Chocolate is my all-time favorite food item, and I have always dreamt of living in a Willy Wonka world. I like chocolate’s nuances between different taste profiles, I like the story of the artisans who made chocolate possible – from the farm all the way to the chocolatier – and I like the joy it brings on people’s faces. Gift chocolate and everything in the world seems to get better immediately – like magic.
Where to get chocolate in the Bay? Follow MerciSF, right on time for Easter, Passover or the end of Ramadan
In San Francisco
One65
Join Claude Le Tohic, “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” and James Beard recipient, and the whole One65 team to celebrate Easter. Easter Special: Colorful, and skillfully crafted milk and dark chocolate bunnies.
One 65 San Francisco, 165 O’Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Dandelion Chocolate
SF-based and founded by Cameron Ring and Todd Masonis, two Stanford engineers-turned-
tech-entrepreneurs-turned-chocolate-makers, Dandelion Chocolate needs no introduction. Using only two ingredients: cocoa – sourced in “smaller” origin countries, such as Madagascar, Sierra Leone, or Venezuela – and sugar, Dandelion Chocolate bars only come in dark.
Easter Special: choose between the Signature Eggs: a thin 70% dark chocolate layer unveiling a fluffy vanilla marshmallow and indulgent caramel center, OR, the Petite Easter Eggs: dark chocolate shell filled with carrot-kumquat jelly and crème fraîche ganache; almond praliné and coconut caramel, and salty-sweet peanut praliné. If you want to discover more about the chocolate making process, book a tour at the 16th Street Factory, and celebrate with a velvety hot chocolate at the Dandelion café. Pure chocolate happiness.
Dandelion Chocolate, 4 locations in San Francisco
Elbow Chocolate
Screenshot
Originally from Kansas City, Christopher Elbow is a trained chef-turned-chocolatier, who worked alongside famous American chefs, such as Emeril Lagasse. Elbow Chocolates offer chocolate bonbons, Single origin tablets, and chocolate covered nuts.
Easter Special: Inspired by outer space, Elbow Chocolate easter collection featuring colorful chocolate eggs, and funky cosmonauts, may literally take you to another galaxy.
Elbow Chocolate, 401 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Charles Chocolate
Founded in 2004 by Charles “Chuck” Siegel, Charles Chocolate range from regular chocolate bonbons with fleur de sel and caramel fillings to the very trendy “Dubai bars” – but “done better”- and Ruby chocolate tablets.
Easter & Passover Special: Tie-dye Easter bunny, Easter Box featuring chocolate bonbons and a chocolate bunny, Bunny-shaped sage honey bonbons or Chocolate covered Matzah for Passover. Get 10% off your purchase by entering “MERCISF10” or ordering using this link.
Charles Chocolate, online order only.
Feve Artisan Chocolatier
Founded in SF in 2007, Feve is on a quest to make high-quality, locally sourced chocolate (note that cocoa beans grow in an area approximately 20 degrees north and south in latitude from the Equator, so there are NO cocoa beans in California, let alone continental US). Feve supplies milk and dark chocolate bars, traditional and modern truffles, chocolate-covered nuts, and handmade pralines.
Easter Special: Celebrate the beginning of Spring with Feve’s limited edition.
Feve Artisan Chocolatier, 2222 Palou Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124
Recchiuti Confections
Founded in San Francisco in 1997 by Michael Recchiuti and his wife Jacky, Recchiuti Confections offer hand crafted chocolate truffles, caramels and chocolate nuts and fruits. There signature piece is a dark chocolate burnt caramel truffle. For the more adventurous chocolate aficionados try the rosemary olive or lemon verbena truffles. Our advice: pick a box and taste them all.
Easter Special Easter eggs coming in three flavors: Caramel, Force Noir and PB&J
MerciSF tip: if you sign up to Recchiuti Confections newsletter, you will get 10% off! More chocolate for you.
Recchiuti Confections, Ferry Building, 1 Ferry Building, Shop #30, San Francisco, CA 94111
Ghirardelli
Ghirardelli, named after its founder, chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, was founded in SF in 1852. Now owned by Swiss chocolate behemoth Lindt & Spüngli, I like to believe that Ghirardelli remains San-Franciscan at heart. You can find Ghirardelli chocolate virtually anywhere in San Francisco, including at the airport, but I would recommend visiting the original store, which boasts a beautiful view over the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. My favorite: the Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate squares.
Easter Special: Bunnies featuring your favorite flavors.
Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
MerciSF bonus event:
The team behind the Craft Chocolate Experience at the Palace of Arts is revamping its flagship event with Le Marché du Chocolat on May 10-11. The event will feature chocolate artisans – such as Sweet55 and Recchiuti from this list – workshops about chocolate pairing, tasting, and bean to bar. Kids are more than welcome, making this even the sweetest family get-together. USD44 early bird tickets are on sale until March 31st.
Le Marché du Chocolat, 05/10-11, 11AM-4:30PM, Grand Ballroom, Hilton Union Square, 333 O’Farrell Street San Francisco, California 94102
Venturing South of San Francisco
Burlingame
Guittard
A true Bay Area veteran, Guittard was founded in 1868 – more than 150 years ago, and caters mainly to professional chocolatiers and home cooks. Order some baking chips, pick your favorite chocolate cake recipe and share with your loved ones for Easter. There is nothing better than homemade food.
Guittard, 10 Guittard Rd, Burlingame, CA 94010 but only online orders.
Palo Alto
Sweet55
Started by Ursula Schnyder, a Swiss chocolatier, Sweet55 offers a wide variety of delicious and beautiful chocolate bonbons. Want something more unique? Try the Swiss chalet made of chocolate in mini or regular format, or the chocolate lollipops – a big hit with the youngest chocolate amateurs.
Sweet 55, Monday-Saturday 10AM-7PM, Sunday 10AM-5PM, Town & Country Village, 855 El Camino Real Suite 123, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Los Gatos
Deux Cranes
French savoir-faire meets with US-Japanese sophistication and attention to details in Los Gatos. Chocolatier Michiko Marron-Kibbey, trained at Ecole Ferrandi, skillfully mixes the influences of her upbringing between Japan and the US . Using the chocolate couvertures of Valrhona, a chocolatier’s favorite, as a base, she adds unique Japanese flavors such matcha, hōjicha, a roasted Japanese green tea, yuzu, kokutō black sugar pecans, or seto-uchi lemons.
Easter Special: Celebrate “Sakura style” with Deux Cranes limited edition items, such as raspberry pâte de fruits, “onigiri” cookies, and a sakura-matcha chocolate bar are available for sale. The bonbons are as beautiful as they taste – definitely worth the trip down to Los Gatos.
Or stick to the regular Easter Eggs, Honey-O Eggs (passion fruit jelly, honey cereal ganache, honey cereal cookie butter) and Strawberry Eggs (strawberry jelly, matcha ganache, dark chocolate cookie butter), launching on April 1st!
First time buying Deux Cranes chocolate? Get 10% off with “WELCOME-DC-10”.
Deux Cranes, Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-4PM, Downing Center, 15531 Union Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95032
San Jose
Mariette Chocolates
Plenty of chocolate truffles and bonbons to choose from at Mariette Chocolates. Online orders available.
Easter Special: Chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs – reliable traditions. We like this.
Mariette Chocolate, 1268 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125
Venturing East of SF
Berkeley
The Xocolate Bar
Founded in 2006 by Malena Lopez-Maggi and Clive Brow, The Xocolate Bar is your go-to chocolate place in Berkeley: chocolate tablets with beautiful and colorful packaging, single origin chocolate bars and bonbons. Perfect for a gift or for yourself – or what about a gift to yourself? You deserved it.
Easter Special: Dubai Bunnies filled with pistachio cream and tahini or regular milk chocolate bunnies.
The Xocolate Bar, 1709 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707
Oakland
Michael Chocolates
Founded in 2015 by Michael Benner, a recipient of many awards, such as the prestigious Good Food Award in 2018 and 2022, Michael Chocolate is a great place to find chocolate bonbons in Oakland.
Michael Chocolates, 3352 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
