Maison du Chocolat

La Maison du Chocolat

 212 744 7117

1018 Madison Avenue (near 78th)

We first tried La Maison du Chocolat in Paris, way back when. We loved the hot chocolate with its creaminess and bitterness and sheer intensity of flavor. Then we discovered that they had opened a store in New York City, but they only sold cakes and confections. They were in a little shop off Madison Avenue and just did not have room to serve their wonderful hot chocolates and dark, rich coffees.

A few years ago they moved into a bigger shop and opened a little serving area towards the back. They serve several delicious types of coffee that make you wonder if the American term "French Roast" is an insult. The coffee here is dark and deep, but it never tastes burnt. The true glory, however, is the hot chocolate. The Paris shop had five or six kinds, but the New York shop has two, and they are both excellent. We keep switching our favorite. Is it the more bitter Guayaquil, or the milder, slightly sweeter Caracas? We can argue this for hours, often over several cups of hot chocolate.

The pastries and confections are quite good, but we are really not fans of French pastries. Like the overblown cakes at a certain type of Greek coffee shop in New York, French pastries often look better than they taste. The Austrians and Hungarians are the real pastry people. Still, the various chocolate and meringue cakes at Maison du Chocolat are delicious, with the bitterness of the cocoa coming through in excellent balance. If you want a quick pick me up before or after museuming, La Maison du Chocolat is an excellent choice.

REVIEW: 5 November 2004


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