Hotel Chocolat

Citysearch Editorial Review. The first stateside flagship store of U.K.-based upscale chocolatier Hotel Chocolat is no bittersweet bite. Beige walls and a minimalist design are offset by dozens of truffles, bars and other choco-packed goodies, but Hotel Chocolat is more than your average melt-and-mold factory. The brand harvests its own cacao in St. Lucia and creates only the finest treats right outside of London, like canapés of 74-percent dark chocolate with spicy chilli and crunchy almonds. Truffles come boxed in sampler assortments or in packages of single flavors (like pink champagne or tiramisu). True fanatics can check out the chocolate tasting room, where one of the shop’s master tasters guides you through what goes into the good stuff, bit by luscious bit.…