Planete Chocolat, Brussels

If you are keen on chocolate and are in Brussels, then missing a visit to Planète Chocolat would be a crime! And even more so, given its central location at Rue du Lombard 24 – just a stone's throw from the Grand Place and Manneken-Pis. This place is unique in the sense that, apart from buying delicious handmade (of 100% cocoa butter) artisan Belgian chocolate in its variety (pralines with different ganaches, gayettes, mendiants, truffles, biscuits, and hot chocolate, as well as chocolate cosmetics and sugar-free chocolate), here you can also see for yourself the entire process of chocolate-making and taste the chocolate prepared before your very eyes.

Planète Chocolat was founded as a company and opened its store in downtown Brussels in 1991, having since become a true ambassador of Belgian chocolate worldwide. It is currently placed by GoEuro among the top 11 chocolate shops in Europe, and TripAdvisor ranks Planète Chocolat #3 for shopping in Brussels. The store is decorated with chocolate sculptures, including that of the Manneken Pis, the City Hall, and the Atomium – the landmark of Expo 58, Brussels World's Fair.

Planète Chocolat has elevated chocolate-making to the rank of an art, and today it plays a regular host to various events related to chocolate, such as demonstrations and artisanal workshops, during which the staff generously share their knowledge of the craft with those interested, seeing annually more than 50,000 visitors. With a mission to inform public about the origin and delights of chocolate, the Planète Chocolat museum retraces the history of cocoa. Also, each year the chocolaterie co-hosts a tasting session at the luxury hotel Breidenbacher Hof in Düsseldorf.