Voilà Chocolat

I recently had visitors in town and we took NYC by storm, hitting all the major tourist attractions and the best NYC has to offer. What stood out amongst all the fun was the morning we spent at Voilà Chocolat.
This adorable little chocolate atelier has a range of offerings from buying pre-​made treats, to making your own. We decided to make our own and had big decisions as there were so many options:
Voilàllipops. Chocolate Shapes. Exquisite Truffles. Chocolate Dipped Treats. Chocolate Bars. Mendiants. 3D Molding. Chocolate Bark. Voilàllipops or Plaques for kids.
My four year old daughter and her eight year old friend both chose to make the Voilàllipops (5 per order).
Our lovely chocolatier guided us through the whole process and made it a lot of fun. We began by sitting at a two seater table called a chocolating pod (named after both cacao pods and work pods designed to inspire collaboration). This is where the magic happens. All details of this unique atelier are well thought out and charming, from the hand washing experience with mini towels that expand when added to water to picking out the ‘tattoos’ which would decorate one side of the lollipops. Both of our girls choose white chocolate and after much deliberation they both picked the same designs for their voilàllipops.
After selecting our molds, chocolate flavor and ‘tattoos’ it was time for the fun to begin! Our chocolatier lined our molds with the designs the girls picked, then carefully prepared tempered chocolate into bags and taught the girls how to carefully squeeze the the chocolate into the molds while tapping the forms in between filling to flatten out the chocolate. She then led them through decorating the adorable voilàllipops with a huge range of candies. You’re not exactly making your own chocolate at Voilà, it’s more of a molding, squeezing, pouring and dipping experience. An experience that was perfect for my girls and one that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
After our voilàllipops were poured into molds and decorated, our chocolatier placed them in a refrigerator for about 10 minutes until they were hardened. Then she taught us how to carefully pop them out of the molds and helped the girls wrap each one to look like a gift.
Each session runs from 45 to 60 minutes and costs from $ 35 to $ 60, depending on what you’re making. Groups can rent the space (team-​building exercises, birthday parties, etc.) for events. I highly recommend putting this unique experience at the top of your fun list!
Tips:
Strollers are allowed.
The minimum spend per person is the price of one experience (options range from $ 35-​$ 65, and kids’ menu is $ 25). Experiences are not designed to be shared.
The ideal age starts at 5 and up, but they have had customers as young as 18 months, who, with help, can successfully manage the chocolatiering experience.
The average experience is 45 – 60 min
Gratuities are not expected, but certainly appreciated.
This is not just for children, it’d be a great date night too!
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this place… can you tell I’m recommending it :)

Took a 7 year old and 4 year old to make chocolate lollipops and it was super fun!

Had a really great date here last night before dinner. Very casual class environment. You get to pick from either making chocolate bark, molds, or decorating truffles. We picked to make truffles ($ 65) and chocolate bark ($ 55). You got to pick between white, dark or milk chocolate, variety or nuts and other things for the bark and then your choice of toppings for the truffles. Class took about an hour been making, decorating and packaging your chocolates. The staff was really friendly and fun.

Do not try the White Hot Chocolate Tea. It’s gross. The taste afterwards feels like you just drank a packet of powder with milk…
The place is cute and I bet it has potential but $ 9 for a bag of dry chocolate almonds, not worth it.
It was disappointing. I may go back to try something different but I don’t recommend it.

I thought that Leonidas Belgian chocolate truffles were the best in New York, but then I happened on Voila. The crusty outer shell gently yields to the creamiest of chocolates that come in dizzyingly redolent flavors like raspberry. The salted truffles offer an astonishing contrast of flavors. I’m no chocoholic, but these really are addictive in their intensity.

After just one hour at Voila Chocolate, I left with 16 hand-​dipped and personally decorated truffles and some really cool custom chocolate «bark.» This was such a fun experience, with friendly and knowledgeable instructors who very patiently helped us as we decided on what kind of chocolate to use for dipping, which truffle flavors would be best with each chocolate, and how to make our end product look super professional. For the record, I chose four truffle flavors (peanut butter, raspberry, salted caramel and passion fruit) and white chocolate for dipping.
This was a great activity to do with friends, but it’s also an awesome idea for a date.

This review is purely for the hot chocolate. I came here after seeing this place on a list of the best hot chocolate in the city. I got the house blend. Upon first sip, I was ready to give this place a 3 out of 5. The flavor was almost like drinking creamy straight cocoa powder. There is almost no sweetness to this hot chocolate. But after a few sips it grew on me. It’s not my favorite hot chocolate in the city but it’s worth a try for sure if you’re close by.

Ok… Didn’t scroll pass without reading this. Trust me when I tell you that in an an honest rater. If your product and your service sucked– I’ll rate it as such. If it was just ok– I’ll rate it as such. If it is great — I’ll rate it as such as well!
Let me tell you about my experience of Voila:
I am a huge chocolate fan, I’ve done the chocolate tours and chocolate tastings. I even eat my chocolate slow– because I love it. My husband knows this, so he surprised me with a trip to Voila for my birthday. This business is easy to miss because of the construction and scaffolding on the outside– but please don’t let that deter you. When came into to the shop and where greeted warmly. She asked our names and he informed her that we were here for the chocolate truffle class. It was at that point she asked us for our coats and we took a seat. She walked us through the truffle making. She gave us samples of white, milk and dark chocolate; and it was at this point I decided what the quality of this place was. One bite I took of the dark chocolate and I knew this was good quality chocolate. It was so smooth, rich and a deep cocoa taste — I knew it was good quality. Some other places the dark chocolate is very hard and segmented in taste. The other chocolate was good too thou. She then came back and had us pick 4 flavors of truffle crème from her list. We choose: jack Daniels, banana rum, speculoos and peanut butter pop rocks… Yes excitement– I know!!!
We also were able to choose our toppings for the truffle. She left us alone to make the truffles (I even double dipped mine) — I thought that was good as well. Especially if you are having a date. When we were finished another associate came over and took the tray to place it in the fridge to set. She then bought back another tray and said «we don’t waste any of our chocolate here!» So we poured the remained chocolate out on the the tray mat so that we can shape and mold it into a chocolate bark, placing any of our toppings on it and doing whatever we pleased with it (including licking the spatula)… More excitement!!!
It was at that time I got a chance to meet the owner (whom is very nice, warm and approachable). We talked about the business and his good choice in chocolate. It’s great to know that in today’s world people are choosing product not just on taste but also on practices. Practices of how they treat there workers, fair trade. Which made me feel even better about the chocolate I was indulging in. My only suggestion is to offer a sample of the hot cocoa to ALL (not just some) those who are doing a class. Because you never know who will purchase it. I was offered– after my inquiry of it. And it was delicious. I tried the spiced and house Cocoa. Both were delicious and decadent. But, I had to purchase a cup of the house blend to go.
At the end, the Asian young lady cane over, wrapped up our chocolates for us. Which came out looking so professional. And they had an awesome suppose at the end for me. They did a happy birthday chocolate mold and a candle stuck inside an cookie like edible. It was so cute and such a special top off.
I can’t wait to treat someone else here as a birthday surprise and spread the goodness. But for sure I will be back to try all their delicious truffle flavors they have in the display for purchase.
The staff was warm and nice. The owner was informative and treated us as if we were guest at his home. The place is clean quaint, neat but fun looking. They have product on display for purchase like hot chocolate powder, cookies/​pastries a d truffles. Kids eyes were lighting up as they came in. This is a place for children to come as well. They will have a blast. This will be an awesome party spot.
I loved this place… Please go here it is totally worth it!!! It’s like willy wonka’s chocoate den– but with quality taste!
My hubby enjoyed it as well !!!
I also loved that this was a no tip establishment!
The chocolates/​truffles are amazing !!!

What an amazing gem of a place! My husband and I went here for an amazing date night. I made 16 truffles which each tasted like heaven. The chocolate they use is like no other. The best part aside from decorating my truffles to look super professional (bringing them to a party tomorrow night) is tasting all the chocolate as you go. It’s an adult version of Charlie and the chocolate factory. The staff is also super nice and knowledgable– a flawless experience from start to finish.

Quick Overview:
Chocolate: A
Chocolate Making Activity: B+
Price: B to B+
Staff: A+
Positive (s)
+ Quality and flavor of chocolate
+ Staff is super friendly, helpful, and patient
+ Cool idea, especially for children
Negative (s)
— The chocolate activities are a little pricey
— Not entirely «educational»
— Some of the activities are a bit limiting in terms of creativity and crafting
The process:
1. You pick an activity/​chocolate product you would like to make.
2. They hand you molds, melted chocolate (you get to choose from white, milk, or dark chocolate), and toppings, and they teach you what to do.
3. You make your chocolate (and eat some of it at the same time) and take it home.
As a chocolate enthusiast and consumer, the next step in feeding my chocolate addiction is learning how to make chocolate. I decided to come to Voila Chocolat to take my chocolate knowledge to the next level. However, it should be noted that the chocolate-​making done here is an ACTIVITY and not a class. Sure, nowhere does it say on the website that they would teach about the history of chocolate, describe the process from bean to bar, or the process of tempering chocolate, but it certainly would have been a nice touch for a chocolate fanatic as myself. I can’t mark them down for something they didn’t say they would do, but it definitely would have made me love the experience rather than just like it.
However, what I can be a little disappointed with is how limiting the activities were, especially considering the price. I chose the chocolate bark activity, which allows you to make two chocolate barks. However, out of the numerous topping options, I was only allowed to pick two for BOTH chocolate barks; not two each, but two for both. I can understand that they wouldn’t want a customer to use an excessive amount of toppings, but I like to explore my options and come home with completely different bark.
My friend chose the truffle option. You can choose up to 4 different fillings, and use all the different toppings, but you’re not actually filling the chocolate. They already have filled-​chocolate-​balls made and you’re just dipping them in melted chocolate and adding toppings for an outer layer. I understand that with the 1 – 1.5 hour time constraint you can’t expect to make everything from scratch, but you’re not doing anything more than decorating pre-​made truffles.
Positive takeaways are that the staff is incredibly nice and the quality of the chocolate is great. The staff were definitely knowledgeable about ingredients and what flavors/​textures pair well together. We even got a sample of their tasty, slightly spicy hot chocolate. And the best part is that you get to take the chocolate home with no cleanup afterwards. It’s a fun idea and would be great for groups and young children, but remember that this is an activity and not a class.

The best chocolate place on earth for the true chocolate experience. It’s learning meets creativity exploding into your own creative happiness, Very passionate staff a wonderful master pastry chef and great presseco wine they made my experience unforgettable.
Scherisse NYC

Our sons gave my wife a gift certificate to Voila for Mother’s Day. She very thoughtfully took me along.
We were a little apprehensive since we had no idea what we were getting into. When we arrived the entire staff could not have been more welcoming and immediately put us at ease. I will describe the process, but if you are not interested in that, skip to the last paragraph for the summary.
They had us sit at a table/​counter and put on our aprons. We were introduced to Kadeem who took care of us the rest of our stay. We had decided before arriving to make truffles. We would each make 16. Our first job was for each of us to select 4 truffle flavors. My wife chose salt caramel, Chai, praline and raspberry. I chose salt caramel, passion fruit, Mango, and chocolate mint. (Yes, we could have both chosen 16 salt caramel each and been happy.) These are the flavors of the truffle themselves — some were dark chocolate coated, some milk chocolate and some white chocolate.
We were each given our choice of dipping chocolate. My wife chose milk and I chose dark, fully intending to share each other’s. Bowls were filled with our selected chocolate and placed over warmers in front of us. We were given dipping devices (like the devices used to color Easter eggs). We were each given 8 vials of toppings. After dipping each truffle and thoroughly coating it with chocolate, we put it on our tray and sprinkled as many toppings as desired. When finished dipping, we poured the remaining chocolate on our trays and mixed in as many of the toppings (e.g., finely chopped nuts) as we wished. When it cooled we broke it up with small wooden mallets. We wasted nothing!
Kadeem and the rest of the staff made our 1 hour experience extraordinary. I am not a cook/​baker like my wife, but we both enjoyed every step, laughing, experimenting and proud of our «creations.» Of course, the final payoff will be in eating the truffles. Thanks to our sons for their thoughtful gift and to Kadeem for making our time a Voila really special.

I figured I would give this place another shot. I went in with my nieces to make some chocolate. Both of them are lactose intolerant. We had fun making the dark chocolate (which I would say was only okay– gets extra hype due to the location). They both ended up sick shortly afterwards– there must have been some kind of mixup in the making of the chocolate itself.
Not happy with this, avoid if you are sensitive!

I went for a bachelorette party and I had a great time. We got there on a Friday at 8pm for our reservations. The staff was very friendly and helpful and explained the whole process. You start off with picking what type of candy you want to make. To name a few are lollipop, truffles, bars and molds. I picked lollipops. We were then given a choice of two chocolates. They have dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. I was then given a choice of a decorative sheet to place on the lollipop. After that the staff will bring you your chocolate and you start filling in your molds. You are also given sprinkles of all sorts to put on top. The whole process took one hour.

Starting at $ 25, you can have a great experience with your children making chocolate. The activity takes about an hour and you go home with a good amount of treats to share with your spouse when he or she gets home from work so that they can be part of the fun if you go on a work day.
Before you decide to go buy the molds and chocolate and double boiler because you are Mr. DIY… why not just throw some cash at the project and keep your home clean and your load light. How many times are you honestly going to make chocolate pops or molds? This space is awesome, the attendants are fun, and they really worked hard to get the price right for a kid to participate.
My three year old daughter and I made the lollipops with bunnies, hearts, stars, and pearl sprinkles. I’d highly recommend this for a mom’s night out activity or for 1 on 1 time with your kids.
We saw a boy about 8 years old and his dad making a huge amount of chocolate together. They were having so much fun. I would not recommend more than two children per one adult unless they are 3, 5, and 7. Or 3 and up. But maybe not for triplets all 3 years of age. I hope that makes sense. Here’s another way to say it. Only 2 «probably messy» kids to one attending adult. There. That should drive the point home.
Such a great little spot. I hope they survive the recent rent hikes driving businesses outta our hood.

Had a fantastic time celebrating our friends birthday here! Although it’s a fun activity for kids, adults can have a great time too! Our chocolatier was so kind and really made the experience better! A great activity in the neighborhood.

Upon arriving, I found it similar to a place I used to work at. It’s cozy and it smells delicious. I did not make any chocolate because it was too expensive. One staff member greeted me with open arms, while the others just stood and watched. After being there for quite sometime, another employee came up to me and asked if I needed any explanation on how things worked around there. I said, «no, I am just looking,» to which she replied, «ohh, you’re just LOOKING.» Sarcastic much? Anyway, three stars.

Are you in love with chocolate? Are you so in love that you’re willing to make your own chocolates? Then this place is for you. Voila Chocolat is quite delightful. The texture, the smell, the creation of your very own chocolates, amazes me. Sure, you are given templates and molds to make them into perfect shapes, that even if they come out imperfect are tasty and good anyways. I had so much fun making my own batch. The workers here are really nice and friendly and want you to have fun while making chocolate. This place is perfect for dates, children and groups. I definitely recommend Voila Chocolat a thousand times.

Voilà is to chocolate what Yankee stadium is to baseball. The best chocolate comes here to be tempered and transformed, in many cases with your help, as part of an experience that is both unique and educational.
Voilà is premium on all fronts – the venue is contemporary and features modern furniture, the chefs are well-​pedigreed and know their chocolate, and the ingredients and utensils are all sourced with care. The brain behind Voilà is Peter, who (not playfully) has anointed himself with the title of ‘chief cocoa nut’.
You can choose to make chocolate bark, truffles, lollipops or bars. The chefs will adeptly guide you through the process and help package the end product. I duly consumed the two boxes of chocolate bark I made the last time I visited Voilà. Alternatively, you can simply buy their pre-​made chocolate or visit the store to try their hot chocolate. Voilà also hosts corporate events. One cautionary note – try not to make nicer-​looking chocolate than your boss.
Do not miss this retail concept if you are visiting the Upper West Side, or if you live within a 100-​mile radius of Voilà!

Amazing place for a date!
My wife and I wanted to go out on a date. Wanting something different than dinner or movies, we started looking into fun things to do in NYC, and read the great review about Voilà Chocolat in the Wall Street Journal (
). We decided to try it out last night, and we had a blast.
The place is very hip and cool, the experience of making your own chocolates is super fun, and you can immediately tell that the chocolates are obviously high-​quality and super yummy (this coming from a certified chocolate addict!). Would highly recommend Voilà Chocolat to anyone looking to have a fun experience in the city.