Here 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, we live on the border with 🇨🇭 Switzerland, one of 
the most famous chocolate producing nations in the world (though neighbouring countries do outweigh this small country in chocolate production!).
Those happy 🇨🇭 Swiss 🐄 alpine cows produce 🥛 a rich creamy milk, perfect to mix with cacao, to form delicious chocolate . . .
And here in our 🗻 Haute-Savoie mountains, we also have a rich tradition of artisan chocolate-making, which dates back to the 19th century!
And, as you’ll see in this article, we also have some exquisite artisan chocolate makers 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc!
La Chocolaterie Pissard à Sallanches – this was the oldest brand of chocolate in Savoie, with the factory founded in 1827-1828, in Bellegarde, by the Pissard brothers. The elder brother, nicknamed “Bilbao”, had learned the rudiments of the chocolate-making trade in Bilbao, Spain. In the first years of production, the factory was flooded, and hence transferred to the left bank of the Sallanche river in Sallanches.
[ ⇒ to read more about the Pissard chocolaterie, see the blog La Pissarderie : Sallanches et la chocolaterie here ]
[ ⇒ for a brief history of chocolate in the world, see the charts below ]
At Christmastime, our shops are filled with chocolate delights : advent calendars, 🥚 praline assortments, bûches de Noël, meringues pralinés . . . and at Easter too – chocolate eggs and beautiful creations a-plenty !
Aside from the big chocolate dates in our calendar, a box of chocolates is a great treat any time of year, and a lovely option for a present ! So here are some suggestions . . .
Colour code for listings
Pays du Mont-Blanc
Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz and environs) & Vallorcine
Passy & environs
Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Le Fayet, Saint Nicolas de Véroce, Bionnassay & environs
Megève & Praz-sur-Arly
🇫🇷 Further France
Chamonix Valley
La Chocolatier Ancey / Aux Nougats du Mont-Blanc (Chamonix centre)
The 🍫 La Chocolaterie Ancey (Aux Nougats du Mont-Blanc) is a veritable institution in Chamonix! Known originally as the « Maison de Nougat » back in 1821, it was taken over by the Ancey family in 1892. You are still welcomed by the Ancey family into their little world of chocolats, nougats, macaroons, candied fruit, honeys and jams . . .
FB page address: 60 rue Joseph Vallot, 74400, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc / tel: 04 50 53 09 79
Pâtisserie Richard Chamonix (Chamonix centre)
The 🧁 Pâtisserie Richard was always my favourite boulangerie for bread and viennoiserie when I lived down the road in Chamonix, but I rarely indulged in its incredible selection of cakes and chocolates back then – why ever not?!
Also available are the macaroons (and the macaroon shop Richard: côté Macarons down the road) . . .
FB page & website address: 10 rue du Docteur Paccard, 74400, Chamonix / tel: 04 50 53 56 88
Look at these beautiful chocolate bars :
Maison Fattier : Aux Petits Gourmands & Chalet 4810 pépites & gourmandises (Chamonix centre)
Aux Petits Gourmands (FB page) & Chalet 4810 (FB page) have the most incredible selection of beautiful cakes and chocolates! The chocolates are exquisite, with some designed liked mountains and snowflakes! They’ll also design for your company!
There is also a newer branch of 🧁 Aux Petits Gourmands opposite the church in Saint-Gervais – see below !
Shoukâ (Chamonix centre)
Some of you Chamonix residents may remember the noisy bar Le Choucas (I do; it was located right under my rented Chamonix studio, so on a summer’s night, the noise from here (and Le Pub) travelled right up to my bed!).
Well, a couple of years ago that Le Choucas chalet became home to Le Shoukâ: ” une manufacture de cacao et de café “.
In this article on the blog, Le Shoukâ tells you why eating (good quality) chocolate (in moderation) is good for your health! You can also buy coffee beans from the dispensers . . .
FB page & website address: 206 rue du Dr Paccard, 74400, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Le Jardin du Goûter à l’Hotel Oustalet (Chamonix)
Those in the know in Chamonix are aware that the tea room at this hotel – Le Jardin du Gouter – is just lovely! ” In winter, you can relax in our comfortable lounge after a full day of skiing . . . Hot chocolates from the full-bodied house and tasty pastries will certainly appeal to your taste buds. ” The pastry chef, Stéphane Martin, changes the cakes with the seasons, at Easter chocolate eggs are also produced !
FB page & website address: 206 rue du Dr Paccard, 74400, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Passy
Les Gourmandises de Manon (Chedde)
🍫 Les Gourmandises de Manon is run by Manon, and specialises in artisan chocolate! You’ll see her at work in the shop!
FB page & website address: 8 rue Paul Corbin, 74190, Passy / tel: 07 60 65 22 26;
Sallanches, Saint-Gervais & Le Fayet
Gâteau & Cacao (Sallanches)
The new kid on the block for cakes and chocolate in Sallanches ! You can see the two owners beavering away in their lab behind the counter.
The cakes are exquisite !
FB page
address: 38 quai Saint Jacques, 74700, Sallanches / tel: 04 50 55 83 68
Chocola’thé (Sallanches)
Chocola’thé is a cake and chocolate shop, within a tea room, located on the quais of Sallanches.
FB page address: 38 quai Saint Jacques, 74700, Sallanches / tel: 04 50 55 83 68
Délicat Délice (Sallanches)
🍫 Délicat Délice is also located on the quais, and has beautiful cakes and chocolate, and tea and coffee for sale. There is also a branch in La Roche-sur-Foron;
FB page address: 72 quai Saint Jacques, 74700, Sallanches / tel: 04 50 55 83 68
Lydie’s cake (Sallanches)
Lydie is known for her cupcakes and custom-made cakes, and she also sometimes makes chocolate goodies!
FB page address: 151 rue du Mont-Blanc, 74700, Sallanches / tel: 07 85 12 87 90
Chocolats de Neuville (Sallanches)
🍫 Chocolats de Neuville is a not a local brand, though it is a French brand, and it has a small shop next to Monoprix in Sallanches . . . ©
address: 9 avenue de la Gare, 74700, Sallanches
Zanin Pâtissier & Chocolatier (Sallanches, Le Fayet & Cluses)
Zanin is another institution locally, selling beautiful cakes, chocolates and macaroons. The first branch to open was in Le Fayet and there are newer shops in Sallanches and Cluses;
FB page & website address (Sallanches): 540 rue du Général Jacques de Montfort, 74700, Sallanches address (Le Fayet): La Potinière, 111 avenue de Chamonix, 74170, Le Fayet
Les Chocolats du Mont-Blanc (Sallanches)
You’ll find this producer’s chocolates for sale in some of our local épiceries. They sell bars of chocolate, as well as the funny ” crottes de marmottes “.
Aux Petits Gourmands (Saint-Gervais)
You’ll find a newer branch of 🧁 Aux Petits Gourmands opposite the church in Saint-Gervais – what a beautiful location! (on a warm day, you can eat your cake in the church gardens, otherwise you can have a cosy seat indoors!).
Sérac Gourmet (Saint-Gervais)
Important to mention in this article is the Les Merveilleux collection from the Sérac Gourmet – a divine chocolate creation that you can eat on-site, or you can take away! I especially love the white chocolate and raspberry combination !!!
Megève & Praz sur Arly
Boulangerie Le Montagnard (Praz-sur-Arly & Megève)
Founded in 1989, and set in a chalet, this boulangerie sells amazing cakes and chocolate!
As well as the Praz-sur-Arly location, there is also a small Megève shop.
FB page
address: Praz-sur-Arly / tel: 04 50 21 26 76
Le Comptoir du Père Sotieu (Megève)
This cute tea room is located in a little chalet that actually looks like a chocolate box, and it sells cakes and chocolate!
FB page & website address: 19 rue Général Muffat de St Amour, 74120, Megève / tel: 04 50 21 67 51
La Chocolaterie de l’Hotel Soleil d’Or (Megève)
La Boutique aux Chocolats in Megève is run by Caroline Vouillon and François Legon, and has been producing exquisite artisan chocolates since 1963! I have been given some of these chocolates as a gift and they are delicious, some with gold paint!
website address: 176 rue Charles Feige, 74120, Megève; tel: +33 (0)4 50 21 01 64 / email: contact@chocolatier-megeve.fr;
Les Glaçons de Megève®
Les Glaçons de Megève® are delicate praline meringues, and they are a speciality of Megève – for the last 112 years, they have been made there, based on the recipe of Barthélémy Vigliengo!
⇒ more information address: 215 route Edmond de Rothschild, 74120, Megève / tel: 06 01 73 88 99
Les Flocons de Neige (Megève)
FB page
address: 105 route Edmond de Rothschild, 74120, Megève
🇫🇷 Further France
🇫🇷 Le Choc’Alpin (Thonon-les-Bains)
These guys are located in le Chablais, but I’ve included them in this list, as their product is so unique : a chocolate bar in the form of the mountain relief of our Alps !
The story : ” Nous sommes Tristan et Lucie, deux natifs des Alpes et créateurs du Choc’ Alpin. Nous avons grandi avec une passion commune pour la montagne et embrassé le mode de vie qui va avec. Les reliefs nous fascinent, il faut dire que le terrain de jeu offert par les Alpes est infini . . . Tout à commencé comme ça : Tristan conçoit des pièces de mobilier bois dont les Alpes sont la source d’inspiration, mais aussi des moules pour une chocolaterie locale. De là est née l’idée d’en concevoir un, représentant avec exactitude nos reliefs montagneux. Le résultat ultra précis, conjugué à la brillance du chocolat nous a bluffés, et nous nous sommes embarqués dans cette aventure ! ”
website & FB page address: 89 chemin de la Ballastière, Thonon-les-Bains / email: contact@choc-alpin.com
🇫🇷 some further addresses . . .
Also worth looking out for if you’re passing through any of these towns or villages . . .
- Chocolaterie Colombel – Artisan Chocolatier (Mieussy) – FB page & shop / address: 82 route d’Anglay, Mieussy;
- Artisan du Chocolat Verchaix (Verchaix, near Samoëns) – FB page & website / address: 30 rue du Giffre, Verchaix;
- Cocoa Valley Chocolats (Epagny, near Annecy) – FB page & website / address: 79 rue de la Mandallaz, 74330, Épagny;
A history of chocolate
For a little more information about the history of chocolate, from the Aztecs drinking a bitter blend, to European kings and queens enjoying a sweeter drink, and then to the production of solid chocolate bars, see the charts below . . .
Mont Blanc Family Fun 
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