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]]>Europe’s chocolate production uses cocoa beans that come from Central America, South America, Africa and Asia. In Paris, you’ll find all sorts of different chocolates to fit every mood and craving, but at Discovering Paris we decided to do a little research of our own, working on (and tasting!) different chocolatiers work to provide you with the best chocolates in Paris.

The House of Chocolate presents a timeless collection of chocolate confections, characterized by their elegance and delicate balance. We were pleasantly surprised by the Quito (like the Ecuadorian capital) with its smooth and delicate filling. We also enjoyed the Vanilla Bourbon; you’ll sense the vanilla taking over as the chocolate melts in your mouth.
You can feel that a sense of tradition and attention to details are at the heart of this maison. It was founded 40 years ago by Robert Linxe, inspired by haute couture maisons. This brands deserves a place in our list of the best chocolates in Paris.
We visited their boutique at Rue François 1er in the 8th arrondissement and fell in love, because it is end-to-end Parisian chic. We were able to discover the Brand, its principles and even sneak a taste of their wonderful chocolate-filled macarons. Their passion fruit macaron can only be described as an explosion of flavor. They also make delicious pralines and truffles (even champagne flavored ones!). Maison du Chocolat has made its way into the international market setting up boutiques in New York, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Macao, Seoul and Kuwait.
Prices: As they vary between chocolates, pastries and other confections the following information is simply an example: a box of 14 chocolates is priced at around 18€.
Address: We visited their boutique at 52 Rue François 1er, Paris 75008. Open Monday- Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (20h) To check out their other addresses take a look at their website:
Website: www.lamaisonduchocolat.fr

Marcolini is an expert Belgian chocolatier with Italian roots who found his passion for cacao at a very young age. He is also known for being very engaged with sustainable production, which is why he roasts cacao beans in his shop in Brussels (this is not a common practice amongst chocolatiers). They select their plantations carefully and only work with those that do not employ children.
Out of their collection the Venezuela really stood out to us, with its coffee and berry notes. Simply exquisite. Marcolini’s chocolates are the perfect mouthful of intense, authentic aromas perfectly combined with the renowned bitterness of the cocoa bean.
His boutique draws a beautiful contrast between the all-white setting and the different tones of the chocolates showcased around the boutique, as well as his famous macarons.
Prices: Individual chocolate pieces start at 1€.
Address: The shop we visited is located at 235 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 75001. Hours: Monday -Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (19h30) and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (19h) He has 6 other boutiques in the city.
Website: eu.marcolini.com

We came across Jean Paul Hévin’s shop when we were selecting The Best Parisian Macarons for our blog Hévin’s macarons are nothing short of amazing, and his chocolates are up to par. We fell head-over-heels for the Pablino, a sweet and delicious chocolate with a lot of character, its diverse notes allow you to really appreciate the diversity of the high-quality cocoa beans, known as the “grand cru” in French.
The boutique is organized in the style of a chocolate “bar”, with vendors located in the center of the boutique surrounded by all the different chocolates they offer. On one end, you’ll find chocolate bars (both popular in demand as well as those within a more affordable price range); on the other end you’ll find individually sold chocolates pieces, pralinés, macarons, and oh la la… pastries! Jean-Paul Hévin is a passionate pastry chef with a profound love for chocolate and heavily influenced by Japanese culture, a true example of balance, discipline, and quality. That’s why we put them in our list of the best chocolates in Paris.
Prices: Set of 12 chocolates for 15.50€. Chocolate bars start at 3.90€.
Address: We visited two boutiques: 41 Rue de Brétagne 75003 and 108-231 Rue Saint-Honoré 75001 (near Place Vendôme). Hours: Both open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (19h30)
Website: www.jeanpaulhevin.com

From the moment you walk into his boutique in Le Marais, Jaques Genin has you wrapped around his finger. One of his most emblematic pieces is the Mint Lover, the minty flavors wrapped around the depth of this dark chocolate piece. Balanced and pleasantly surprising.
The boutique itself is pristine, embodying minimalism and focusing your attention towards the delicious confections that fill the room, presented as if they were precious jewels.
In addition to its intense chocolates, Genin produces (on site) some spectacular candies. We tried a mango with passion fruit and we can tell you that we’re wanting more.
This is, without a doubt a stunning chocolate shop in which you can feel the sense of detail, respect for the ingredients and their original flavors as well their uniqueness. It’s reputation is such that hundreds of tourists, mostly coming from Japan, make the trip to purchase these delicious chocolates; after all, they are only sold in Paris.
Prices: These vary as they are sold by weight (kg).
Address: The boutique we’ve described is on 133 Rue de Turenne, Paris 75003. Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (19h00) and until 7:30 p.m. (19h30) on Saturdays.
There is another boutique on 27 rue de Varenne, Paris 75007.
Website: www.jacquesgenin.fr

World-renown Chef Alain Ducasse decided he wanted to produce the chocolates for his restaurants. This led to the creation of La Manufacture by Alain Ducasse in Paris. His chocolates are held to the same rigorous standards he is known for, as well as respecting the essence of the ingredients, all of which are carefully selected and of the highest quality.
From the moment you enter the Manufacture your senses are invaded by a subtle and delicious fragrance.
The concept of a factory, of a manufacture, have been beautifully translated in the décor of the boutique. If you are a devoted chocolate lover, you’ll find yourself right at home with a selection of chocolate in their purest form.
The Madagascar is a chocolate; but it is so much more than that as you can savor the deep flavors obtained as they strive to highlight all of the aromas of the cacao bean. There aren’t any whimsical flavors, however all the chocolates remain very rich in flavour and will have you on a cloud from the first bite. We also tried the Vanilla, and the idea remains the same; the vanilla isn’t there to add or complete the chocolate but rather to exalt it. A unique tasting experience.
The boutique’s team is very friendly, and they took the time to explain every little detail to us, and honestly, we were charmed. Without a doubt, one of the best choclates in Paris.
Prices: 12-piece box set sells for 19€.
Address: There are 9 locations in Paris; we visited the boutique located at the Manufacture itself at 40 Rue de la Roquette, Paris 75010. Hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (19h30). Check their official website for details on opening hours for the other locations.
Website: www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com

Chocolate is part of France’s gastronomic patrimonyand of Europe’s Easter traditions. We hope that chocolates lovers (and those that are simply curious as well!) can soon enjoy these wonderful delicacies, made with such care and precision.
We haven’t stopped dreaming and neither should you!
Paris awaits…
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]]>We want to dedicate a blog post to this wonderful building, just as we love to do in DescubreParis.com, with practical and useful information for visiting the most photographed monument in the world.
The Eiffel Tower was built by engineer and builder Gustave Eiffel, a specialist on metallic structures, with the help of 300 workers for the Exposition Universelle of 1889. Its construction took two years. At the time it was the tallest building in the world at 276 meters high (301 yards).
Nowadays, the tower welcomes around 7 million visitors per year and is worth an estimated 434 billion Euros, that is a fifth part of the French GDP.

Today, the Iron Lady is framed by a security glass installation at its lower level, the ground level is a patio (parvis), there are three floors (accessible by different ways), and each has different things to observe, besides enjoying the amazing view. It is important to remember this since at the moment of buying your ticket you should know how far up the tower you want, or can, go.
Once you´ve gone through the first access checkpoints you arrive to the patio where you can find:
These are the options for going up the Eiffel Tower:
Access to the second floor (and first) by the stairs (647 steps). Sold only at the Ticket Se vende únicamente en las taquillas de la torre y para una utilización el mismo día. Booth of the tower and for same-day use. On your way down you can visit the first floor.
Prices:
Adult: 10,40€
Young Person (between 12 and 24 years): 5,20€
Children (between 4 and 11 years): 2,60€
Small Children (under 4 years): free*
Estimated visit time: Between 30 and 45 minutes to go up the 647 steps, plus an hour and a half for looking around.
Access to the second floor by the stairs (647), and elevator to the top. Sold only at the Ticket Booth of the tower and for same-day use. On your way down you can visit the first floor.
Prices:
Adult: 19,70€
Young Person (between 12 and 24 years): 9,80€
Children (between 4 and 11 years): 5,00€
Small Children (under 4 years): free*
Estimated visit time: Between 30 and 45 minutes to the second floor, plus two hours for looking around.
Access to the second floor through the elevator, on your way down you can visit the first floor. Available online and at the ticket booth.
Prices:
Adult: 16,60€
Young Person (between 12 and 24 years): 8,30€
Children (between 4 and 11 years):4,10€
Small Children (under 4 years): free*
Estimated visit time: an hour and thirty minutes
Access to the top of the tower through the elevators. Of course, it allows visits to the second and first floors. The ideal ticket to live the full experience. Available online and at the ticket booth.
Prices:
Adult: 25,90€
Young Person (between 12 and 24 years): 13,00€
Children (between 4 and 11 years): 6,50€
Small Children (under 4 years): free*
Estimated visit time: two hours and thirty minutes
Yes, making reservations to have lunch or dinner at this restaurant grants you access to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, so it’s a good option if you can make it. Lunch plates go from 39€ and dinner from 86€. Reservations are not mandatory, but if you don’t make reservations you will have to purchase any tower ticket and check if there are tables available.
*Small children don’t pay, but must have a Free Entrance ticket.
Visiting the inside of the Eiffel Tower is an unforgettable experience. But like all worthwhile things in life, it requires some “effort”.
It is important to remember that this is a very visited monument and it has a limitation to how many visitors it can hold, this number is constantly being monitored to preserve the safety of the structure. Access to the tower can also be affected by weather or other specific conditions.
Keep in mind:

Le 58 Tour Eiffel:
Le Jules Verne:
For more information on the restaurants:
This will vary depending on where your starting point is, but the main access routes are as follow:
Metro Line 6, Bir-Hakeim Tour Eiffel Stop. 10 minute walk.
Line 9, Trocadéro Stop. 15 minute walk.
Line 8, École Militaire Stop. 15 minute walk.
District (Arrondissement): 16.
Schedule: From 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., open all days of the year.
Remember that the Eiffel Tower is part of our Detailed Travel Guides. Whether you get to go all the way to the top or not, what’s important is that you saw it in person and you were able to visit a monument that shaped architecture and the lives of everyone in the City of Light.
See you soon!
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