HOT HOT HOT CHOCOLATE for ALL chocolate LOVERS! The…read morechocolate tree is located on a busy road and still it's easy to find car parking nearby, especially on a Sunday. Also conveniently accessible by bus. There is not much sitting space, such best to book in advance. We got a lovely table at the front window (which by the way is the only table in the front of the shop). I believe there is a very small sitting area in the back. You can find lots of chocolate variations on display on cupboard shelves. At the moment they offer 10% off chocolate bars before a certain time of the day. There are also macaroons, ice cream a (not gelato), pralines and little "cakes". Above the main entrance you see the drink menu written on huge chalk boards: Traditional chocolate, one for kids and one for adults, white chocolate, milky chocolate, dark chocolate and much more. They do coffee too. I ordered salted caramel ice cream and milk chocolate, which was the best hot milk chocolate in Edinburgh so far, and not to mention I got served plenty of it in a big mug. Definitely worth the money. Must confess, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and next time a hot chocolate will be plenty :-) They are also present with stalls at various Edinburgh markets, like Stockbridge. Its an ideal place to take away and enjoy the "pleasures" somewhere else.

For those 'in the know', the chocolate tree has been an online business for quite some time, but…read moredecided to open up their own shop in our very own city, Edinburgh. If you like chocolate, you will LOVE The Chocolate Tree. Located in the trendy Bruntsfield area, it is in the perfect position to sit in and gorge or sit out and gorge. Their chocolates are all organic (so at least your conscious feels good about eating copious amounts of chocolate...) The decor is very chic, trendy and indulgent. Indeed, I think Indulgence is a theme in the cafe. My first visit was under sad circumstances - recently single and feeling vulnerable, my friend took me and ordered me the 'Spanish Hot Chocolate' (see picture). Oh My God. Where I was feeling despairing, distraught and dismayed I was overcome with delight, deliriousness and felt thoroughly delectable!! It was perfect...perhaps a bit rich, but the first few sips were to die for. It even came with a little dough cake-thing to dip into the thick, gloopy chocolate, like fondue! It would have been ideal for two to share. To be honest, I'm not what you would call a choc-a-holic - especially now that Cadbury's is no longer considered 'chocolate'. But there is something for everyone to enjoy, whether its a slice of their GLORIOUS chocolate cake (it was delicious, after a while I felt I should find a mirror to check if my pupils had dilated) or one of their mini chocolate bites. If you can't make it to the shop they sell online and they're much cheaper than their competition ( it's one of their ethical principles, woohoo!). It really is worth visiting, on a warm summer day to lounge and indulge yourself, or on a cold winter evening to keep yourself warm. It's the sort of place I imagine Harry Potter would sit in...

Ahhh my new love. I love love love Coco chocolate!…read more If you're around the area its well worth stopping by to try the free samples. There is a large variety of chocolate on their shelves, each bar lovingly made and with such creative flavours it'll be hard to choose just one. Highly recommended- lavender chocolate. And their chocolate almonds are pretty fantastic too. I will say it's quite pricey but it's worth it. There are also truffles available as well as stunning gift boxes that make a great gift idea (this was my Valentine's day gift. Loved it!) It's a very small space with a few seats. My reccomendation would be to buy 3 bars for £12, go home, and prepare to have your mind blown by the sheer awesomeness that it Coco chocolate. Or give it away as a gift or share it or something.

Yyyyyyyaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!…read more *runs around house in delight* I was so darn excited when I noticed this little shop had opened, that I nearly dragged a visiting family member into traffic just to peer through the window. One quick little search will prove: I really really like Coco. In fact, I quite recently wrote about the Bruntsfield location and true to form, this little Stockbridge spots lives up to the artisan reputation. So why did this little place get the coveted five stars over Bruntsfield's four? Because it's LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE! Wheeee!! Pre-warning: it is tiny. I wouldn't plan to stay here for a beverage, though Caz is right and they have a chair or two in the window. However, if you have more than two people in the shop, you'd be near elbow to elbow, so I don't see it being a relaxing coffee stop any time soon. BUT they've got a beautiful wall of chocolate bars with every flavour under the sun, a small glass shelved collection of their infamous hand painted chocolates and informal bags of squares, nut clusters, etc, perfect for grey Mondays or "get me through this week" Wednesday afternoons. Between this and Patisserie Madeleine across the road, I see a new waistline in my future...

For a year or so, I have been enjoying and particularly recommend their dark chocolate with…read morecrystallised ginger. But I also love their honey comb and lots of other special combinations. Do go and sample their varied offerings!! Mark

Oh Edward & Irwyn, how I love your chocolate…read more And you know, not only is it incredibly good but it's *interesting* - they experiment with some great flavours and end up with unique products which pack a punch. One of my favourites are the (salted?) caramel filled mountains with white chocolate and jasmine snow capped peaks. I mean whuuuuuuuuut. I thought the jasmine would be weird but it's actually gorgeous and fruity and totally jasmine but not at all at the same time. Also in love with the green mandarin, beetroot and ??? something which is escaping me. The green mandarin flavour is out of this world. UGH. And let's get to the hot chocolate. The chili, vanilla and tonka bean. Oh my goodness. Heaven. They used to just make for wholesale but started opening up the kitchen directly on weekends leading up to major chocolate events (like Easter when they make the most kicking DRAGON Easter eggs), that then led onto being open the first Saturday of each month and now they're every (though maybe most would be a better description as they'll take off the occasional weekend I'm sure) Saturday 12-3. Really lovely people with fabulous and inventive taste in chocolates. Yum and yum.

The ginger ice cream I had was entirely wonderful. Came highly recommended and I was not…read moredisappointed. Definitely worth the queue. I think the shop, and the town itself, could benefit from some strategically placed benches for people to sit on in the fleeting sunshine and enjoy their ice cream.

Charming wee place. Busy with day-trippers & often queued out the door. Proper old-fashioned…read moreice-cream

Hotel chocolat is a cute shop with TONS of choices! I first had them when visiting Ireland a few…read moreyears back. When I saw there was one in Glasgow I knew I had to stop in. Stopped in, was greater by the friendly staff and offered a sample which was delicious. Grabbed a hot chocolate which was perfect for the Scottish weather. Although we didn't grab any chocolates this time around i highly recommend trying a the millionaires shortbread

More more more more more vegetarian chocolate no gelatine more more more more more more more more…read moremore more more more more more more more moremore moremoremore moremoremore more moremore more more more more more vegetarian chocolate no gelatine

Kimbles is a family business that has been in the St Enoch Centre since 2002. They sell pre-boxed…read morechocolates and single chocolates that can be boxed to your specifications. A couple of years ago, their shop expanded to include a little café, where you can enjoy their chocolates with a hot drink. My favourite combination has to be tablet and a tea with no sugar, so you can get the contrast in the two. I bought a box of the chocolates for Maw once and she said they were fantastic, although they're the kind of ones you can only eat 2 or 3 of at a time. For it being such a small, quality business, prices actually aren't that bad.

I am a romantic man…read more Being Finnish, my missus has a sweet tooth to rival any Scot, whilst managing not to be obese. It's a mystery. Anyhow, I recall her excitement at finding this place a while back but never having been in. I took it upon myself to do all the work and pick her up some chocolates for a mini-celebration. They might have been better than the ones I have just worked through from Marks and Spencers I got from Christmas, and were certainly better than Thorntons. Everything in Thorntons sort of tastes the same, in the same way everything in McDonalds also tastes the same. The staff were friendly and chatty and more or less done the work on my behalf to be fair with regards to buying the chocolates, all I done was actually pay for them. Didn't pay as much as I was prepared to either so I treated myself to a cup of coffee, which was also above average. I am a romantic man. Who knows how to treat himself as well.

You only get a true measure of a business when something goes wrong. I had originally ordered some…read moreflowers (same day for collection) - but when I arrived to collect, nobody could remember taking my order. The manager and staff, to their credit, immediately rallied around and put together the most beautiful bouquet. The significant other loves her gift and I will definitely be coming back. Next time I'll do better and give them more time to prepare!

If you ever need chocolate or flowers. This is the place to come!…read more Harvest Garden has been in Morningside, for forever it seems. They do beautiful displays of flowers immediately outside the shop, and in the windows. For me, the reason to go here. Chocolate! Harvest Garden is the only Scottish, if not UK stockist of Laura Secord. These are gorgeous chocolates that I first had in Canada. Beware, these are not cheap! In season, they sell chocolate figs. These are handmade in someone's house in Spain. Basically, it is a fresh fig that has chocolate fondant in the middle, then they are foil wrapped. That description could never do them justice though. I am always guaranteed to find what I want here for birthdays, christmas etc. There is a good range of chocolate stocked, and a price to suit all pockets. I haven't made it to the handmade chocolate counter yet though.....

I became familiar with Thinking Chocolate through an introductory workshop ran in partnership with…read morethe Edinburgh Larder. The workshop was run by Nadia, the owner and founder of Thinking Chocolate. It involved a lot of tasting, some of their own chocolate, a lot of useful information. Nadia's love and extensive knowledge of chocolate were obvious throughout. Will definitely be returning in shop and I look forward to the next lesson.

From the owner: Thinking Chocolate arrived in 2007 having turned a 38 year old passion into a wee business. As…read morewell as producing micro batches of handmade chocolates & confections for five star hotels &restaurants, we have a range of practical classes & tasting events. We host events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and London. We work very closely with our clients, creating memorable experiences to enhance their events be it reward days for business or Hen Parties. As with Fine Wines & Whisky, there are many parallels between chocolate tasting & the appreciation of flavours, expressions & aroma . Creating an informal, fun atmosphere for the enjoyment of these is what we live for! We have built several successful relationships with like minded artisans based on our mutual interest in the pursuit of the perfect match. So come & see us at our shop! Whether you fancy a shot of liquid ganache, are tempted by our delicious truffles, or can't resist one of our gorgeous cakes - it's all good

One of my favourite places in Edinburgh to go hang out. Like many of the places in Edinburgh this…read morechocolate shop has bags of style, not only in its delectable cakes and chocs but its decor. Walk in here, and you've walked into a the Parisian cafe of your dreams and I'm sure the new location will only add to that. The hot chocolate here is gorgeous but still hasn't beaten my favourite from the Chocolate Boutique in Auckland but I think that's down to personal preference! The chocs here are DIVINE and you can tell that the chocolatiers really put thought and effort into everyone of them. They look beautiful, taste beautiful and it is this care and attention that really makes this place head and shoulders above the rest and dare I say it but this is one of the best chocolate shops in the UK. The shop also boasts an extensive tea and coffee menu that once again shows the owners care and attention to source some unique blends. If you love chocolate you will adore Plaisir du Chocolat.

When my husband and I lived in Edinburgh, this was our favorite chocolatier…read more The handmade chocolates are encased in a thin shell designed with beautiful cocoa prints. The store also wraps these jewels up in a tasteful celadon green box imprinted with their logo and tied up with a brown ribbon. There are an assortment of flavors including lavender, sencha tea, lotus flowers, bergamot essence, pepper, and so much more. *** Another closed location, but I had this already written in my queue. I'll miss this place. Does anyone else recommend a chocolatier that does a similar style?