I don't know what we anticipated when going here. We did so without using any of the Yelp pictures so it wasn't at all what we had in mind so we immediately left. But to get there you have to walk down this little tiny path between buildings which opens up to a huge beautiful courtyard and that is where you enter. Just going into that area is worth it They also seem to make hot chocolate fresh there for you to drink. It would be to-go read more

I just visited The Xocolatl Garden in Carmel-by-the-Sea and wow, it was such a great find! The chocolate quality here is amazing, very rich and smooth. You can tell they use really high-end ingredients. What I liked most is the various selections they have. They have so many different flavors and unique (like Venezuela, Mexico, Haiwaii, green tea and lemon chocolate or various caramel choco flavors). I bought a small box to try different ones and every single piece was delicious. Also, the garden is so pretty! It is so peaceful and beautiful to sit there and enjoy my treats. The shop is very cute too, it fits the Carmel vibe perfectly. If you are a chocolate lover, you definitely need to stop by here. It's a bit pricey but totally worth it for the taste and the quality. I will definitely coming back next time I am in town! read more

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Carmel-by-the-Sea has plenty of hidden secret places to discover; wander off the beaten path just a little, into a narrow alley or down a park trail, and you may be rewarded with one of the sweetest rewards of all: chocolate! The Xocolatl Garden was one of these random, unexpected, but wholly welcome finds: accessible either via a festoon-lit narrow alley from Ocean Avenue, or via a winding path leading north from Piccadilly Park, this absolutely enchanting hidden plaza, with its tiny shop against one wall, serenades you with its silence and solitude, and invites you in to sample some of the finest chocolates that the world has to offer! Hershey? Nestle? Never heard of 'em. This is real cacao, folks, for real enthusiasts, coming in hard or soft, rich or dark, and filled with everything from pistachio cream to red chili peppers, and a whole lot more! Brands and flavors you have never seen (and quite possibly may never see again) can be found here! If you have a sweet tooth of any level (even one that is virtually non-existent, as mine is), you're still likely to find a chocolate concoction of some sort to pleasure your palate! read more

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A hidden but not so hidden gem in the Carmel main strip. Through the alley, you'll find a bookstore and a painting store, and a tucked garden for resting or hanging out. Don't miss this niche little spot while in Carmel! ;) read more

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It's chocolate, what's to not like. The gentleman manning the cash register was the same one the last time we were there. He was both helpful and knowledgeable. He let us know they were opening a new spot closer to Santa Cruz and mentioned the original in Nevada City. The shop is *small* and down one of Carmel's quaint alleys. The selection is great and it's hidden away off Ocean St. Worth a visit. read more

My husband and I returned along with our young child. I asked about the sea salt almond dark chocolate bar and even though the person working there thought that there were no more available or that it had been discontinued, she checked anyway and found the last 2. It is a small shop and it seemed very busy and cramped today. It also has steps and I was using my cane which slowed me down and hindered my movement inside a bit. Before paying and leaving, we also got a honeycomb toffee dark chocolate bar, a small hazelnut cream chocolate bar for the kiddo and 2 small dark chocolate mint candies. I tried my dark chocolate mint candy after devouring my first bar and let me tell you, the cream inside is also dark chocolate and is so silky smooth and velvety. Sorry for the blurry pictures. My phone camera isn't the best. read more

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What a delicious find. This is the type of shop that Yelp is made for: a place you wouldn't normally walk by, because it's tucked away in an alley. It has this secret cottage atmosphere. There are chocolates from around the world, and local chocolate as well. There is an astounding variety. For us, it's perfect gift shopping, and then get a few bars to taste test as well for us. The service was helpful and casual. Appreciated just getting to browse, but when I asked a question, help was provided. Perfect. We found several bars from Fossa (from Singapore): Lychee Rose, Sake Kasu Dark 73%, Coffee Jasmine Creme. Wow, right? Yes, they have plenty of traditional flavors, and these are wonderful too. But this is the perfect shop to branch out a bit and explore the world of flavor pairing. read more

They have a variety of chocolate for all your needs chocolate from all over the world ,they carry little pieces of candy chocolate as well. The place is small situated on a little garden. The lady inside is very helpful. The prices are kinda high, but if you're looking for a good piece of chocolate this is the place to go read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

I'm in chocolate heaven! There's a really good selection of local and international chocolates here. Some you can't find anywhere else and some are made in small batches. The shop is small but the ambience from entering the alley to the garden and shop itself, super cute. The staff was nice and helpful with our questions. The price is expensive for each chocolate bar but so far the ones I tried were sooo good! I'll come back and will try the rest. read more

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Love this chocolate shop!! Such a cute little store with quality bean to bar chocolates from all over the world. Helpful, friendly staff, you let them know what you like and they'll recommend some chocolates for you. To get here, you walk down a secret alleyway & it leads to a courtyard with this chocolate shop & a Thomas Kinkade store. If you love chocolate, this place is a must visit! read more

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Everytime I visit Old Carmel Village, I make a stop to this hidden gem of a place. Tucked inside a narrow hallway that leads to a garden is a shop offering all things chocolate from around the globe! Exotic chocolate flavors from the Andes Mountains to local artisans line the walls of this quaint little shop! Purchased a few bites from Asia, Latin America and local crafters - all were great flavors and creatively wrapped! read more

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This is a really cool chocolate shop. It's tucked in an alley near the Thomas Kincaid shop. It was a little hard to find the first time but worth it. They have a huge selection of international chocolates, really unique stuff you won't find anywhere else. The staff is knowledgeable of their wares. read more

It's such a cute tiny chocolate shop in the back of a super fantasy-like alley walkway. I wanted to like this place due to the wonderful asthetics, but unfortunately, minus 1 star for the inconsistent opening hours. The owner of the shop seems to like to open and close whenever she wants. Had to make 2 trips back because of this :/ While the shop has a lot of variety of chocolates; even unique flavor chocolates like sesame seed + lapsing tea chili pepper chocolate, coffee jasmine creme, cardamon flavored chocolate and even mushroom chocolates, the quality of the chocolates were mediocre. None of these unique flavors "wow'd" me. It's worth a stop by if you are in the area and they happen to be open, but I would not go out of my way just to come here again. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

The shop is relatively small, but it offers a wide variety of chocolate selections. I purchased the hot chocolate powder, which was of good quality, though the pricing was on the higher side. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - In front of the shop - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

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The shop is very small and cramped, which makes it hard to browse without bumping into others. They do carry a good selection of unique chocolate brands, but the prices feel a bit overpriced. The biggest downside was the service. When I stopped by on a Sunday evening, the cashier didn't greet us or acknowledge us at all--she stood there with a blank, emotionless expression that felt unwelcoming. Even a simple smile or hello would have gone a long way in making the experience better. I did enjoy the manuka honey-filled chocolate, though it wasn't anything extraordinary. The courtyard the shop is in is cute, but overall the visit felt underwhelming. Wouldn't recommend. Chocolate: 5/10 Service: 3/10 read more

This place is a hidden paradise of the most wondrous chocolate from all over the world. Go and be enchanted for the rest of your life. Every now and then life is a miracle. read more

This was such a cute little shop that we wandered into after seeing some string lights in an alleyway after dinner. This can be difficult to find if you're not looking for it since there's no signage pointing to the alley. The shop itself is quite small but they have such a selection of chocolate from not only Carmel but around the world. The man that helped us was so nice and informative giving us unique options to choose from and was pleasant talking to. Parking is street parking so can be difficult during peak hours & weekends. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

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A great variety of international chocolates!! Even though the store is small, there is an amazing variety! They are also very good at recommending based on what type of chocolate you like. There are daily samples and also a tasting menu for $5. I will definitely be coming back to try new chocolates again. read more

This place is a little hard to find but so worth it if you love chocolate. You have to walk down this little ivy-covered alleyway and once you do it's on your immediate left. They have chocolate from pretty much all over the world which can be overwhelming. Luckily the gentleman that was working there seemed VERY knowledgable. He was able to tell us where the cacao beans were sourced and where the bars were actually made, (often not the same place), as well as their flavor profiles, a chocolate sommelier if you will. Choosing the chocolates is the hardest part. We ended up spending over $100 on 10 or so bars. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - a woman in a store - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

An incredible array of chocolate. Honestly one of the broadest arrays of chocolate I think I've ever seen. Chocolate from all over the globe and in combinations of flavors ranging from the fairly standard (mint & chocolate) to the more bizarre. Cashier was nice and kept offering us samples. But honestly the samples were like dust, you couldn't taste anything. If you're going to offer samples, at least offer enough so we can get the flavor of it! It's in a really cute garden and the chocolate we did buy was great, but either don't offer samples or at least give the customer enough to taste the chocolate not just dust and crumbs while you unpack giant boxes of the chocolates... read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Incredible variety of artisinal chocolate from all over - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

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What a fun find. It's Gourmet Chocolate responsibly sourced. So it's very expensive. Many brands flavors and styles. Loose teas sold here too. Service was okay. The place is cute. read more

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Hidden behind a really cute passageway, this chocolate shop has 100s of different chocolates from all over the world. There's a really pretty seating area right outside the entrance as well read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

OH MY GOSH! THE ALLEY WAY AND SHOP ITSELF ARE SO CUTE! Ambiance is amazing and great for photo taking if thats your thing. It's small in the shop itself but since they sell only chocolate who cares? The chocolate selection is huge, I've never seen so many different chocolates from cultures and locals in one place. We ended up doing a 5 dollar sampler and then getting 2 bars from the shop for a total of 30ish dollars which is a good price for the quality of them, The person helping us was so helpful in asking us our chocolate preferences and describing how hot chocolate was prepared in some native mexican ways. And they were amazing with recommending us bars and flavors that we may like. read more

Sometimes you need to wander off the common paths/sidewalks and find hidden gems in the alleyways. Phenomenal location. It's a small shop packed with a variety of chocolates. Not the cheapest, but quality was good. We only picked up a handful of individual chocantes; 4 small pieces for about 6 bucks. The one employee was very friendly and willing to share his knowledge about their delectable treats. Will stop by again when in town. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Opposite of the chocolate shop and view of the courtyard; such a wonderful find! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

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It's really hidden and one can pass by this easily if it wasn't for the alley nicely lit at night! Glowing garden once one walks in the alleyway and then there's the chocolate shoppe filled with wonders of chocolate types and gourmet ideas to choose from! I adored their bourbon chocolate bar and coffee chocolate milk package. They also had themed festive chocolate items, such as for Halloween packaged up very nicely! Worth a pop by while in Carmel and in the main streets enjoying a stroll! read more

Cool chocolate shop! It is hidden and you have to go through this alleyway entrance to reach this chocolate shop. There are soo many variety of different chocolate! read more

The Xocolatl Garden - The entrance of the store - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

The entrance is a super whimsical garden! The shop itself is very small but provides a lot of chocolate bar options from various locations. It's mostly ethically sourced chocolate. Most of the bars are over $10 each! There are some bite size piece chocolates for purchase. read more

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On 6/14/23 we had the pleasure of visiting this establishment. Casey was a Jedi of everything chocolate. He was entertaining, excited and vibrant with descriptions of the variety of delicious treats. We had to choose several different types...spicy from the Philippines (Theo & Philo), mezcal from Mexico (Cuna De Piedra), lime from Peru (Gran Nativo Blanco) and oatmilk from Brazil (Mission Chocolate.) We cannot express the unique experience we had with Casey, magical it was!!! XO read more

The Xocolatl Garden - A must try! - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

Such a cute place! The chocolate selection is really big and I got this Vietnamese thin chocolate bar pack of 6 or 7 I think. They were really good. The worker was so sweet and nice and gave us a free sample after we purchased our chocolate. You might have to wait to enter through the little tunnel because so many people are taking their own pictures in it but still cute and very lovely place! We found street parking at a near by restaurant we ate at, and just walked over to here! read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

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Great variety of chocolate options, the employee recommended us great chocolate options which we ended up buying and we loved it it's a bit pricey but the chocolate is authentic and it's worth it! read more

Such a hidden gem! Live this authentic chocolate stir and specially the cute little pathway leading into it! Yum

Such an amazing hidden gem. Did not expect to buy as much as I did but they had such great products and I went chocolate crazy. My most memorable and delicious bar was the Mayana coconut...so good. read more

We came to enjoy some authentic indigenous chocolates and immediately received an unpleasant pretentious attitude from some teen probably working for his family. His attitude and behavior was so deplorable we left disgusted. Don't give them a penny. Spend your money on the real thing. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Store front - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

Absolute hidden gem tucked behind an alley. One of the best chocolate selections I've seen recently and the staff is incredibly helpful at curating a good selection of chocolate based on your preferences. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - The alley leading up to the shop - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

This cozy shop is located in a wonderful garden location. We visited here about a six months ago and received wonderful customer service. Once again we had the same experience! The selection is well curated and sophisticated. But the salesman tending the shop is the best part. He really knows his stuff! He was very attentive and observant to the tastes of the shoppers. I would recommend this place to anyone in need of a special chocolate recommendation. read more

The products were really good quality. I'm not sure what his name was, but the tall blonde gentleman who worked there was very kind and helpful. He was able to go into depth about many of the chocolates and he suggested some of his personal favorites which helped me narrow down my choices. Good customer service and beautiful ambiance. read more

Super great service! The guy working there recommended some vegan chocolate for me. Definitely the best chocolate I've ever had. read more

The Xocolatl Garden - Vegan chocolate - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Carmel, California

Been a while, May of 2023, meant to share my experience much earlier but the story came up recently so better late than never. It's a cute little shop and as a fine chocolate enthusiast all my life I found the selection to be spectacular. Spent about 5 minutes inside and the young man staffer shared some knowledge and recommendations and I chose two nice (and expensive!) bars of Peruvian dark. All good there, but when check out came he spun the iPad around--and there it was, the dreaded tip screen. Being a retail establishment with no food or beverage service I didn't think twice to hit "no tip" but when he spun it back around and saw my choice he was visibly put off and his attitude shifted palpably. I kind of laughed I think, incredulously, I couldn't believe what had just happened. 5 stars solid for the amazing selection and quality of product, but 1star for the uncomfortable experience. read more

First of all, a huge thank you to Casey for all of the knowledge he shared about chocolate. It's always fun learning and the passion he displays talking about chocolate made it a fun experience choosing a chocolate my girlfriend and I would like. The ambiance is beautiful, the garden is gorgeous, and the chocolate selection is incredible. Any chocolate lovers who visit Carmel have to stop by! Thanks Casey! -KC & Jorge read more

Getting to this store was so magical, you have to go through an alley and it's covered in foliage. The store decor was great, service was awesome , and we got some quality chocolate from it.... They have chocolate source from like 80+ countries... pretty cool. read more