The Top 4 Chocolate Shops in Bruges

Sizewise, Bruges has always punched above its weight. This micro-city is packed with stunning medieval buildings, spectacular art museums and historic waterways. It’s also a gourmet’s paradise, known for its waffles, mussels and beer, but is perhaps most famous for the quality of its chocolate. It’s been heaven for chocoholics since the late 1800s, when Belgian chocolatier Jean Neuhaus invented the praline, a blend of dark chocolate, caramelised nuts and sugar. Today there are many chocolate stores in Bruges, with world-famous names like Leonidas and Godiva setting up alongside Neuhaus to spread the reputation of Belgian chocolate, and latterly inspirational chocolatiers pushing the boundaries with daring flavours and creations. In short, Bruges is a dream destination for anyone with a sweet tooth. We’ve done the hard tasting work, so here’s where to get your best chocolate fix in Bruges.

From family-run boutiques to creative chocolatiers reinventing Belgian classics, you’ll find a chocolate store in Bruges to suit all tastes. All the ones mentioned here are in the pedestrianised medieval city, making them walkable from central Bruges hotels.

These time-honoured addresses first saw light of day in the last century, and their shops are fragrant homages to all things chocolate. If you’re staying at the family-friendly Novotel Brugge Centrum, you'll be within 15 minutes’ stroll of both.

This charmingly higgledy-piggledy shop squeezed behind a gabled façade is lovingly overseen by third-generation Bruges chocolatier Jan, who could not be more helpful – there’s zero pressure to buy and you’re welcome to browse, which may take some time as chocolates and sweets in all guises are stacked from floor to ceiling. If you’re feeling nostalgic for traditional muiletrekkers (sour cherry candies) or kletskoppen (crispy cinnamon and almond biscuits), this is the spot for you, along with single chocolates in flavours like jenever (similar to gin), advocaat and raspberry, and all beautifully packaged too. You can also buy chocolate in the shape of sheep, Halloween ghouls and ghosties, or Santa and his reindeer team, as gifts for the kids. And best of all, the prices are reasonable for the standard of chocolate sold. A rare experience not to be missed!

• Academiestraat 19, 8000 Bruges
• Open Mon-Sat 12:30pm-6:30pm; Sun 12:30pm-5pm

The elegant Bruges outpost of this Brussels-based “maître chocolatier” is all about chic simplicity. Bearing Marcolini’s distinctive logo, the packaging and shop layout are as beautifully designed as the chocolates are perfect; if you’re after a showstopper gift for someone special back home, this is where to buy. Locals also gather here to snap up the gourmet chocolate spread and intensely flavoured macarons in a rainbow of colours, while other favourite buys include heart-shaped bonbons in flavours such as passionfruit and pistachio. You can also treat the kids to ice cream made on the premises. Prices are generally on the higher side, but then Marcolini uses better-quality chocolate than many other Bruges chocolate shops.

• Steenstraat 10, 8000 Bruges
• Open daily 11am–6pm

There's also a bunch of innovative artisan chocolatiers running smaller concerns, so the city’s chocolate scene is healthily – and deliciously – diverse. Some out-there flavours you might encounter at these shops include wasabi, bacon and grass. The wallet-friendly ibis Styles Brugge Centrum is 10 minutes’ walk from both these chocolate shops in Bruges, giving you all the more money to spend on chocolate.

It’s only been in town for 20 years, but Stephan Dumon’s paean to all things chocolate has beaten its rivals hands down to be touted as the best confectionary shop in Bruges. This innovative family concern sells affordable artisan chocolates, handcrafted using modern takes on classic old recipes – obviously a winning formula as there are currently three branches in the city. Service is warm and relaxed, and you’re welcome to get stuck into the tasting of luscious mini-masterpieces flavoured with verbena, cinnamon or tonka bean. The best buy to take home is probably a mix-and-match box of goodies, but whatever you choose will be top-notch, rich and creamy. And treats for the kids? Bunny rabbits figurines or slabs of Smarty-encrusted chocolate will fit the bill perfectly.

• Eiermarkt 6, 8000 Bruges. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 10am-5pm
• Simon Stevinplein 11, 8000 Bruges. Open Sun-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-6:30pm
• Walstraat 6, 8000 Bruges. Open daily 10am-6pm

This small, colourful and famous bean-to-bar shop is the brainchild of so-called “shock-o-latier” Dominique Persoone (he’s created paint and an entire tool kit out of chocolate), who works alongside his son Julius, himself awarded “Finest Chocolatier” by Gault & Millau in 2023. They create all their chocolate from scratch, using cocoa imported from their own plantation in Mexico, and their skills are rightly acknowledged as the most avant-garde in Bruges, with prices correspondingly high. Pick from scores of different pralines with unique and outré fillings like cigar, home-grown tomatoes or tequila, but if you’re not feeling quite so adventurous, there are plenty of (relatively) classic flavours such as raspberry cheesecake or honey from Dominique’s own bees. The best souvenirs? A cheerily wrapped selection box of party balls, shiny orbs of tempered ganache perfection with whisky, lemon or hazelnut fillings.

• Simon Stevinplein 19, 8000 Bruges
• Open Tue-Sat 9:30am-6:30pm; Sun-Mon 10:30am-6:30pm

• Quality of bean. The cocoa beans used in Belgian chocolate are selected for their superior quality and ground very finely.
• High cocoa content. The percentage of cocoa in Belgian chocolate can be as high as 75%, compared with around 35% in other countries.
• Cocoa butter: Belgian chocolate is made of 100% cocoa butter for a rich taste and texture.
• The Belgian Chocolate Code. Developed in 2007, this code ensures that only authentic Belgian chocolate is sold as genuine.
• Creativity. Belgian chocolatiers are trendsetters in chocolate design and flavours.

Bruges’s reputation as a centre of chocolatey excellence is extolled in this wonderfully family-friendly museum, which takes a stroll through the cocoa bean’s backstory, from its Aztec origins to the chocolate drink that took Europe’s royal courts by storm in the 1500s and its importance today. There’s a chocolate-making demonstration too, where you can sample the goodies.

• Wijnzakstraat 2, 8000 Bruges
• Admission €16 adults, €10 for children aged 3-11
• Open daily 10am-6pm

There are several tours combining sightseeing with chocolate tastings at artisan shops; most end up with a mug of creamy hot chocolate at a local café.

Cut out the middleman and create your own sweet treats at one of the workshops across the city.
 

Is Bruges worth visiting for its chocolate? Absolutely! But don’t forget it’s also one of the loveliest cities in Belgium and hotel rooms are at a premium, so start planning your chocolate odyssey now. If you’re a waffles fan, they’re also a speciality in Brussels, and of course Geneva is another essential stop on the search for the perfect chocolate.