Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Original Velatis

    4.1 (54 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    The Original Velatis Photos

    You might also consider

    More like The Original Velatis

    Recommended Reviews - The Original Velatis

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Side of building signage.
    Tom T.

    If you like a little sweet somethin' somethin' after a meal then Velatis is for you. They have a long history in the DC area and somehow they have ended up in Silver Spring, Md. When you first walk into this shop you olfactory senses will be overcome with bliss. The sweet smells of sugary confections is sure to bring a smile to any face. There are three main display cases. One for truffles (large and small), one for chewy caramels, and one for sugary caramels. I have to admit that I have only had the sugary version (so many fillings...) so this review is in regard to them. Each sugary caramel comes in one of two bases - chocolate or vanilla. Then there are plain versions of those bases or a variety of versions with different nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.). All told, I think there are six different sugary caramel varieties. The sugary caramels are a more crumbly (though not too much so) version of their chewy brethren. You pop a single small piece in your mouth and it immediately begins to melt while the confection explodes into an amazing symphony of flavors. If you can refrain from making a "yummy sound" after your first bite, you're a stronger human than I. I cannot encourage you enough to try this place out. The staff are amazingly nice and helpful, and after you've tried a single piece you'll be walking out with a half pound at least for sure ($13-$15). BTW, these make great gifts...trust me, my friends like me more than they used to ;-)

    Hiral D.

    I love having a local chocolate shop to bring caramels, truffles, chocolate, bark, and other goodies as unique treats from Silver Spring. The quality is great and the taste is wonderful. It's a bit pricey, but worth it. There's also a rewards program to help you save. I have to yet to meet someone who didn't like the chocolates! There are festive chocolates to get you in the mood for different holidays and seasons, and baked goods as well. You can sort of see the kitchen where the magic happens and occasionally get to try samples. Highly recommend it!

    Cookies
    Charles M.

    I stumbled upon the chocolate emporium while touring DTSS waiting for my car to be fixed! I decided I would visit a few favorites and definitely check out something I've never seen before! Well, lo and behold I found Willy Wonka's long lost chocolate factory's cousin. Apparently the velatis has been around since before I was born. Velatis has been making small batch gourmet handcrafted caramels since 1866. You can choosing from a wide selection of handcrafted caramels, toffees, sea salt turtles, truffles, Belgian chocolates and other sweet treats! I highly recommend the chocolate chip cookies with the toffee on top. It was epic!!!

    Velatis caramels
    Libby F.

    These goodies are a luxury. I love the history of Velatis caramels. The original opened at 9th and G St. in 1866! Now Silver Spring can claim them as their own. The store front is tiny. I believe this was formerly an Army recruiting center, but had been vacant for many years. They have a huge kitchen in back that you can peer into from the front counter. I bought a little bag ( 1/4 #) of chocolate chewy almond caramels. They cost me $8 for about 14. A wee bit pricey, but oh so good! They are very sweet not like the soft caramels that get stuck in your teeth. I tried a piece of fudge, which was OK, but not memorable. Stick with the caramels. It's what they've been doing for over 144 years.

    The chewy caramels. The vanilla cashew is amazing.
    Joanna Y.

    -- Insert drooling emoji here -- I grew up in the area, and it's a wonder that I had not heard of Velati's before. They have such a rich history in the DC area. I found my way to Velati's through a Yelp event, and thank goodness for it! The delicious samples I had throughout the event led me to buy some caramels before I left (I'm eating one as I write this!!). I enjoyed both the sugary and the chewy caramels. The sugary ones melt and crumble with each bite -- a lot easier to eat if you've got dental issues. The chewy ones are more "sticky" and what you'd expect from caramel. I prefer the chewy ones, hands down. I bought a 1/2 pound box to bring to work. I mixed four flavors: Caramel Macchiato, Rocky Road, Vanilla Cashew, and Chocolate Almond. OH. MY. GOD. So good. Should've gotten more! Of the 4 flavors, the Vanilla Cashew caramel is definitely the winner. It's so smooth and creamy; just enough cashews for flavor, and doesn't distract from the caramel. The chewy caramels with lots of stuff in them (i.e. the Rocky Road), are easier to eat because of the filling (less sticky). The sea salt turtles are so RICH and individually packaged, which is nice. The Toffee Bark is good too! I will be back. I want to try the truffles and the caramel popcorn next!!

    Valentine's display
    Melissa C.

    I popped in here to look at the Valentine's display and buy some chocolate. Cute shop.

    K B.

    I've seen this place several times , today i took a walk at lunch and stopped . The lady was very nice explained the history of the story and the different goodies they have. I brought the Toffee cookies which we to die for . I can taste the butter in this cookie , I've never tasted a cookie so moist.She also gave me 2 samples of the different caramel. Haven't tasted them but they looked lovely !

    Storefront
    DON C.

    The good old times....never tasted so good! This modest storefront on Georgia Avenue, next to the historic Silver Spring Post Office is a gem by its own rights and one of the best hidden candy secrets in the DC! I'm talking way before "It's Sugar" and...even "Godiva Chocolatier!".....there was Velatis! Velatis, known for its caramels, has a long history of making an assortment of confectionery goods....the old fashioned way. This store has business origins and a lineage of operations dating back to 1866! Located across the street from my barber shop, I have always seen this store and wanted to try them. So after getting a fresh cut and "swag" maintenance last Saturday, I decided to finally venture into Velatis and sample their caramels. Even before I walked through the door, I got a big whiff of the pleasant aroma of butter, fudge, sugar, and sensory-overload from their candy confections. I mean, my mouth was watering and I was salivating over just seeing all the choices. You could have ringed a bell and made me Pavlov's dog any ole day in this place! The smells from the goods being made in-house were contagious!! Upon entering, I was greeted by a very nice lady who introduced herself as the owner; named Amy I believe. She walked me through the store's selection and gave me a bit of history on the stores' origin. There were over twenty varieties of "chewy" and "sugary" styles of caramel candies made from Old European recipes. But not only did Velatis sell caramels, they also sold a variety of truffles, fudge, toffee and other sweets. For such a small space, I was in awe of the store's selections, history and felt like a kid taking a tour at the Wonka Factory for the first time....except for I was in a 500 square feet box. So it was more of a spin-around tour as oppose to walking sight-see. She also shared a few samples...which was the dang trap that got me hooked! LOL. One taste and I knew I could not leave without buying anything. So I narrowed my choices to: The Vanilla Chewy Pecan Caramel, Chocolate Sea Salt Turtle, and the highlight of the visit...something called "Amy's Toffee Cookie!" EVERYTHING WAS HELLALICIOUS!!.... and I am sure if I could eat everything in the store I would! The Amy Toffee Cookie was a standout on its own and a must try. It was a rich, buttery crisp-moist cookie (similar to a chocolate chip cookie) with bits and pieces of caramel & toffee cracked throughout the cookie. Each bite was a crunchy explosion of heavenly, gluttony pleasure. I was ready to "Tap Out!" and wave the white flag because this cookie was just that good! Admittedly, my experience with caramels do not extend far beyond the occasional pack of Rolos, so it's a bit hard for me to benchmark their quality, but I will say that their merchandise is indeed of good quality and quite tasty. I definitely would recommend those with a sweet tooth giving Velatis a try. Tip: They generate a lot of their business via mail-order online; which is good for anyone not near the DC/Silver Spring, MD borders. Cool gift tins too!

    Caramel cupcakes. Really good!

    See all

    Photo of M S.
    1
    32
    0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Delicious candies, very clean store, very nice employees. Highly recommend. A local tradition. Makes great gifts.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Charles M.
    4657
    1094
    7880

    8 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob G.
    0
    20
    9

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K B.
    5
    157
    255

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of JaCara S.
    16
    54
    117

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Have been going since the 60th. Stood in line for my grandfather they were his favorite. Glad to fine them again.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ale J.
    0
    109
    14

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Deb G.
    209
    858
    1244

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rick B.
    415
    12
    2

    7 years ago

    Josiah was the consummate professional and the chocolate is delicious! He was very knowledgeable about the products.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee B.
    164
    1234
    123

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elecktra B.
    35
    229
    1153

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Arthur F.
    21
    135
    297

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Blu C.
    0
    43
    5

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Original Velatis

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Desserts 12,063 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Bethesda Chocolates - My chocolate pretzels and cute bag.

    Bethesda Chocolates

    4.1(68 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Life is sweeter, as long as you include some chocolate. I was walking up Woodmont Avenue in…read moreBethesda, after a dentist appointment and there behold before my eyes was Bethesda Chocolates. Of course, I had to take a peak inside. It is a charming chocolate shop with every kind of chocolate imaginable from chocolate candies, to chocolates in the shape of crabs and bees, to chocolate diplomas for graduates. They also serve a large selection of coffee's, teas, and lattes. Aoife waited on me and she was truly delightful. I ordered a latte with amaretto flavor and a caramel drizzle. I also bought some chocolate covered pretzels. It is a lovely shop with plenty of places to sit comfortably and have conversations. I really enjoyed my latte and chocolate treats. I highly recommend you stop by. I am definitely going back soon.

    Atmosphere 7/10 The inside was pretty cozy and I loved…read morethat they were keeping up with the seasons as they had some fall decor up. This place had plenty of varied seating as there are window seats, sofa chairs, table and chairs, and outdoor seating available. It was fairly quiet inside so this place could serve as a pretty nice study spot. There are plenty of board games available on some shelves by the window if you and your friends are interested in that option! Drink Lavender Lemonade 6/10 Since I didn't see any chocolates that I wanted to try I ended up getting just a lavender lemonade drink. I liked that you could taste the lavender, however, the lemonade was on the sweeter side and I prefer a more tart lemonade. I did order a large cup but I'm pretty sure they gave me a small cup instead.

    Photos
    Bethesda Chocolates - Inside is a lovely shop to sit and talk with friends.

    Inside is a lovely shop to sit and talk with friends.

    Bethesda Chocolates - Gift bag of chocolate almond bark

    Gift bag of chocolate almond bark

    Bethesda Chocolates

    See all

    Chocolate Moonshine Of Maryland - Delicious candy for any occasion.

    Chocolate Moonshine Of Maryland

    5.0(2 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    If you are looking for a hostess gift or something to bring to holiday dinner, then this is the…read moreplace for you. They have the most delicious fudge I have ever tasted. The variety of flavors is mind boggling. I tasted the chocolate truffles and I was in heaven. Rich, soft, sweet, and creamy. The best part is that it is Gluten free, egg free, non dairy, and only sweetened with natural sugar. The flavors and colors are so amazing. They offer gift boxes, where you can customize the different kinds of fudge. They also have an assortment of gifts to grab and go. They had some jewelry and electric handheld massagers. Also, stuffed animals for the kids. Service was fabulous. I already know which flavors I am choosing for my Thanksgiving dinner hostess gift. Prices are reasonable, you can get an 8 pack for $16.00. I was so impressed with this new shop. Located in Montgomery Westfield Mall, they are a gem.

    I cannot believe, I just found out about this chocolate shop after 2 years…read more They are delicious and not overly sweet like most typical American chocolate. The ones made with liquor are especially tasty. We were welcomed and serviced with friendly staff. Even though the shop seemed a bit low in stock , but we were able to pick out a pack of 10 delicious pieces These chocolates are on the slight pricey side $33 for 10 pieces. But worth it, you can taste the quality in it. Do recommend @WineDinenVacay

    Photos
    Chocolate Moonshine Of Maryland - The gift box.

    The gift box.

    Chocolate Moonshine Of Maryland - Gift boxes already to go.

    Gift boxes already to go.

    Chocolate Moonshine Of Maryland

    See all

    Henry's Sweet Retreat

    Henry's Sweet Retreat

    4.3(125 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    After dinner one night, we walked around downtown Bethesda and happened upon Henry's Sweet Retreat…read more Luckily, we saved room for dessert, and Henry's hit the spot. We got a blueberry pop tart, and some raspberry scones, along with a chocolate covered vanilla cupcake. Yummy! The only problem is that Henry's is not just a dessert bakery - the store may appear tiny on the outside, but it's huge on the inside. In addition to the bakery, they got all kinds of candy and other goodies for sale. I gotta stop back in another day and try all the other good stuff inside. Plus, you can tell from the Rick Astley-inspired sign outside, Henry's has a great sense of humor. This is exactly what small business brings to the neighborhood. Stop by and visit Henry's Sweet Retreat - you'll be glad you did!

    Had dinner at a diner down the street. Looked up dessert near me and this place came up. NOT…read moredisappointed! We had brownies, sundaes, milkshake, cupcake and coffee. All of it was DELICIOUS! The small sundaes were huge! Kids could not finish them and at $7ish each hard to beat for the quality! I had an eggnog cupcake. I was not sure it would be good but whatever magic y'all put in it worked great together! The frosting was light and fluffy not too sweet not too bland. And the cake was moist, not crumbly, not heavy just perfect! Had a latte with soymilk because my belly does not care for milk in coffee. Local coffee company supplies the beans. They also have pretty much any kind of candy, pies, and sweets you might need and apparently they cater! Stop in you will not regret it...unless you do not like sweets and then I am sorry.

    Photos
    Henry's Sweet Retreat
    Henry's Sweet Retreat
    Henry's Sweet Retreat

    See all

    The Original Velatis - desserts - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...