L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

When I found out L.A.Burdick has a store/​restaurant in New Hampshire — before my trip to Squam lake — I knew I had to visit. I have had their hot chocolate a few years ago, and it really is simply the best.
Service was OK — but they definitely deserve five star for their product, and the atmosphere. The interior is beautifully decorated, it looks similar to old world confectionaries. I tried the iced version of the hot chocolate — it was heavenly.
While Walpole itself is nothing out of the ordinary — if you are in the area, L.A.Burdick is worth the drive for the experience.

You like chocolate? This is your place.
I got the milk chocolate iced drink and the mocha cake. Very tasty.
I got several Bön bons. Hey are not cheap or big but are very tasty.
Recommended. Next time I will try the restaurant.

I came here after having brunch next door (go to the restaurant your belly will thank you) for a sweet treat. The bonbon selection was vast and all the ones I tried were delicious. If you’re into chocolate at all you should definitely yet a single origin hot chocolate. Holy crow. Soooooo amazing. Little pricey but the quality is superb.

My husband pointed out to me that my reviews here are tinged with negativity. I have high expectations and standards and a very discriminating palate!
That said, this fancy-​pants bistro in small-​town-​rural NH is a true gem. The soups, the bread, the cheeses, pastries, the steak frites, the omelettes, the coffee, the hot chocolate, the EVERYTHING is fabulous! Oh, I forgot the chocolate — this is the kind of chocolate that you savour, nibble by nibble and it is sublime. My fave place to eat in NH. Wish there were more eating establishments like this

I ate brunch here about 5 years ago. I still remember it was the best brunch I’d ever had, and I haven’t had one nearly as good. I obviously still talk about it. I have a love-​hate relationship with brunch generally, but Burdicks is the only place where I find the extravagance and expense of brunch are matched by the quality of the experience.

Went in for a lunch without reservations on a busy Sunday so were seated at the bar, which was a comfortable perch for observing the bustling restaurant. Ordered the Chicken Livers Provincale and the Shrimp Risotto. Both were very good and well prepared. The capers and the green olives were a nice touch with the provancale.

A special place to eat — very unique and worth the drive. Don’t leave without trying the French Onion soup — best I’ve ever had. Steak Frites was pretty good, but I will order the beef stew next time. Make sure to save room for desert because ALL of the chocolate cakes are amazing. Service seemed a little inconsistent, but did not damper the meal experience.

Met a friend here to enjoy the café, but not the restaurant. I had a cold version of the «dark» hot chocolate (thankfully made with soy and minus the whipped cream, since I’m lactose intolerant). My partner had a hot chocolate and my friend had an iced Americano with a madeline. Those items came to about $ 16 (!!!). However, I’d say it was worth it – my drink was so rich and so thick, even with the soy, and it was unlike any chocolate drink I’d ever had before. I’ll be back if I’m visiting the area again.

Perhaps it was all the hype that I’ve been exposed to for years… I thought this place would have the yummiest chocolate anywhere… and the chocolate was okay (although not phenomenal.) What was disappointing was the staff in the shop. When I walked in I was ignored. When I asked questions the answers I got were curt and unhelpful. For the amount of money you need to spend for a tiny amount of chocolate you’d expect elegance and personalized service. You’d expect them to actual help you and offer assistance. I don’t ever go to Walmart, but if I did, I’d expect the customer service to be about like I got at Burdick’s.

The hazelnut orange cake was divine! Best cake I’ve ever had! I liked the white hot coco more than the milk chocolate one, but bith were amazing! Can’t beat this place, one of the best lil gems in Boston. I SO WISH they’d open in LA, tho! :(

The food is crazy good. The warm goat cheese salad — unbelievable. I had a quiche Florentine that was so creamy & light and delicious, with the slightest hint of nutmeg… This place is really astounding, and worth a long drive. Also, of course, the Burdick chocolate café features the most deeply richly decadently wonderful chocolates. You can choose a single origin chocolate for a cup of thick, heavenly hot chocolate in the style of cioccolata calda.
And yes, they have wifi.

Love the maple latte (and I never order lattes)! My only question, is why don’t you sell it at your boston location?

We’re unable to give a cogent explanation for why we are just now getting around to a review of Burdicks. As the dozens of previous Unilocalers have commented, it’s a terrific dining experience with high food quality. It is known all over New England and justly so – we’re proud it’s in our little community. So what can we add to what all those other writers have said? Very little. The preparation is thoughtful, the presentation delightful. the tastes scintillating, the service excellent. So why not five stars? Well, it’s a close call but — the wine list is a little on the lightweight side, if reasonably priced for the most part. We’d like a few more high-​end choices. And tough this ia a minor point, it does come up time and again — when we dine (only two of us) the tables can be a mite close together. Not New York City-​close, but closer than we’d prefer. So for those reasons we keep it four stars. But let’s be perfectly clear: this is a fine restaurant with excellent meals and wonderful servers to go along with those fabulous chocolates (the dessert offers more than a dozen chocolate choices). We like it a lot and come back as often as we can. We think Walpole is fortunate to have it around.

This honestly was one of my favorite spots back when I lived in NH– — my best friends and I would make the 40 mile or so trek from Hanover for dinner and a just a taste of their rich chocolates. It’s honestly been years since I’ve had dinner here (Easter 2010 after getting lost on the Appalachian trail on what was supposed to be an easy hike…), but I still remember my faves which included their charcuterie plate, the pâté (yumm), and cheese plates. Loved the steak frites and the roasted chicken, and of course their chocolates. I’m obsessed with their hot chocolate and chocolate almonds. After celebrating several birthdays and holidays here with my best friends, I only have the fondest memories of this quaint, cozy restaurant and chocolate shop. I’ve been to their shops in Boston and Cambridge, and neither bring such pleasant memories as the shop in Walpole.

My first time here was a date day with the mister, and it fit the bill nicely for a weekday. I started with the pâté and the mister with the charcuterie, and both were very good but flawed – one of the mister’s meats was almost off (not just aged, but discolored in a bad way, and a nearly rancid flavor), and while my duck rillette was one of the best things I’ve eaten in my entire life (seriously!), the chicken liver pâté was just okay, really needed the pickled onion to elevate it. For mains, the mister’s quiche was too heavy, too much bacon (how is this possible?!) to custard ratio. I had a daily special, chicken livers provencal, which was very flat to the point that I asked the server for a lemon wedge to add badly needed acidity, and I also salted it.
We returned to Burdick’s today with my MIL, who enjoyed her omelette and frites, and the mister’s steak and frites was delicious. I ordered the Lyonnaise salad (I had to ask, it wasn’t on the limited Monday lunch menu) and it was absolutely fabulous, wonderful duck confit with two runny duck eggs, though the croutons were hard-​stale and once again, to my bafflement, too much bacon for the amount of frisee (I should state for the record that I have been known in my younger and dumber days to cook an entire pound of bacon and eat it straight up. When I of all people say too much bacon for a dish…) This time we ordered dessert and the chocolate mousse cake, macaroons (real macaroons!), cappuccino, and iced dark chocolate mocha were very, very good. The mister thought his Harvard was too heavy fudgy, but he acknowledged that his mocha was affecting his palate, and this time our kids were with us and the little monster gobbled it up.
The prices for what you get quality wise are quite reasonable, though my glass of wine the first time around was a bit pricey ($ 11) for a California wine that didn’t seem much better than a $ 11 bottle from Trader Joe’s, so I skipped that this time around. The bread with every meal is very good, and we found out it’s baked locally in Alstead. Our favorite was the sourdough, which apparently Orchard Hill Breadworks bakes especially for them.
It’s too fancy to eat at every week, but I would definitely put Burdick’s on my «special occasion» or «impress visitors» list.

I came here for dinner with 5 other people. Everything was very good, and the prices reasonable (as compared to a restaurant of that quality in Boston). I shared one of their appetizer specials– escargot & mussels, which was very good, especially the sauce. For the entrée I had the duck breast which was phenomenal. Some of the other dishes that we had at the table were the 3 pates (also very good), haddock, and beef stew. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
The service was also friendly and prompt. I will definitely be back when I’m in the area.

Let me be succinct. This place is awesome. Absolute 4.5 /​5. I understand why everyone in Keene and the general Keene/​Brat area raves about it. The store/​restaurant is a hidden gem in Walpole, NH.
I had the goat cheese salad and steak frites. She had mixed green and haddock. We both looked up at each other after each course absolutely pleased and amazed at the level of richness and quality. Based on food alone, the rating would have been ⁵⁄₅.
The negative .5 is for the crowd. We were clearly 20 years younger than the typical draw Burdicks gets. In addition, due to its popularity, the circus has outgrown the tent — they are definitely in need of a floor plan extension.

Hoooooooly crap Unilocalers. Hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick is the best hot chocolate you will ever drink. This is not an exaggeration.
I was in the neighbourhood for a wedding, and we had some time to kill, so the ladies all ventured over to Burdick’s. Its located in an adorable old building, on Main Street, much like the town I grew up in. You half expect to turn around and see your neighbour.
We drooled in the chocolate shop, but ultimately didn’t get anything. I understand it is a gourmet store, but the prices are rather steep. I really couldn’t afford more than the one small hot chocolate and macaron I purchased.
Not to fear though! The bride and groom had thought ahead, and their wedding favours were three good sized chocolate hearts that I enjoyed in pieces throughout the next workweek. Delicious!

I love Burdick’s. It might be because I love chocolate. And pastries. And cheese. And more chocolate.
A family friend has been recommending that we try Burdick’s forever. We finally made our way out there during a weekend visit. We got to the restaurant on Sunday just before their brunch was scheduled to end. They were so kind, however, and said that we could order soups, salads and appetizers from the menu. My sister and I couldn’t say no the pâté platter. My mother ordered the cheese plate and my Dad ordered a chocolate pastry and the mushroom soup (weird combo, but if you know him, it makes sense). The pâté was incredible… the cheese (what I would eat of it anyway) was delicious. We were able to enjoy one of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen when my Dad attempted to eat one particularly smelly cheese and before it even made it past his lips he squealed, «It smells like nasty gym socks» and tossed it back on the table. He then proceeded to drain his mug of tea and demand that someone give him gum to get the «stench out of his nose.» :-) Not all cheese is for everyone!
I will definitely come back again and hope to host some sort of brunch or tea party here in the near future. What a great little New England spot.

I grew up on Old Walpole Road. Our house was located in Keene at the start of Old Walpole Road. As you would expect Old Walpole Road is the road they once took to Walpole village. Well I never knew growing up that Burdick’s chocolates would fast become my favorite chocolate. I would have been making the trip up Old Walpole Road weekly to get my fix.
I have to admit these are my favorite chocolates on the East Coast. Read some of my previous reviews and you will know my favorite on the West Coast.
Walpole is a quaint New England town where all the buildings around the town square are painted white and quite grand. Burdick’s chocolates can be found in the town square on Main Street.
Walking into the shop you just know you are going to love it. They allow you to taste just about everything (so it seemed). There were sample trays everywhere you turned. I was that «kid in a candy store».
the Healthy Bar Set is worth checking out. Order it via mail you won’t regret it. Or if you find yourself in New England some fall day then be sure to stop in and stock up but please email me so I can put my order in as well.
My mouth is watering all over my keyboard right now!