My first visit was back in 2019 at the recommendation of a work colleague and I visited again a few weeks ago. While both experiences were quite different being pre-pandemic and during the pandemic, they are still serving the same great customer services and same delicious chocolate! On my first visit I enjoyed a cup of their drinking chocolate. It is a thick, rich, decadent treat that simply delights the taste buds of hot chocolate lovers like me! Once you've had European-style hot chocolate, you just have to get it again and again. It's thick, unlike your run of the mill hot chocolate, and Fran's version is not overly sweet. I just had to have it again on my most recent visit and it really hit the spot! The recipe seems to have changed since my first initial visit as it was made of 65% dark chocolate. On my most recent visit, the hot chocolate was made of 70% Peruvian dark chocolate and organic milk. Both versions tasted wonderfully. Their chocolates are also delicious and come in an array of flavors. The gray salted caramel was my favorite of the ones I tasted. They have a variety of gift boxes available from small to big and are also sold individually. I bought a few as gifts for family to enjoy and they also gave us a few samples upon checkout. Just a tip - it is located at the Four Seasons.... so it can be a little pricey (individual pieces are $2+ each), depending on what you get. It might also have you checking yourself if you're dressed up for the occasion, lol (you're fine). read more

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Gourmet chocolate shop across the Seattle Art Museum. Came here in the afternoon and there was no line. Masks are required. Credit cards are accepted. No public restrooms available. The store is connected to the Four Seasons lobby, so you can drink your hot chocolate in their lobby (you can't drink it in Fran's). Came here to buy some presents as well as try the drinking chocolate. The employee who assisted us was not particularly helpful - she didn't greet us when we walked into the store, didn't offer to answer any questions or provide any recommendations, and told us that the menu was "basic" when we told her that we wanted to take a look at the drink options. It made for a rather uncomfortable experience. The chocolate itself was good and you do get a free sample. The chocolate caramels seemed to be the most popular offering. The truffles I got did keep well over two days when I flew back to LA and gave them to my friends. Frans does offer online orders with shipping. read more

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I was in need of a hit of chocolate to get me to my ride home from downtown. I stopped in and got two truffles. One was a macadamia nut topped caramel the other a triple hazenut truffle. While I was waiting for my gems they gave me a dark chocolate covered salted caramel truffle to try. I was in heaven! A bit decadent and so incredible. If you're visiting Seattle or just walking by this is a local institution you won't walk away disappointed. I'm still thinking about that hazelnut truffle.... read more

Hot chocolate!! Last year I was so disappointed the hot chocolate was unavailable to order, as soon as I learned it was available I made sure to stop by one of the Fran's locations. There are multiple locations within the area, but this location is within the four seasons. Fran's is a tourist favorite, but it's an essential pick me up for locals simply put winter is here yielding nothing but cold, and gloomy days you deserve decadent chocolate. I highly recommend! read more

Fran's Chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Always love stopping by Fran's when guests are in town! The place offers various gift boxes of their salted caramels and seasonal chocolates, customizable chocolate boxes, and a drink menu. This time, I went in for their drinking chocolate, which is thick and rich and a must for any chocolate lover. If you want to enjoy it indoors, you can head over to the connected Four Seasons lobby. Service is usually very attentive, but my visit this time left on a sour note because of a staff who was short and unhelpful. She responded to our question about drink sizes with an unrelated and rude comment about the menu and was weirdly silent the other times. read more

Fran's Chocolates - Menu - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Very fancy inside, very fancy and expensive chocolates, but not really as tasty as I'd hope. Honestly, I think I prefer See's Candy. We ordered a box of 9-12 for $27 and we were only able to fit 9 in there. The chocolates were all pretty small and even their milk chocolates were still quite bitter like dark chocolate. The staff are nice and willing to explain to you each chocolate since some of them have indecipherable names. Next time, I'll save some money and go up the street to Rocky Mountain. read more

Best chocolate experience ever. Definitely ordered a variety of styles and flavors of chocolate. I must say the caramel salted milk chocolate box is by far my favorite. The quality and flavor of the chocolates is amazing. I love the texture and variety of options available in store and online. The staff here are very outgoing and knowledgeable about recommendations if needed. read more

Great selection of chocolates, fresh, tasty and lite! In this hot weather, very difficult to buy a box of chocolates and carry home. This is one of those boutique chocolate stores were you get the feeling that you aren't able to buy individual samples or that box of chocolates would start at 40 or 50$, but that's hardly the case! You can buy couple of pieces and pay for each one individually! Aimee the manager was very welcoming. I tried 4 pieces and loved the Milk de Tas Nois so much, I went back and bought two more. I wish I could buy several boxes but next time I'm in town and the weather is cooler! Definitely one of my new favorite chocolate store in Seattle! The ambience is polished, modern and clean! read more

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I'm no chocolate connoisseur (I don't really visit chocolate shops often at all) but I still stopped by here to get a box of chocolates as a souvenir gift for someone (apparently the chocolate salted caramels here are the bee's knees). I was promptly greeted by a staff member and he readily gave me a pure bittersweet truffle square to sample. Truffle was pretty smooth in texture and taste, yum. While curating a custom box of chocolates for me he also gave me a sample of one of the chocolate salted caramels. I can kinda-sorta see why these are popular. The caramel itself tasted pretty standard but the special salt with its striking taste brightened the caramel flavor really well. Delving into this whole chocolate shop experience, I ended up buying a couple of chocolate pieces for myself lol. I got an oolong tea truffle but I didn't taste the oolong tea in it because of how rich the dark chocolate ganache in the truffle was. I also tried a coconut gold bar; a lighter coconut taste than what I was hoping for but I liked how snappy the almonds on top were. Overall I'd say that the chocolates give this place 4 stars and I added a star because of the very attentive and friendly service. read more

Beyond the outrageous prices ($48 / 16 pieces & $82 / 30 pieces) bought for friend's birthday and got smaller size for me to try... unimpressed. They tasted like ganache NOT the creaminess and flavorfulness (a word?) And, the size, which I guess I shoulda figured would be small. Guess an Actual Size picture would have been a deterrent! So not much taste really small and expensive!! read more

Disclaimer: I'm only limited to the non-dairy flavors so I can't speak for the milk chocolate pieces and bars. We stopped in on our way to dinner because... chocolate! Immediately I felt I was in a place of luxury and also felt a bit self-conscious as I was wearing running clothes and chaco flip flops that exposed my unmanicured trail-running feet. But still, the employees greeted my cousin and I with a smile and were more than inviting upon our entrance. The individual who helped me was very knowledgeable about their offerings and quickly showed me to what the vegan options were. My bar is low. If there is literally anything greater than 0, I'm already excited! Not only were there 3 kinds of specialty chocolates, there were also dark chocolate covered almonds (no confectioner's glaze because who wants shiny beetle excretion coating their delectable treats? Not I!) and also dark chocolate covered toasted pumpkin seeds. I'm no chocolatier, but I do love to DIY treats at home given my dietary restriction so I opt to pay money for things I can't make on my own at home. That rules out dark chocolate covered nuts or fruit, chocolate barks and products like that. When I checked the case, there was really just one thing I would buy- the dark chocolate hazelnut diamonds. Unfortunately they were sold out and whoever sold the last of them forgot to remove this from the display case. Of course Fran's wasn't able to sell or give the display chocolate. I reluctantly defaulted to chocolate covered ginger. Well guess what? They were sold out of that as well and the employee didn't seem too pleased that whoever sold the last of that forgot to remove that product from the case as well. To make up for it, he gave additional chocolate covered nuts and seed samples, which was really nice. Can't fault him for that but it was disappointing. I then broke my rule and decided I'd try the chocolate covered apricot. The worker did confirm that the apricot had sulfites so I went into this purchase knowing that at least. I had thought though, that this apricot thingy was more than just a dried apricot, that maybe it was pureed and mixed with other spices or flavors to make it truly unique. Nope. It was actually just carefully dehydrated apricot. Not dried to the point where it's the equivalent of a raisin, but to the point that it still has some moisture and lends to a really creamy texture. For $4.50 per apricot piece, I would have expected substantially more "innovation" but alas, it was a not-all-the-way-dried sulfured apricot covered in a delicate (or sparse!) layer of dark chocolate. Definitely something I can DIY at home and cover with some melted Fran's dark chocolate bar with plenty of chocolate leftover. At least I know now. I still want to try those darn Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Diamonds. I guess they were sold out for good reason! As for their dark chocolate, the ones I sampled had decent flavor and mouth feel. Not too much sweetener and went well with the nuts. I think I prefer chocolate that has a bit more depth like some of the ones you can get from Dandelion in SF. All in all, it was a cool experience stopping in. I went home with a 100% dark bar. Haven't tried it yet but not exactly dying to either. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually! My cousin tried their caramel and was blown away so that would be my suggestion if anyone stops in. read more

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I recently vistited Seattle and happened upon Fran's chocolate located inside of the Four Seasons Hotel. That is where we met Inez. She was so lovely! She was helpful and knowledgeable. Thank you so much! read more

COVID Empty shop during mid day Tuesday. The staff was very friendly to recommend and explain their products. They are known for caramel inside the chocolate and they have boxed selections for first timers. I'm not a caramel fan, so didn't try anything. But the shop is beautiful and clean. Although there's no Easter chocolate on sale even that Easter was passed. They have a few Easter creations including a chocolate egg with Easter bunnies inside and on a bed of chocolate nest. read more

Fran's Chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Best word I'd use to describe this place: luxury. Located at the bottom of the Four Seasons, this speciality chocolate shop is filled with tiny treats and handcrafted deliciousness. They are known for their salted caramels that they sell in a variety of gift boxes, but they also have different bars of chocolate or pieces that you can have arranged into a box. All the pieces are very small so don't think that you'll be stuffing your face. Instead, you'll be carefully savoring and enjoying each tiny taste. I bought a gift box and four bars and asked if they had a box they could put the four bars in (there were four bars displayed in a box in the front). But they told me they could only put them into a box if I bought 7. They had all of the boxes right there, but I guess thats what they do at places that are "fancy". They offered a sample of the caramel after we checked out. read more

March20,2024 noon. First, I came in and no greeting. I was the only customer in the store. No greeting from other employee as well. About 5 mins after, this middle age white male store clerk in black shirt saw a white family came in and went to greet and handed out chocolate... my friend recommended place to me but it was a horrible experience. I never seen this much clear racism in my life! Horrible customer service. There was no customer service though. read more

Fran's Chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Local, Made in Seattle chocolate! Sweet and Organic. chocolates are good in 10days. they sell in the box and all the chocolates are different flavors. Selling in Seattle State and Kyoto Prefecture Japan Only. read more

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Yes, I am the type to go somewhere for free samples with no intention of buying anything. In the before times, Fran's would often give a free chocolate sample upon entry. But the caramel was so good I became a buying customer. The Gray Salt Caramels are my favorite because I prefer the dark chocolate. It's not cheap at $16.75 for 7 pieces, but it's worth it. The packaging is super pretty too so it makes a lovely gift. And yes, I still got one free chocolate sample with purchase! ***** My Star Ratings: 1 Star - Terrible. Just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars - Meh. Unlikely for me to return. 3 Stars - OK. Open to coming back, but wouldn't go out of my way to. 4 Stars - Yummy! Will definitely return if I haven't already. 5 Stars - AMAZING!!! Would plan my day or even a trip around eating here. read more

Fran's Chocolates - Gray Salt Caramels $16.75 for 7 pieces - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love Fran's Chocolates. It is a nice Seattle-based, family-owned business. I think their confections are extremely elegant and very delicious. I definitely couldn't afford these chocolates every day, but they are the perfect indulgence for special occasions and they make great gifts. President Obama used to give Fran's sea salt chocolate caramels to his special guests at the White House! The Downtown Seattle boutique is located on the street level of the Four Seasons Hotel. It is quite spacious and they have beautiful displays where you can see what goes inside the various chocolate assortments. Customer service was excellent here. Upon arriving, I was quickly offered a free sample, which was neat. I decided to buy Fran's Assortment (a mix of gray/smoked salt caramels and milk/dark chocolate truffles). I didn't like the color of the box (bright green), but they happily transferred everything to a champagne colored box for me, which I really appreciated. They tied the box with a beautiful satin ribbon and wrapped it in tissue paper. They put it in a cute little bag for me and they also have some really nice looking little cards where you can write a short note. The best part is they offer a 10% discount for UW students. Go dawgs! read more

Fran's Chocolates - A great place for gifts! I bought a box of chocolate and they wrapped it very nicely in tissue paper. They also have free mini note cards. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This location is so nice and the staff was incredibly friendly. I created my own box with some of their popular caramels. Definitely invest in Fran's coconut gold bar. Although you can't create a box with it, the gold bar is a decadent sweet treat (a lot of food network stars recommend it) Parking is the only issue here, but if you're a tourist in the area or were lucky to find street parking, Fran's chocolates is definitely worth checking out. read more

Stopped by at Fran's last Tuesday, I have eaten Fran's Chocolates couple of time as my husband got it when he went to conferences, but to the shop, it was my first time. As soon I entered, a lady greeted me and she was nice in answering couple of questions, so good service. My favorites are grey sea salt caramel chocolates, they were absolutely fine and perfect like always, but I feel it's bit pricey but it doesn't stop me, I like it so much, recommend this place. read more

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What an amazing shop. The shop is extremely elegant. The chocolates are so shiny and beautiful. As well as great tasting. The staff are beyond great. The gentleman that helped us could not have been nicer or more helpful. A definite must stop for anyone in the area. read more

Came again during another Seattle visit and the drinking chocolate is as good as I remembered them!! read more

Fran's Chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We were fortunate enough to have some people from Fran's come over to our office a couple years ago to give us a sampling of the chocolates. We even had Fran herself come the second time. Fran give us her history and story of how she started. We all got to try some different chocolates, and I have to say, they were all delicious. You can taste the high quality of these chocolates. I like to give their chocolate as gifts, especially the salted caramels. These are the best salted caramels I've had, so far. read more

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After I heard how popular this chocolate place is, I had to try it. This is probably the fanciest chocolate store I've ever been to, and they have the prices to match it. It looks like a jewelry store at a glance. I tried their assorted caramels set since that's what they seemed to be known for. I don't deny that they're good, but they're a bit too expensive for me to want to be a frequent returning customer. They make a good gift though. The caramel flavors here tend to be more classic and traditional than say, Theo Chocolate. If you're looking for a fun variety of flavors, then check out Theo Chocolate instead. read more

I've had Fran's chocolates previously, but this was the first time I was able to visit one of their boutiques. This place is fantastic! They offer a great variety of chocolate truffles. I got a small box of nine and I was not disappointed. I'd say the stand-out truffle was the Chocolate Imperiale...it was so chocolatey and had perfect flavor, just sweet enough. The center of the truffle really tasted like a brownie. There are a ton of options depending on what one likes. The customer service is very friendly and attentive. This spot is a must for anyone visiting Seattle. read more

Frans is always a "must" when I visit Seattle! I know you can buy their salted caramels at your local Whole Foods, but going to the shop down the street from Pikes Place Market is just tradition...they have a large selection of pre-packaged boxes or you can do a custom box- they have a variety of sizes/prices available. If you happen to go on a cool day, they have absolutely the best sipping chocolate as well- so rich and decadent nothing compares! The staff is always helpful and friendly and the chocolates are creamy, rich and delicious! read more

Fran's Chocolates - Best salted caramels ever! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a fancy chocolate shop. Fran refers to Fran Bigelow, the founder. This is a family-owned Seattle-based business. Very popular with tourists. It's in a hotel lobby. read more

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I rarely visit this Fran's store, mainly because of the location, difficult parking and when I'm around for other chores I never think about it. Big mistake! I should always pay a visit when I'm close by, Fran's always delivers high quality chocolate and happiness. Today I got a large box of chocolate as a present, I usually choose the dark chocolate based ones, but the milk chocolate, the hazelnut praline and the whiskey ones are amazing too. Today I tried the chocolate imperial for the first time. OMG, it was fantastic! I'll keep a mental note to hit this place more often when I'm in pike place market for DeLaurenti or pasta casalinga. Highly recommended! read more

Fran's Chocolates - Chocolate lineup, they're all delicious - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I just ate chocolates I got from here over three years ago and they were delicious! This is not what I would recommend doing (don't wait that long!!) and this is definitely a place I would recommend! They have incredible customer service and the chocolates are so delicious!! It is a must stop at spot every time I'm in Seattle!! read more

Fran's Chocolates - Love that green box!! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

we stopped by here on our chefs tour of pike place, so I'm not exactly sure what it is that we sampled, but whatever it was that chocolate was delicious. I absolutely love the way the store is decorated and designed. It is extremely elegant and feels very high end. I love the story behind Fran and why she decided to sell her chocolates. The guy at the front was extremely polite as well. 10/10!!!! read more

I can understand why Obama loves this place! So cute and cozy, and in a nice building overall. I got a small chocolate box made to go with cute little milk chocolate truffles. The service was great and very friendly. I also enjoyed a latte with their house-made caramel sauce in the shop and it was just delightful. Would definitely return here again. read more

This place is amazing. It is a bit on the expensive side but it is money well spent. This is a luxurious candy store! I came to purchase tea. They sale other items besides chocolate. Of course I tried a chocolate treat. I tried the dark chocolate and Carmel chocolate nugget. The tea I purchased was worth every penny. The tea bag itself is so cute and sturdy. I wish I had a picture of the tea bag. The store gives luxurious vibes. Like stepping in to Louis Vuitton of candy stores. The service was top tier. They care that was taken to package my tea was my favorite part of the experience. This place is and experience. I can not wait to visit this gem again! read more

Had to come give these chocolates a try after I was told that Obama flew to Seattle just to get his hands on his favorite chocolates! I am no chocolate expert so I can only say whether I like it or not and I certainly did enjoy the almond gold bar that I got here. A good combination of bitterness from the dark chocolate, sweetness from the caramel, and crunch from the almond. The store itself is very conveniently located a block away from Pike Place Market and is very upscale but don't let that fact deter you from entering. The staff members are all very friendly and don't judge you, even if you are dressed like a tourist. They also offer free samples so that's always a plus. Tip: If you're looking to buy the packaged gold bars, don't buy them in the actual store. You can get them for a fraction of the price at the Uwajimaya Japanese supermarket. Unfortunately the caramels and the truffles seem to only be available for purchase at their specialty stores so you'll have to end up paying $$$ for those. read more

Fran's Chocolates - Almond gold bars and park bars - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This store is beautiful!!! Everything is so pristine. I love the copper color used throughout their displays. I picked up a number of items today, although I only came in for one. I left with a few speciality items as well as a few boxes of truffles. The nice woman who helped me really knew her stuff. She was soooooooo helpful. I don't go anywhere but to Fran's for special occasion chocolates. Their caramels are so delicious, along with their pressed figs and apricots. I think two of my faves are the Chocolate Imperiale and the milk chocolate hazelnut crunch. Yummmm!! read more

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Pure decadence, that's Fran's. Assorted boxes of chocolates line the room. Have a few favorites? Build your own. The staff was very kind and most patient while we tried to make up our mind on all the goodies we wanted. We took a box to go for later and ordered drinking chocolate for our cool and drizzly walk back to the car. So delicious! If you have a sweet tooth, the 3 oz drinking chocolate is perfect. If you want to cut the sweetness a bit try Fran's mocha, drinking chocolate plus espresso. Will be back soon. read more

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Amazing milk chocolate caramels with sea salt. That is all. (Be sure to taste a few options as freebies.)

Don't get me wrong -- the chocolates are good. I do think it's time for Fran's to release new products. It gets boring at times. Whenever I stop in, it's always the same products over and over. Nothing really new. What isn't good is the lack of organizational coherence exhibited by the management is a matter of concern. Staff could be treated better. Power dynamics are severely unbalanced. They get the bare minimum. Imbalance of respect and fairness. Addressing these systemic issues necessitates a thorough evaluation of managerial practices and an earnest commitment to cultivating a culture that prioritizes the well-being of staff. read more

This place does not live up to the hype....we had a hot chocolate that was just ok. The chocolates are good but nothing exceptional! I bought their jar of dark chocolate syrup that I have yet to try so cannot comment on that. read more

Stopped by the store today and grabbed couple gift boxes of assortment chocolate- 6 pieces $16.95. The staff are super friendly and nice, they have good knowledge of each piece of chocolate and they can describe accurately and vividly on the tastes. They hand picked all chocolate and wrapped gift boxes one by one. I had good experience in the store and like other reviewers said, it is fairly expensive. read more

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This is the only chocolate place that I've ever shipped to California. Worth it. Blue Moon in Portland was more of a creative twist with high quality chocolate whereas Fran's is just .. the highest quality that I've had (but that might not be much to compare since I'm still pretty limited) Even then! When you bite into a caramel .. it. just. melts. What I really appreciate is that it's balanced: sweet but there's enough salt to bring out the sweetness even more and a tinge of bitterness that keeps it at bay. So yes, it's fancy and expensive .. but if you're out wanting good (at the very least) chocolate caramels, then this is where you want to go. read more