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Neuhaus

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travellingdave
travellingdave
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Chocolate Smorgasbord - Menu Please!

  • April 28, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
Chocolate Smorgasbord - Menu Please!

Of all of the chocolate shops in Brussels, this was the one where we elected to spend the most money. Neuhaus chocolate is one of the finest in Brussels, and located on the Grand Place just a few doors down from the more-famous Godiva, and a few doors up from the "I see it everywhere in Belgium" Leonidis, where the chocolate costs less because it’s machine- and not hand-made.

Neuhaus made it easy to select our chocolate goodies. Well, as easy as it can be to pick around 20 pieces out of the tantalizing hundreds. There’s a small pamphlet on the counter, which serves as kind of a menu, with a picture of the chocolate and a description of what’s inside in several different languages. We purchased 250 grams in a nice box so it wouldn’t get smooshed by the evil airport for between 15 and 20 Euro (depending on final weight.) A small price to pay for chocolate at the shop that invented the praline (filled chocolate.)

Thanks to our Rick Steves guide, we started with a piece called "Caprice" which is toffee with vanilla cream - my favorite, so I got two of those. There was one shaped like a dollar, which suited my day-trading handsome significant other, which was hazelnut. The prestige is a yummy caramel filling, and the Manon Choco Cafe is a coffee butter cream. The classic truffle is just that, with chocolate butter cream and cocoa powder. Hungry yet? Let me tell you that when we arrived home, we ate the chocolates over two nights with gusto, and enjoyed every one. Is it crazy to want to spend $20 on shipping alone to order more on the Internet?

There was a slight communication barrier, as both of the workers in the shop spoke predominantly French, but with my 4 years of the language in college (which I nearly failed) and their broken English, we managed.

Why didn’t we eat them there? Well, there were many samples to be had everywhere, and we just wanted to save the best for last, when we could really savor them without being rushed and enjoy them to the fullest.

If you don’t get some chocolate here, then your just not the chocoholic you claim to be.

From journal Eating Our Way Through Brussels in One Day

Editor Pick

Neuhaus

  • January 16, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by travellingdave from Calgary, Alberta
Neuhaus

This delicious little secret is located within the beautiful halls of the Galerias St. Hubert, a nice collection of interesting shops and services just down the street from central Brussels' maginificent Grand Place.

One of Belgium's oldest chocolatiers, Neuhaus was founded in 1857 by Swiss chocolatier Jean Neuhaus. The Galeries St. Hubert location is its most popular and original branch, operating every day for over 130 years. The history of the store is evident, and entering its doors and thereby smelling the sweet aromas of chocolates and fillings, causes complete and utter euphoria in the average person.

I entered to find white-clad professionals tackling their trade, forming delcious morsels of chocolatey goodness by the thousands. One of the workers approached me and offered samples of their delcious product, which I happily devoured. I walked past the seemingly endless array of fresh chocolates and truffles, and picked a few fruit-filled ones and some cremes.

The staff were kind and willing to help out with my questions regarding nuts and cross-contamination (since I have an allergy). They pointed me to the chocolates that were safe for me to purchase. I happily perused the store, drunk off of the sweet aroma of the cocoa bean in the air.

Knowing full-well that these chocolates are of high quality and come with an even higher price tag, I was quite conservative with my choices. My small grab bag of 5 delicious chocolates cost me around 4 euros, a hefty price but completely worth it. It's a sliver of heaven right here on earth.

Gift boxes and chocolates that are well past their prime are somewhat more economical, with decent selections starting at around 10 euros per box.

Neuhaus can be found on the World Wide Web at: www.neuhaus.be

From journal The Heart of Europe - A Weekend in Brussels

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