybugs and tons more. Chocolate cravings solved!! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The Sacrifice chocolate drink....That is all. You don't need anything else. If you ever wondered what Vienne's spiced hot chocolate tasted like in the movie Chocolate, thisis it. And the best part, you can take some to make at home. read more

We stopped here after a visit to the zoo and saw a line to get in. Since it was Xmas Eve, I assumed people were getting some last minute gifts. Everything was very orderly and pleasant. Once inside, there were three people working servicing customers. We ordered two drinking chocolates. One regular and one with habanero. Both were fantastic with the habanero being very subtle and went very well with the cinnamon and clove. Our kids each got a small bar, one white chocolate and one dark (sorry I cannot vote which they got!). We tried each and again they were just excellent. The customer service was great (not sure what the few negative reviewers are talking about!) and this is just a great little shop! read more

It was a sad moment when I got home to LA and discovered that my precious (and pricey) chocolates from Chocolate Maya were flooded in a horrible makeshift cooler accident. I was absolutely certain that they were ruined and that the only thing I would get to eat is the $$$ I spent on the purchase. But as luck would have it, I was able to salvage them and they (almost) looked as beautiful as they did in the display cases! But how would they taste? This is why Chocolate Maya gets 5-stars from me. Even though this was my first time eating Chocolate Maya and don't really have any pre-existing experience with them to compare it to, my cooler-flood-surviving chocolates tasted absolutely amazing! It's the kind of deliciousness that makes me pause everything I'm doing so I can focus on savoring the moment. Mouthgasms at its finest! I was lucky enough to indulge in the following: - Dark Truffle - Almonds in Dark Chocolate - Candied Orange in Dark Chocolate http://bit.ly/1KN3sIq - Rum and Coconut http://bit.ly/1Qzzois - Dark Chocolate Ganesh http://bit.ly/1Oa3ydI On top of being delicious, the staff here is really friendly and helpful too. Although the beautiful display case only had two chocolates marked as vegan, the nice woman further pointed out additional vegan chocolates for me. They even let me sample their super rich, super thick vegan-friendly hot chocolate. Major thanks to Yelper Rach E. for bringing me to Chocolate Maya. Next time I visit this place, I'll do a much better job protecting the chocolates ;D read more

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The chocolate here is a work of art. A small place but overwhelming for many visits given the amount of chocolate and how good it is. A gem of Santa Barbara read more

We got four chocolates: tahini & pink peppercorn, mint infused, bourbon & date, and pistachio. The chocolates were so tasty and beautiful, especially the tahini one, and the workers were nice! read more

I found this gem while perusing an article of places to visit while in Santa Barbara. I happened to be having brunch at a cafe nearby. When I saw it was around the corner, I was convinced I would stop there first on my shopping trip. It was a quaint shop. I smelled the aroma of the cacao immediately. I would see a wall full of packaged chocolate and a beautiful display of handmade chocolates waiting to be enjoyed. My eyes wide open in wonderment started at the end closest to the register..I saw the glistening of gold and then the sprinkles of salt and chili and other decadent treats as I went down the line..then I saw the collection of vegan chocolates. It was quite an array that it was hard to stop adding to my order. It was such a hot day outside I couldn't bare the thought of them melting in my bag so kept it to a minimum. I've been enjoying them sparingly since then. I have a few left. Each and every one of them was impeccable. I will return one day just to sample more of their creations..love love love this business..The service was just as great. Pricey but well worth it. read more

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Some of my two favorite finds in Santa Barbara. Chocolate Maya & Santa Barbara Roasting Company. They're side by side with the coffee loading bay in between. I can't hardly describe the amaZing aroma on this little tiny street. Oh, and bonus, there is free 1 hour parking across the street! . read more

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A lovely little chocolate shop that packs a lot of variety and quality into its little space nestled off of State Street. What I would call "artisanal" chocolates, these are handmade with the best quality of ingredients, not to mention unusual flavor combinations (at least to me), i.e., pear coulis and cinnamon, miso and ginger, banana flambe' and coconut, ghost chili and caramel, to name a few. I honestly can't get into those, nor am I into "flowery" additives like lavender or rose. Just not for me. However, I did try some of the "safer" flavors like nutella, peanut butter, and I even tried one with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. We also tried milk chocolate, honey & champagne, a milk chocolate dipped candied orange slice, pistachio, and something with salted caramel. All the flavors were well represented and while subtle in their taste, I definitely knew they were there. Delicious. A bit pricey, but well worth it for quality and flavor. I can't wait to go back and try more !! read more

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Loved loved loved this place. Me and my girlfriend stumbled in here during a trip to Santa Barbara. What a wonderful surprise. The chocolate was delicious, the ambiance was cool and cozy, and the staff there was so sweet. The chocolates ranged from everything from a sea salt dark chocolate to a passion fruit white choc to a banana flambé chocolate that was so insanely delicious that it blew my kind and I now I have a new favorite fancy chocolate. There were also chocolates from all around the world and some nice gift baggy things that you can get for friends, which I really appreciated. This place was so delicious and welcoming and cool, I am now considering becoming a chocolatier. read more

I'm a huge fan of Chocolate Maya! High quality ingredients used and made on site....there's really nothing better. I feel lucky to have discovered Chocolate Maya many years ago. My first chocolate tasting was fun and their chocolate dipped ginger candy is amazing. She delivered them to me along with a box of goodness the second time. Can't wait to visit again! read more

Chocolate Maya - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Ran into this place after parking in the lot in front. This place has an extensive assortment of chocolates they both make in house and get from around the world. Many names I have never heard of before and I'm a pretty heavy chocolate connoisseur. They had a pretty good selection of vegan options. There were 3 or 4 truffles, marzipan in fruit shapes and some colorful house made jellies. I tried the ginger truffle the rum and coconut one and the strawberry marzipan. When looking over the bars I saw one that said don't eat this bar with a zombie face and in bold letters saying "chiles and chocolate bitch slap...you've been warned! Ok that was it..such an easy call as I was all over it. The lady even said people told her it was ball crushing hot. So pissed to read they use dry milk in the bar so I didn't try but man that got me super excited for a couple of seconds. So instead settled for the more tamer Stella bar with chili which was good but pricey at $8. They also sell hot chocolate and I tried the noir cup and it was pretty rich and good but too small for $4. Took about 20 seconds to down and then Immediately had a frowny face:( If you have a lot of cash to burn and love chocolate like I do you gotta stop on by at least to enjoy the cool chocolate atmosphere. read more

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