The moment you approach Edwart Chocolatier boutique in Paris you will notice their sign hanging outside the entrance door. The picture of a ship on the sign depicts the Paris Coat of Arms dating from the 1300’s which means “she is tossed upon the waves but doesn’t sink,” and in Latin, “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur.” Very Impressive now where is the chocolate? As you step inside there is a lovely welcome waiting for you thanks to the amber lights casting a warm glow on the walls and the promise of chocolate soon melting in your mouth. It’s time to get up taste buds.
Enjoy the experience as Edwin playfully sizes you up to make just the right choice of chocolates for you to sample. He asks you a question or two about yourself. “What is your name and where are you from?” Pretty simple questions right, but the way his eyes twinkled as he took his time to get to know us, made everyone lean in and want to know more about each other and ourselves. You may find some flavors are subtle like the mango and saffron chocolate squares and the Madagascar cacao with a gentle hint of vanilla. Others are bolder like the Japanese whiskey with a smoky finish, the sassy dark chocolate with two peppers and the mysterious cardamom with a Turkish coffee flavor which took our group of travel writers some time to identify. If these flavours don’t fit your personality or taste buds, there are many other creative combinations laced with spices from around the world to choose from.
By the time you finish savoring – or drooling over – your samples around the glass counter, you will probably have noticed delicate chocolate squares arranged as organ pipes in the show case. Just a few short steps further towards the back of the small shop there is another display case arranged behind bright copper pipes. The organ theme has been pulled into the shop’s ambience nicely, making you feel you are surrounded by artisans that are proud to share their city’s history. It was quite appreciated rather than entering another shop with no soul that could be anywhere in the world. We found the dignified Arthur, also a co-owner, (Edwin + Arthur = Edwart) quietly standing beside the various sized packages of their hand crafted chocolates, syrups for crepes – we can do much better than Nutella people – specialty bars and drinking chocolate. Délicieux!
The prices are very reasonable, working out to under one euro per square for the larger boxes of chocolates and slightly over for the smallest package, check out http://www.edwart.fr Additionally you can sign up for a chocolate making workshop at this location where you create your own recipe that can be taken home to impress again and again. Their location is prime, right across from the Louvre and Tuileries Garden. It is also not far from the Notre Dame Cathedral and other notable landmarks making it very convenient. The second location can be found in the lively Marais area. Edwart seems to have thought of everything, no doubt a conscious business plan to withstand even the roughest of seas today. If you like chocolate even a little bit, don’t miss out on this experience. Your taste buds will have no problem waking up and they will most definitely be saying “merci beaucoup capitaine!”
Boutique Locations:
244, Rue De Rivoli 75001 Paris – Closest Metro: Line 1-Tuileries Phone: 01 49 27 03 55 (Concorde area – across from Louvre and Tuileries Garden)
17, Rue Vieille Du Temple 75004 Paris – Closest Metro: Line 1-Saint Paul Phone: 01 42 78 48 92 (Marais area – factory)
For hours of operation and to book your workshop click here http://www.edwart.fr
Other helpful sites while in Paris:
whatsnextlifedotcom 