Last night I died and went to chocolate heaven. No, not another night of vivid dreams but a real live shop, Artisan du Chocolat in Notting Hill.

This is newest chocolate boutique from local artisanal chocolate makers Gerard Coleman (chocolatier) and Anne Weyns (General Manager). They have been making chocolates together since 2000, first on a stall in Borough Market and now expanded into Selfridges and two shops of their own.

They are truly local producers, the cocoa and many flavourings come, of course, from around the world but they are all mixed, refined and conched (aerated and smoothed out) in their Kent atelier, where the chocolates themselves are also produced by a small team of 10. They are already making waves, Heston commissioned his tobacco chocolates from them, Gordon has them at Claridges and Time Out listed their hot chocolate as ‘the best in London’, I tasted it and have to agree, chocolate ambrosia.

The shop casts a magical glow onto the street, its full height windows showing off the carefully balanced light/dark, curve/line play within. Inside most of the walls and cabinets are white, with the occasional contrasting rich brown, vivid orange or jungle green. The effect is lightly hushed and terribly chic, like a designer boutique crossed with an art gallery.

The chocolate is clearly the star here, and what a star it is, chocolate in all its forms. Truffles, fusion bars, dipped fruit peels, covered nuts, hot chocolate, lolly pops, pantry slabs, wafer thin Os, spherical pearls and screen printed squares – there is plain chocolate, fruit chocolate, spiced chocolate, herbed chocolate, tea and flower infused chocolate and, for the adventurous, tobacco infused chocolate*. I am giddy with choice!

A charming and passionate Zoe shows me around, guiding me through all the flavours, offering me tastes of everything. I can hardly resist any of it, each chocolate tastes better than the last and everything is beautiful.

The attention to detail is astounding, feasting the eyes as well as the tongue. The wafer thin mints are decorated like painted Moroccan tiles and melt rich yet fresh mint on the tongue, the house truffles look unassuming but are the best I’ve ever tasted, the Valentine hearts are vivid scarlet and darkly spiced and the salted caramels – well… forget your river of chocolate Mr Wonka, I’d like to swim in a river of the salted caramel (or at least sit with a pot of it and a spoon – entirely possible, and, apparently, not unknown for customers to do).

The salted caramels are becoming legendary and have been given suitably legendary packaging, channelling the Channel Numbers range exquisitely (see picture), I know what all my girlfriends are getting as presents from now on.

And, on the subject of girlfriends (and boyfriends) of another sort, their new Valentine range has charming ‘wood effect’ hearts, a love potion hot chocolate and heart medallions you can scratch your own message into, so if you want to win hearts this Valentine’s day make sure it is these ones you offer to your lover and watch them melt into your arms.

www.artisanduchocolat.com
Chelsea - 89 Lower Sloane street London SW1W 8DA
Notting Hill - 81 Westbourne grove W2 4UL
Also, Selfridges and Borough Market

* I tasted some of this, it was subtle and sweet, definitely tobacco-ish with that unmistakable tingle at the back of the throat. A very unusual but civilised smoke!