11 Sweet Spots to Pick Up Quality Chocolate in San Francisco (2024)

Andrew Calisterio

Here are the city’s finest cacao crafters including both old-school legends and popup phenomenons

by Paolo Bicchieri and Becky Duffett Updated Jan 22, 2024, 1:09pm PST

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| Andrew Calisterio

The oldest continuously run chocolate factory in the United States dates back to the Gold Rush, though it’s now owned by Lindt, a massive international company. With a handsome redesign from the firm behind the Apple store, this is indeed the destination chocolate company of San Francisco. A warm day spent at Ghirardelli Square with the iconic hot fudge sundae is tough to top.

• Open in Google Maps

Ghirardelli Square

This North Beach truffle shop has supplied locals and tourists with chocolate since 1997, and owner Jean-Marc Gorce hands over any coffee or hot chocolate with a free sample. Fans love the dark chocolate dusted in cocoa, rolled toasted hazelnuts, and soaked in cognac. There are vegan options here, too.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

XOX Truffles

Michael Recchiuti is a former musician turned confectioner who set up shop in the Ferry Building in 1997 — the same year his friend Scharffenberger blazed onto the local chocolate scene. He’s known for smooth and powerful dark chocolates inflected with fresh ingredients from the farmers’ market including the lilt of lemon verbena and heady pink peppercorns.

• Open in Google Maps

Recchiuti Confections

Mindy Fongopened her tea lounge and chocolate shop in March 2022 and immediately the cafe became a must-try for Chinatown residents and tourists alike. Buddha heads filled with peanut butter and mango jam, chocolate-covered ginger, fortune cookie inclusion bars, and much, much more make this chocolatier one of San Francisco’s premiere confectioners.

• Open in Google Maps

Andrew Calisterio

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Wendy and Susan Lieu set up shop in SoMa in 2014. Their confections rely on local Guittard chocolate and Straus dairy, feature many Vietnamese flavors, and come in minty fresh boxes stamped with a super cute alpaca. As a woman of color-owned outfit, running the business has been a point of pride and exploration for the Santa Rosa-raised sisters.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Socola

Topogato has the buddy comedy background to keep dishing out delectable delights. Owner Simon Brown’s talent shines through creations like coconut passionfruit bars that look more like art pieces than candies. The business is entirely online, but pick-up is available at Lower Haight shop Her Urban Herbs. Topogato also ships nationwide as they team up with local bars such as Rye Bar for wacky-themed dessert nights.

• Open in Google Maps

Kokak is the newest addition to this list, opening in 2020. Owner and chocolatier Carol Gancia plays up childhood nostalgia with chocolate frogs and pond leaves in her tropical designs. The chocolates here are citrusy, bright, and creative, with Gancia finding reason to create new treats for holidays ranging from Pride to Valentine’s Day.

• Open in Google Maps

Kokak Chocolates

This small shop in Noe Valley opened around 1994 and has been wall-to-wall with craft chocolate ever since. Owner Jack Epstein doesn’t make chocolate, and he doesn’t shape chocolate, he just stocks chocolate in an astonishing selection — he says that at any given time, he has more than 1,000 different bars from around the world. He also makes custom blue-and-white tins featuring San Francisco street signs.

• Open in Google Maps

Chocolate Covered

Shawn Williams is a former chef turned chocolatier, working out of a small space in the Bayview. He’s known for his sea salt caramel, tucked into dark modern boxes, which can be spotted at many markets, bakeries, and coffee shops. But there’s also a retail shop attached to his facility if fans want to go straight to the source.

• Open in Google Maps

Dandelion Chocolate

Recovering tech worker Julia Street wants chocolate lovers to remember two things: chocolate is a fermented food, and chocolate farmers deserve more than they’ve got. Her bars are tinkerings in chocolatiering gone right, incorporating ingredients from miso to beer, and are available at Gratta Wines or for delivery. Address is for scheduled pickup only.

• Open in Google Maps

J Street Chocolate

This Castro classic was opened by Yucatan-born-and-raised Santos Euan who apprenticed at XOX Truffles in North Beach for seven years before opening his own shop. The truffles here are mini and classic, but that doesn’t mean the preparation and flavor aren’t high-end. Plus, the truffles are cheap — some go for less than a buck.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Five Star Truffle

The oldest continuously run chocolate factory in the United States dates back to the Gold Rush, though it’s now owned by Lindt, a massive international company. With a handsome redesign from the firm behind the Apple store, this is indeed the destination chocolate company of San Francisco. A warm day spent at Ghirardelli Square with the iconic hot fudge sundae is tough to top.

• Open in Google Maps

Ghirardelli Square

This North Beach truffle shop has supplied locals and tourists with chocolate since 1997, and owner Jean-Marc Gorce hands over any coffee or hot chocolate with a free sample. Fans love the dark chocolate dusted in cocoa, rolled toasted hazelnuts, and soaked in cognac. There are vegan options here, too.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

XOX Truffles

Michael Recchiuti is a former musician turned confectioner who set up shop in the Ferry Building in 1997 — the same year his friend Scharffenberger blazed onto the local chocolate scene. He’s known for smooth and powerful dark chocolates inflected with fresh ingredients from the farmers’ market including the lilt of lemon verbena and heady pink peppercorns.

• Open in Google Maps

Recchiuti Confections

Mindy Fongopened her tea lounge and chocolate shop in March 2022 and immediately the cafe became a must-try for Chinatown residents and tourists alike. Buddha heads filled with peanut butter and mango jam, chocolate-covered ginger, fortune cookie inclusion bars, and much, much more make this chocolatier one of San Francisco’s premiere confectioners.

• Open in Google Maps

Andrew Calisterio

Wendy and Susan Lieu set up shop in SoMa in 2014. Their confections rely on local Guittard chocolate and Straus dairy, feature many Vietnamese flavors, and come in minty fresh boxes stamped with a super cute alpaca. As a woman of color-owned outfit, running the business has been a point of pride and exploration for the Santa Rosa-raised sisters.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Socola

Topogato has the buddy comedy background to keep dishing out delectable delights. Owner Simon Brown’s talent shines through creations like coconut passionfruit bars that look more like art pieces than candies. The business is entirely online, but pick-up is available at Lower Haight shop Her Urban Herbs. Topogato also ships nationwide as they team up with local bars such as Rye Bar for wacky-themed dessert nights.

• Open in Google Maps

Kokak is the newest addition to this list, opening in 2020. Owner and chocolatier Carol Gancia plays up childhood nostalgia with chocolate frogs and pond leaves in her tropical designs. The chocolates here are citrusy, bright, and creative, with Gancia finding reason to create new treats for holidays ranging from Pride to Valentine’s Day.

• Open in Google Maps

Kokak Chocolates

This small shop in Noe Valley opened around 1994 and has been wall-to-wall with craft chocolate ever since. Owner Jack Epstein doesn’t make chocolate, and he doesn’t shape chocolate, he just stocks chocolate in an astonishing selection — he says that at any given time, he has more than 1,000 different bars from around the world. He also makes custom blue-and-white tins featuring San Francisco street signs.

• Open in Google Maps

Chocolate Covered

Shawn Williams is a former chef turned chocolatier, working out of a small space in the Bayview. He’s known for his sea salt caramel, tucked into dark modern boxes, which can be spotted at many markets, bakeries, and coffee shops. But there’s also a retail shop attached to his facility if fans want to go straight to the source.

• Open in Google Maps

Dandelion Chocolate

Recovering tech worker Julia Street wants chocolate lovers to remember two things: chocolate is a fermented food, and chocolate farmers deserve more than they’ve got. Her bars are tinkerings in chocolatiering gone right, incorporating ingredients from miso to beer, and are available at Gratta Wines or for delivery. Address is for scheduled pickup only.

• Open in Google Maps

J Street Chocolate

This Castro classic was opened by Yucatan-born-and-raised Santos Euan who apprenticed at XOX Truffles in North Beach for seven years before opening his own shop. The truffles here are mini and classic, but that doesn’t mean the preparation and flavor aren’t high-end. Plus, the truffles are cheap — some go for less than a buck.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Five Star Truffle

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