Well, I think I just found my favorite chocolate shop. This place is tucked away in a very cute strip mall on PCH, called the Old Pottery Place. Bailey was super nice, helping me decide which flavors to choose. She told me she makes the chocolates with her mother in law. I tried the Lemon Lavender Truffle and the Slow Burn Melt Away (which had cayenne and lemon!). They were both fantastic and so pretty too. I'll definitely come back when I need a chocolate fix, or a gift for friends. read more

See all

I dive head-first into the dark chocolate "puddle" & deeply decadent waves of intense cacao waft over me. Sweet smiling service with supportive descriptions of each delicacy while perusing the small shop makes for a lovely visit. read more

Absolutely delicious!! These handmade chocolates are top tier, both in quality and texture. Wonderful variety of flavors with creative names, I wanted to try them all. Customer service was excellent. I wish I lived closer, I'd be a regular. Tip: try the malted bark and the caramel with marshmallow.... they make the marshmallow in house! read more

They make the best chocolate and it is fresh! They are extremely creative with their speciality chocolates!! As I was going through some of my late husband's things, I found a gift certificate he bought for me at the Chocolate Soldier, but it had already expired. He was a bit like Clark Griswold and would hide things, then forget where they were. One of the kind Francis ladies told me no problem, bring it in and it would still be honored. read more

I was too full from dinner to eat another bite. And, I couldn't take any confections home, because I had a small purse and the girls and I were out to dance the night away. I can say that my gf's said the English Toffee was the best they ever had...and one of them is from England. I definitely will be back to try the toffee! read more

The Chocolate Soldier - sign for laguna beach restaurant - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

See all

Laguna Beach, Ca. The Covid precaution here is only one customer at a time in the small store. As usual, for me, I was behind in line to a person who had just arrived before me. As I waited outside the door, I had to exercise patience as the woman engaged in a lengthy process of placing her large Valentines order on two separate tickets. I noticed that neither the owner nor the employee wore masks or gloves. They did have the plastic shields up though. When I was finally able to enter the shop the owner was very helpful and offered useful suggestions. I made my choices and was out of there in less than 10 minutes. I paid with a credit card which she sanitized before returning it to me. I really liked that tax is included in the purchase. My final bill was an even $20. The chocolates were exceptional, I especially liked the squares that I believe were called "Melts", not entirely sure though. The best one of these had chili or cayenne in it. Amazing. Other notables were the praline and espresso truffles. These chocolates were a gift to my wife who has a particularly discerning palette. They met with her approval especially the ginger chocolate and the chili square. They all disappeared in a matter of two days so I would consider this a five star assessment from her. read more

The Chocolate Soldier - Inside - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Exquisite chocolate! Lots of selection! I would highly recommend chocolate soldier. It's and better than the others!

Found this place on yelp while looking for a quick gift for a client. Cute packaging and high quality chocolates. Very friendly service, she helped me pick the best flavors. We will be using this place now for little gifts in the future. Edited to add: I just saw the negative review about the owners attitude and I want to say I didn't experience that at all. She was very kind and helpful. read more

The Chocolate Soldier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

See all

We have tried chocolate shops up and down the east and west coast, And in Europe as we travel and we are still talking about chocolate soldier. Except for Switzerland we have not had any as good and we make visiting a chocolate shop or baking a must for every day s we travel. She makes a big square puff of chocolate that is out of this world. We live in Virginia and talk about a west coast trip , but only if it starts at chocolate soldier. Absolutely not to be missed if you love a good milk chocolate. Nothing with a funny ingredients, just basic, yummy, delicious chocolate. A mint one, a s'more, and that square puff. 5 months later I am still thinking about it . read more

Pistachio Gelato is crazy good. We got it with the chocolate combo- heaven. Creamy, full of flavor and smooth texture. The owner is a lovely woman, great customer service. Thank you Chocolate Soldier. Can't wait for another visit. read more

The Chocolate Soldier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

The handmade chocolate here is delicious and we have enjoyed it many times over many years. I ordered custom Easter baskets to signal my support and help them through COVID-19 difficulties that all of Laguna's retail businesses are experiencing. Yesterday we walked past and a sign on the door read: "To mask or not to mask, it's your choice." The woman behind the counter who makes the chocolate and serves customers was not wearing a mask, even though the City of Laguna Beach mandates it. It seems extremely foolish to a) blatantly not wear a mask when handling food you're selling, and b) invite criticism like mine. Does she WANT to go out of business? Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials issued a statewide mandate on June 18 that requires all Californians to wear face coverings in high-risk settings, including common and public indoor spaces and outdoors when distancing is not possible. Per the order, Californians must wear face coverings when they are in the situations listed below: -Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space...... ...... -Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when: interacting in-person with any member of the public, working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time, working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others, working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities. read more

Best chocolate in town!! De, Bailey & Sharon are all super friendly and take care of my chocolaty needs. read more

See all

The chocolates from here are delicious! The owner was wonderful to talk with. Such a cute shop and the chocolates are top tier.

Wow! Just wow! It's so hard to find a store like this nowadays! Actual expert-made chocolates and confections that aren't gross, preservative-packed factory-made garbage! My husband and I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to these kinds of businesses where they take pride in their craft, take care of their customers and really just love what they're doing! Go here and buy something! Everything we've bought from this place has been beautiful, decadent and delicious! read more

This place is a gem! Tucked away in the Shops at the Old Pottery Place, they have an amazing selection of chocolates and confections all made on site. We tried an array of their truffles, their melt always, and their salted dark chocolate caramels and everything was exquisite. I highly recommend this wonderful little chocolatier. read more

The Chocolate Soldier - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Giving them 5 stars because the first few bad ratings on here are merely covid related. Yelp is a service and product rating resource, not a "let me cry about a business cuz they don't share my strict views on covid resource"... whoever the owner is, I applaud you. read more

Great customer service from bailey. Lemon crunch is to die for - I might have to take the hour drive just to get some. The dark chocolate raspberry truffle was good also read more

Went there with my kids to get some chocolate. A female employee was standing outside the store, talking on the phone. She saw us come in, yet, continued talking on her phone and didnt even bother coming into the store and completely ignored us. We waited at the store by ourselves for 5 mins, while the lady continued talking on the phone right at the entrance. We eventually left and went to Rue de Chocolate, by main beach, which turned out to be an excellent choice as they had much bigger selection, reasonable prices and unbelievable chocolate. read more

Good chocolate, terrible customer service. I wish I could give it a better rating because the giant peanut butter cup really was good. But unfortunately, the lady behind the counter was not only rude, but was unable to use her card machine. I pointed to the sign that said $10 limit for credit card, and asked if there was a limit, but the woman said "no" rudely. I tried to use a credit card, and she inserted it upside down and complained that it wasn't working. I tried to suggest politely that she flip it over, but she just said no and told me my card wasn't working. A friend offered to pay for me, so the woman took her card, but she inserted her card wrong as well and said the card wasn't working. When we said we didn't have any cash, she just shrugged. The man in the back looked on while all this was happening, and didn't do anything. They were both very rude. read more

Unfortunately well into ordering I realized the lady behind the counter didn't have a mask. I asked her if she forgot it, and she said it was ok because they distanced and wear gloves. Given the very small size of the shop, and the current public health orders, I disagree. They are not following public health orders. And I will not be going back. Too bad, hate to see a small business disregard public health. And I loved their chocolate. read more

So glad we followed the path back to this gem. We had the el grande peanut butter cup and coconut chocolate --- SO GOOD. Great customer service, so friendly and proud of their high quality chocolate (with great reason). Really reasonable prices, great gifts. Will definitely be back. read more

Adorable little chocolate shop hidden next to Sapphire Grill, not to be missed. Must tries are the Scotcharoo and the lemon chili chocolate. Both of these were something I've never seen at a chocolate shop and they were both amazing. The lemon chili chocolate was actually pretty spicy and the lemon had a nice cooling effect on it. The scotcharoo was a rice cripsy treat that had peanut butter, caramel, butterscotch and covered in chocolate, a true treat. If you're in the area make sure to stop by here, the owner is delightful and the candy is exceptional :-) read more

I came here because my mom knows the owner and being in nearby Laguna Beach, I told both my mom and the owner (who I have met) that I'd stop by sometime. Too bad when I did go she wasn't there and was at the other location in Dana Point. There's nothing too extravagant about this chocolate shop, but is located in one of the many "strip malls" if I could call it that, that is next door to Sapphire Laguna Restaurant, where I happened to have lunch. They seemed to have a pretty decent selection of various chocolates with various nuts and fillings. I decided on I think 5 things and the young woman behind the counter was very helpful and eagerly gave me her recommendations upon request. Another reason why I decided to come visit was they provided about 450 duets of chocolate that served as wedding favors for my brother's wedding last month. While I was having lunch, I guess the owner had stopped in really quick and apparently came looking for me next door when told that I had stopped in, but couldn't find me. When I went back in, she told me she had just left again and asked me how we liked the chocolate, going on to say that it took her about a week to fill the small boxes (about the size of a jewelry box) that the chocolate came in. Did I mention the chocolate is good? Not knock your socks off good, but good. read more

Yummy, just yummy! And I think what makes these chocolates even tastier is the great service you receive. The owner De takes the time to explain the chocolates and share her passion. Tahlia (sp?) has always been the sweetest (no pun intended) when I stop in here for a quick treat. You have to look for the shop - If you see Sapphire Restaurant, then look to the right down the little hallway for the shop. I love the chocolate toffee and just tasted some of the dark chocolate crunch - they satisfy the chocolate urge! They are now also serving gelato that you can combine with some of the chocolates to make creations that would send my tastebuds and my weight watchers points over the edge... read more

Best chocolate in town! Thumbs up... five star service! Super nice staff and amazing DARK chocolate! Went there twice in one night because the chocolate was so good. read more

The two times we've been there the lady behind the counter didn't seem like she was particularly thrilled to be there. Ignored us the entire time on our first trip and ignored us the entire second time except to warn us about our daughter touching stuff (even though she hadn't and we were on her like helicopter parents the entire time anyway). Long story short, it's like a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory but with worse customer service and selection. read more

Please be away that employees in the store do not wear masks while handling food or interacting with customers. This location is a very small place and susceptible to viral transmission. Beware. read more

Cindy was a delight! So friendly I couldn't stop buying chocolates :) ended up getting little gift boxes- she packaged them up so sweetly read more

The Chocolate Soldier - My gift boxes - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

The chocolate is attractive but terrible quality. Because I was eating the turtle in the dark, I couldn't see it snd couldn't even tell there was caramel in it. The amount of nuts was poor. The dark chocolate is not high quality chocolate. I was disappointed. The marzipan filling is great though. read more

Decadent chocolates that are rich and delicious. The owner served me and she was very courteous and helpful! Would definitely come back when I visit the area again. read more

Best chocolates I've ever had in my life. Just amazing. Apparently Johnny Depp thinks so too--he left a lovely, sincere handwritten note for the owner which hangs on the wall of the shop. read more

If there's one thing that can bump up the wonders of high-quality desserts and chocolate, it's when you get to see the place where it's actually made. Looking through the windows into the back, you see the equipment they use to create the incredible treats that we buy. I would be depriving everyone of a wonderful opportunity to try things if I would recommend one thing over another, but I can tell you that after trying seven or eight of their chocolates, I didn't find one that was short of excellent. They're all incredible. Please take a look at my other reviews to get a feel for the fact that I don't spew these types of praises very often - only when they're deserved. read more

The Chocolate Soldier - They make everything here. True chocolate connoisseurs. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Yesterday we stumbled upon this hidden little chocolate shop after spotting a sign for gelato. When we walked in the woman behind the counter tempted us with a few samples of their chocolates. After trying such deliciousness who could not buy a full treat? I had the dark macadamia nut caramel patty and an amazing dark chocolate raspberry truffle. My companion had the milk chocolate coconut patty. The pistachio gelato was so delicious, it was smooth, creamy, and had just the right amount of pistachio flavour. Definitely a treat to find this place! read more

Stopped in with the kids for a fun treat. The owner was so rude to the kids, giving them dirty looks, reprimanding them for lightly putting their hands on the glass. The chocolates were good. She uses fun glitter and made bats and other Halloween creatures. However, her horrible rude attitude diminished any quality of her chocolate. If you're in the mood for chocolate, go there, but be ready for the owner's rude attitude. read more

This place has pretty good chocolates but my experience there was dependent on the aroma of the store. It looks like an antique store with a bunch of plush dolls and pottery. It looks nice then you walk in and you immediately get a whiff of farts. Other than that, great chocolate :) read more

Just had the oddest experience at this shop. Went in to buy some chocolate to go, and then realized that the woman behind the counter was not wearing a mask. We're currently going through a major surge and cannot believe that someone serving food in a tight space was potentially contaminating her salable goods. I was already in the middle of the transaction and stupidly decided to go through with the purchase. As she was handing me my credit card back, she proceeded to wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe and even said, "I'm sanitizing your card for you." I then asked, "Did you forget to wear your mask?" Because if she's going through the trouble to sanitize my card then she must have just forgotten to put her mask on, right? Um, wrong! She got all awkward and said that she could put a mask on if I'd like. She'd clearly been in there prepping and serving food maskless.... but sanitized my card? I'm dumbfounded. And will never be back. So mad at myself for supporting this business when it could be putting myself and others in harm's way. read more

I have been going to this chocolate shop since 2003, the Dana Point location. I remember when their candy kitchen was also in Dana point. Then they moved operations and opened a second location on Laguna Beach! I love their mint chocolate mint meltaways. Hands down, best chocolate anywhere. I moved away to Pasadena a few years back and I still think about this chocolate shop often. Whenever I am back in town, I make sure they have my chocolate and I pick up a few boxes! The locations are quint, cute and perfect for a chocolate connoisseurs. They have a lot of selection, prices are commiserate with the taste and quality you get... make sure to add this location to your OC must see! read more

This little chocolate shop tucked away in a little pathway near Banzai Bowls is the cutest and so is the owner/worker! The really nice Italian lady makes all of the chocolate right in her shop and she let my friends and I have a tasting of a couple of chocolates. My favorite was the dark chocolate espresso one! Reasonably priced (around $3-4 per chocolate) and delicious. Easiest parking option is to just look for street parking. If I hadn't already ordered an acai bowl I would have bought some chocolate! Definitely plan on going back some day. read more

We've been standing outside your shop for 30 min, waiting for you to come back, as your note on the door says "be back in 15 min." Some of Your friends even walked up to us and offered to call you for us. But they could not reach you on your cell phone and they could not find you in the bar next-door where they said you hung out. Boo! We give up. read more

This store is the location of my single worst customer service experience ever of my life. I've had businesses make mistakes. They're run by humans, so it happens. But what happened here was something else. I was on a walk w my girlfriend through our neighborhood and we wanted some chocolates. She wanted their candied/chocolate covered orange peels and slices, I wanted a peanut butter cup. When placing the order we asked for both orange peels and orange slices. It was the end of the day so there were not much of either, so we asked for everything they had left. I even explicitly asked if the peels were sold by weight because the were not uniform size, unlike the orange slices which are uniform size and sold by the number. Even if she missed us explicitly asking for the orange peels, you'd think asking if they're priced by weight would be a strong hint we wanted them. Apparently not. However we noticed that she had only placed the slices into a small bag. We asked about the peels and in a very short/gruff to she said she was about to take care of it. Ok. We had ordered a couple additional things beyond the orange peels and pb cup and there were several assorted paper bags of our stuff on the counter. I started to ask "could we get a bigger bag when you get a chance", but right before I got to say "when you get a chance" she interrupted me and said "IM BUSY". At this point we were the only customers in the store. She then rang us up and took the card, but after we swiped our card we noticed the orange peels were still in the display case. We then said, again, that we wanted those. She gave us attitude and how it was gonna have to be another transaction. We did a second transaction and got our orange peels, even if staff made the transaction needlessly complicated. And the ultimate kicker, the real thing that inspired me to make this post after getting home is what happened when we left. As I was waking out the door I said "thanks, have a good day" and she didn't respond. Thinking she may not have heard me I said the same again but a little louder this time so there was no way she could not have heard me. Again she just pretended I did not exist. This was flat out the rudest I have ever been treated as a customer. I seriously could not believe it. And I know that some days working retail can be tough. I worked as a server so I can empathize. It was a nice day in town and things were busy. Getting short w customers can happen with some personality types, but the fact she ignored my multiple goodbyes was absolutely ridiculous. Also when we entered the store there was another older couple in there (I'm in my late 20s) and she was giving them decent service. I really have no idea what went on. One guess is that she just looked at me and saw I was wearing an old college club sports shirt so I wasn't exactly looking nice, but I was just going on a brief walk around my neighborhood to check the waves. The couple who got good service were around 60 and looked like they just came from brunch. Another guess is that she realized she made a mistake and just wanted to take it out on us as some bizarre attempt to save face. But ultimately if a customer says "thanks, have a good day" as they're walking out the door and you make a point to ignore them, the last memory they have of your establishment is the employees rudeness. The chocolates here are good. However there is another chocolate place in town that treats all their customers with respect and there is no real difference in quality, so ill just be going there in the future. And I'm gonna go out of my way to let everyone I know about this experience I had here. read more