Looking for something “sweet” to do? How about taking a chocolate tour? Yes, Asheville, North Carolina is a chocolate lover’s paradise! Not only are there numerous wonderful restaurants with their own delicious desserts but there are several local chocolate shops worth visiting!
Chocolate Fetish
The Chocolate Fetish uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and makes all their signature products in small batches to ensure each morsel has the maximum amount of freshness! Located on Haywood Street of Downtown Asheville, they house these tasty creations in antique display cases (and even have some chocolate art for viewing as well)! You can take a look at the inside of their space through a 360 interactive image on their website gallery here.
The shop’s best sellers are their truffles and sea salt caramels. Aside from these, they also make a variety of other chocolate assortments that you can view on their menu online. They will ship orders anywhere, so if you’re not in the area, don’t fret – you can still get your hands on their truffles, caramels, toffee, and more through their online shop!
French Broad Chocolate Lounge
Another popular chocolate shop is French Broad Chocolate Lounge. The lounge is a beautiful mix of French design flair, modern industrial equipment and seating, and rustic touches to pull in the mountain surroundings. Located in South Patrick Square in the heart of the city, it’s a short walk from other popular shops and restaurants or pubs.
We highly recommend a visit after dinner or for a quick afternoon pick-me-up. You may see a line out the door when visiting, but the wait is worth every minute. Once inside, you will have a wide variety of artisanal truffles or caramels, or cakes to choose from!
The lounge is an terrific place to sit down a chat over a sugar treat. A beautiful mix of French design flair, modern industrial equipment and seating, and rustic touches pull in the mountain surroundings. They also have an area inside called the Chocolate Boutique. It’s a small spot in the same location that offers handcrafted coffee and ice cream!
If you want to learn more about how they make their handcrafted chocolates, they offer factory tours at their Riverside Drive location. Typically tours are offered Wednesday through Saturdays at 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm, then Monday and Tuesday 12pm and 2pm. They request pre-booking your tour vs walking in, so visit their website to secure your time. They also offer special events periodically including chocolate tastings which educate visitors on origins or chocolate (yum!).
Kilwins Asheville
On Battery Park is the Kilwins of Asheville which has you feeling like you’ve stepped back in time! While not an Asheville only location, Kilwins is highly recognized for amazing chocolates and confections. The classic confectionary shop offers many flavors of fudge, ice cream, and much more. You can also watch them as they make the waffle cones (oh, that smell)! It’s located near Patton street near The Chocolate Fetish, Cambria Hotel, and Pritchard Park, a small patio park which hosts pop up vendors frequently.
Whether you are a visitor to the wonderful artsy mountain town of Asheville, or a long-time resident, we hope we’ve inspired another stop on your trip into downtown! And remember, both of the locally owned shops, Chocolate Fetish and French Broad Chocolates, sell online order, so support Asheville vendors when you can and choose online if you can’t visit in person!
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