3.5 stars overall. Deducted 1.5 stars because of a few of the dark chocolates that have nuts in…read morethem, unfortunately the nuts tasted old, which totally destroyed the chocolate flavor. The tempering also seemed off on those pieces, and the tops had a melty, uneven texture, which was disappointing. Some of the dark chocolate pieces are super delicious, but some tasted old, which wasn't good. Given my love for European chocolates, my husband got me their 16-piece dark chocolate box twice, and both times the ones with nuts weren't good - but the rest were decent and really good chocolates. Their dark chocolate collection is made from cacao from the Americas, Madagascar, and some other spots, which is a great variety. I do love their dark chocolate hot though, which is 69% cocoa, it's not too sweet, and we made it with unsweetened almond milk, which is a perfect touch of a cozy cup. I don't think I would try their dark chocolate collection again given my disappointment both times with their chocolates that has nuts in it tasting old. I wish they would fix the recipe as they have so much potential

I nice little shop to get a chocolate craving satisfied. Very tiny bite size candies. I tired two…read moredifferent ones that the worker recommended. They were ok. But with a price tag of no less than $3.50 for the tiniest bite of chocolate is alittle out of my league haha. Maybe I was in too rich of a neighborhood for my taste . If the candy blew me away I would say ok the price is ok. I'll keep it simple. Nice tiny bites of candy. You can select many different bite size candies to try, but it ain't going to be cheap haha Pro tip: If its your first time there they give you one free sample each. Make sure to get your free sample and you decide if you want more.

Specialty chocolate shop and interesting walk through. Please come and create your own adventure.read more

I'm kind of a tasting enthusiast... I enjoy blind and nonblind tasting of everything from wine to…read morebeer to olive oil to chocolate. Came here as part of a group chocolate tasting event a friend had arranged, and I was not disappointed. As you may already know, this place is a sort of temple to the long lost art of making chocolate using pre-modern agriculture and insanely-manual-labor-intensive processing, right down to removing the bean germ by hand to remove bitterness from the final product. It works btw: even when the final product is a "100%" cacao bar, it's not bitter - just intense. Somewhat oddly, most of their chocolates then add flavorings back - for example ginger or grape moonshine. I'm not sure whether to look at this as the opposite of a purist approach to chocolate, or as a loving curation of chocolate combos that is only possible with the pure-ist of chocolates - but two of the combos are fantastically successful. Namely, the ones I already mentioned: ginger and the grape moonshine powered "Ubric" which will mesmerize you long after you taste it - and which has been the subject of article length features in at least one popular magazine. If you want a souvenir it'll be almost $40 for a few ounces. Do it anyway. And follow any preparation directions to the T, e.g. bringing the chocolate up to about 80 degrees before eating it.

Läderach has officially brought a taste of Switzerland to Palo Alto, and this…read moreaesthetically-pleasing & convenient location is absolutely worth a visit! The chocolate is truly next-level--fresh, beautifully crafted, incredibly smooth, and rich without being overly sweet. Their famous FrischSchoggi chocolate slabs are a must-try, with so many delicious flavors and combinations to choose from. If we're talking anything luxuriously fresh & sweet & out of this world, they have it right here! The store itself is gorgeous, and the staff were so welcoming and friendly. There is always a staff member right by the entrance/exit with a tray of fresh chocolate pieces ready to give samples to those who come and check out their store! Such a warm vibe that they bring, and it was such a special experience getting to taste their Swiss chocolate firsthand. Anyone is welcome to browse around, and take a peek, and even sample their FrischSchoggi chocolate slabs - I highly recommend to sample their seasonal flavors! I must say that my all-time seasonal favorites is their Lemon Curd, Almond Blond, and Dark Orange-Almond. So excited to have Läderach right here in the southern part of the Peninsula - and a great location to be in at the prestigious & ritzy Stanford Shopping Center!

Walking by, a woman was exiting the Laderach shop breaking off a bit of chocolate to eat. The power…read moreof suggestion, right? I stepped towards the entrance and a very nice staff member presented me with a piece of milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts in the bar. That's it! That's my downfall. Deliciously smooth Swiss chocolate ..yum yum! I bought some of the bars broken off from the large blocks. The one I chose has ground pistachios and flaky phyllo pieces... the Dubai chocolate! Just in time for Mother's Day (5/10/26) or Teacher Appreciation Day (5/8/26). Guess I'll have to come back tomorrow in case this Dubai chocolate doesn't make it to my Mom or the teacher at school :) chocolate is the best gift!

Found this place as we were walking around downtown Palo Alto and were drawn in by the lights and…read morethe cute rabbit logo. The chocolates looked very upscale and artistic. We ended up getting a couple to try ($4.50/button) and were also given a complimentary one to sample. They also offer chocolate making workshops and lots of different hot and iced chocolates!

My mom and I enjoyed a lovely chocolate workshop here! I've made chocolates several times before…read moreand I still left the workshop with new ideas and techniques to try at home. The indoor and outdoor space here is delightful, and the gentleman who runs the workshop has a great sense of humor. They also feed you well before moving into the chocolate tasting / truffle making. Highly recommended for a tasty hands on food crafting experience!

I had been to that Marvel Cake in Campbell - this is the first time I came to I the Palo Alto one -…read moreI think it's opened a few months ago. They have cute outdoor seating - very European feeling. That street has now been partially closed post covid. There is an underground parking lot near it and Nola's next to it. The severs are young kids and very polite. They took great care of us.

The matcha cloud foam that was advertised for the Jade and the Amethyst is not the classic cloud…read morefoam you're imagining. It's runny and doesn't properly sit at the top of the drink. I was also trying to adjust the sweetness of the drinks, but was told I can't adjust any sweetness because everything was pre-made, pre-mixed. The Amethyst (blueberry puree, blueberry cloud foam matcha) tasted mostly of milk. Jade (banana flavor) tasted like a banana milk. Chocolate croissant: flakey, rich chocolate chips inside. Microwaved it for about 10 seconds on my own, and it perfectly warmed and melted the chocolate! The vibes are very Mademoiselle Colette meets Alexander's Patisserie. Opens at 10, but the storefront wasn't fully open and ready until about 10:08 AM (side note if you're in a rush in the morning). Will I come back? Not for the matchas. Maybe for the pastries and desserts or regular coffee and the vibes.

A TGTG bag brought me here and boy was I happy…read more Got 3 very decadent desserts. All great, not too sweet, and very worth coming back for. Simply a reminder for myself to come back here.

Food five out of five: cheese bread with pastrami, Kibbeh were very good , maamoul was good ( the…read morefiller is excellent but the outside a little hard) Service four out of five (they forgot to add Basrerma to my cheese and sesame bread... took them like 10 minutes to fix it) Neighbourhood: five out of five very nice walkable , and people were going in and out all the time and they have a couple of tables and chairs outside. The place was clean.

10/10! Best cookies EVER. My favorite cookie spot in the bay. Not overly sweet like Crumbl and has…read morethe perfect texture. If you like thin, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside cookies, then this is your spot! Love that they use Guittard chocolates as well. Favorites are: 66% dark chocolate, toffee, and white choco macadamia. Shoutout also to the team member who worked tonight (Sept 19) for handling a snarky customer who's never tried the cookies before. She handled his questions with so much grace and calmness. I'll definitely come again.

DELICIOUSNESS. Don't need to say anymore…read more Located in town and country village, a friend recommended this place to me. I will go here any day over Crumbl. It's a simple menu of 11 flavors. My favorite are the toffee, cookies and cream, and 66% chip. Cookies are always freshly baked, not overly sweet, and the right texture. Just note seating inside only for four so the expectation is that you'd take it home. Service is phenomenal. The two girls who run it do a fantastic job. She messed up our order and gave us an extra cookie as compensation. Will order more boxes in the future!

It's all about that dreamy butter croissant at Mademoiselle Colette! Beautifully flaky, with…read moredelicate, buttery layers and that irresistible warmth when served fresh. Pure, melt-in-your-mouth indulgence! The rest of the menu is perfectly pleasant, but the croissant is the real star of the show. Dare I say, it gives Arsicault in SF a run for its money!

The almond chocolate croissant and flan were really good! :-)…read more Wasn't too into their seasonal strawberry matcha, however they had milk substitutes which is a plus. Lots of seating and it was a cute atmosphere.

Came here for dessert and cafe yap vibes around 9pm on a Saturday. Love that it is open until…read moremidnight! I appreciate the Italian vibes and vibrant decor that is meant to simulate a European cafe. The inside is spacious and there is an outdoor patio. We waited in line briefly to order the Mille Feuille and Tiramisu at the register. The Mille Feuille: 3/5 It was pretty but I don't think it measured up to my expectations. I was hoping that the flaky pastry would be fresher and crispier. Wouldn't get it again. Tiramisu: 4/5 Solid tiramisu and no complaints. Seemed freshly made and would get again. Overall, I liked the vibe and ambiance of the cafe for catching up with friends and it's open late! My friend liked the coffee too. I also noticed they have a no laptops sign but saw a couple of people working on their laptops so not sure on the official policy haha

The coffee is good. I'll say that first so nobody can wave this away as sour grapes from someone…read morewho doesn't know what an espresso should taste like. Everything else about Cafe Venecia is a problem, and it has been a problem every time I've gone, including today. The outside tables are never cleared. Crumbs, coffee rings, somebody's abandoned napkin. No one comes out. Ask an employee about it and they'll point you toward a rag you're welcome to fetch and use yourself. That's the arrangement here -- you buy the coffee, you bus the table, you wipe it down, and the staff watches you do it. Today I asked for a bowl of water for my dog. The answer was no. Not "we're slammed, give me a minute," just no. So I asked whether they could put a little water in a to-go container instead, and was told, "Well, I can't give you a to-go container because we don't do them." Sit with that one. They don't do to-go containers, which means everything in the place comes in real dishware, which means the building is full of cups and bowls. They had exactly what I was asking for. They simply weren't going to hand one over, and they made sure I understood that by the tone. So: a café on University Avenue, with sidewalk seating, in a town where half the foot traffic is people walking dogs, has decided that tap water is outside its operating capabilities, and table cleaning is outside its operating capabilities, while charging Palo Alto prices is somehow well within them. There are a dozen places within three blocks that manage the coffee and the manners at the same time. Go to one of those. One star, and the star is for the beans.

For a guy that takes an inordinate amount of photos, I am surprisingly unobservant. This place is…read morejust three doors down from the Posh Bagel on Main St. How is it I just noticed this fantastic store? I mean, stores that sell candy and chocolate are my jam. But it was invisible to me. Until today, anyway. I am so happy I finally found it. Because Gourmet Works is much more than a store that sells candy and chocolate. In fact, as the name would suggest, it's more of a Gourmet food store and Gift Shop than a Chocolate Shop. But it's also a hella cool chocolate shop and that's the main reason I will be sure to return. Right when you walk in the door you are surrounded by an astonishingly large variety of items that would make the perfect gift for a loved one, or for yourself. Because, I ain't gonna lie, there were at least a dozen items that I considered buying for myself. I thought to myself, you know, I do so much for me, and it seems I rarely properly thank myself for my devoted patronage and self care. If you are interested in high quality gourmet gifts, Gourmet Works is definitely the place to go! They carry so many products you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Gourmet Salts, Dried Herbs, Pasta Sauces, Dried Pasta, Curry Sauces, Masala Simmer Sauce, Special Preserves and Jams. An impressive, well-curated selection. Then, at the back of the store you find the kind of Chocolate display case that dreams are made of. Oh my Lord! Just the Truffle side alone would be enough to melt anyone's heart. But the other side, with the astonishing variety of hand dipped chocolates is where I lost it. I saw the Almond Bark and stopped dead in my tracks. I stared at that Almond Bark. The Almond Bark stared back at me. We were locked into that stare down for what seemed like an eternity. I was sure neither of us would ever give in. But then I blinked. Somehow I became aware that the wonderful woman behind the counter was asking me if she could help me. As I regained my senses, suddenly I felt so embarrassed. How long had I been staring at that Almond Bark? How many times had she tried to get my attention? I had no idea. I tried to play it off like there was nothing going on between me and that Almond Bark. I casually inquired about some Chocolate Covered Caramels with Sea Salt on a totally different shelf in the display case. Then, of course, I had to buy a couple of those Chocolate Covered Carmels with Sea Salt, to cover up the whole situation with me and the Almond Bark. I purchased a couple ordinary, un-chocolate covered Caramels with Sea Salt too. The woman behind the counter couldn't have been more gracious. She didn't let on that she knew exactly what was happening and I wasn't fooling anyone with the whole Chocolate Covered Caramels with Sea Salt charade. So, my thanks to Gourmet Works, and the gracious woman behind the counter, Padmaja (her family owns Gourmet Works). It was such a pleasure to shop at your wonderful store! Mikey C says: I'm coming back for you, Almond Bark!

Cute little shop I found after dinner in the area. There were a lot of cute kitchen knick knacks. I…read morepersonally came for chocolate though. I tried the cherry cordial. I never had a dark chocolate one and I may not go back to traditional milk chocolate. If Im ever in the area in again, I try some of their other seasonal chocolates.