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Alegio Chocolaté
Category: Food Specialty Food Chocolatiers and Shops Chocolatiers and Shops [Edit]
1511 Shattuck Ave(between Cedar St & Vine St)
Berkeley, CA 94709
Neighborhoods: Gourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley
(510) 548-2466
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
Sun 12 pm - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
82 reviews for Alegio Chocolaté
Review Highlights
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"Even so, the love story of Claudio Corallo." In 4 reviews -
"100% - pure cacao powder." In 10 reviews -
"Learned so much, about chocolate and how rich it is." In 3 reviews
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82 reviews in English
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Review from Rajkumar J.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/15/2012
My wife and I went to Alegio on a Saturday afternoon. This is a dainty little shop in a small enclosed shopping alley on Shattuck Ave. We were warmly greeted by Robin who seated us and made us feel very welcome. Panos was our host and he gave us a quick introduction and took us on a chocolate tour that we will remember for a long time. I can't do justice to the wonders that this place holds or Panos' in depth knowledge of the history of chocolate. He opened our eyes, and taste buds to real chocolate by having us taste about 15 chocolates with very distinct smells, tastes and textures. My personal favorites were the coffee flavored chocolate and 100% chocolate. My wife's favorites were the chocolate covered coffee beans and 80% chocolate with crystal sugar.
We will not look at or taste chocolate in the same way again. I hope they open an establishment in South Bay soon. -
Review from Nicole A.
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow. I almost avoided this place wanting to not spend a lot of money on chocolate. Well, I ended up spending almost $40 and do not regret it at all.
Don't expect anything big, or anything that looks like a Godiva. We walked up and were immediately greeted and asked what sort of chocolate we like. Dark, of course. So we tried the 80%, 75%, and 73.5%. Then we tried the salt and pepper (a favorite flavor of ours) and ginger. We heard about the plantation and history. We had fun, ate some delicious chocolate, and walked away with a small bar of 75% and a box of the salt and pepper.
This wasn't the chocolate tasting that other reviewers are talking about, this is just the treatment (free samples!) we were given as normal customers. A full chocolate tasting sounds amazing, but even a 20 minute stop in this shop is completely worth it. -
Review from Jennifer V.
Ann Arbor, MI
3/26/2012
RUN. RUN TO THIS PLACE RIGHT THIS SECOND.
This place is absolutely AMAZING. I can't find enough positive words to say about Alegio and their staff. I bought a LivingSocial deal for a chocolate tasting for 2 for $15, and decided to use it to celebrate my stepsister's 21st birthday (to wind down the weekend after a long night of drinking the eve before). SOOOO glad we did it!
We tasted about 15 chocolates, I believe, and even got to peel and eat our own roasted cacao bean! It was really informative and a lot of fun. I definitely recommend the chocolate tasting. The tastings were all of the Claudio Corallo chocolates. DELECTABLE. I'm not kidding when I say all other chocolates have been ruined for me. I had a piece of Ghirardelli the following day, and I had to spit it out. It tasted horrendous.
My favorites were definitely the darker chocolates - 100% and 80%, and the 73.5% with bits of cacao beans in it for some crunch. I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE the coffee beans covered in chocolate (I believe it's 55%). I ended up bringing home a bar of the 73.5%, a box of the coffee beans, and some of the housemade Alegio truffles - raspberry, espresso, & scotch. I didn't have the raspberry and espresso - but my stepmom and dad LOVED them. The scotch was for me - and it was PHENOMENAL.
I've already devoured the 73.5% bar, and now I'm slowly making my way through the coffee beans, because I want them to last.
Definitely check the place out. Yes, the chocolate isn't cheap - but you get what you pay for. And it's worth every penny to the very last bite!! -
Review from HeartBeat Radio F. M.
Berkeley, CA
2/25/2012
It. is. *superb*.
I have become a little bit of a dark chocolate snob since living in Barcelona a few years back, and only Alegio's chocolate has come close to replicating my experience abroad. Granted, the chocolate I received from Alegio (Enric Rovira Xocolates de Barcelona, 80% cacao) was imported from Barcelona--but still, I was satisfied and impressed, as this is nearly impossible to come by in the states.
Their chocolate selection is of the highest quality--there's good reason why the price tag is so steep. Anywhere else, an 80% cacao chocolate bar would taste like bitter baking chocolate, but even Alegio's darkest varieties are perfectly palatable.
A destination location for the chocolate lover with a distinguished palate. -
Review from Noor M.
Berkeley, CA
2/6/2012
I bought a coupon for the chocolate-tasting tour, using "munchonme" and realize now that it was quite a steal - $15 for a tour (for two).
We had the pleasure of spending our afternoon with Robin, who is a warm, friendly and extremely knowledgeable individual. Not only does she know all the details about chocolate, but also has a lot of world experience, which is why, having our tour hosted by her, was a wonderfully enlightening experience.
After a small personal introduction, we were seated and began the tour which included watching a video of Claudio Corallo, breaking cocoa seeds, tasting chocolate nibs and seeing pictures. The tour included tasting different chocolates which included a variety of dark chocolate and one chocolate truffle each. Besides enjoying and understanding the REAL taste of chocolate, one's palate is introduced to wonderfully intense chocolate in different combinations such as ginger and salt and pepper.
Each chocolate has it's own richness and texture, however, my favorite was the "orange" as well as the dark chocolate with sugar crystals.
I would highly recommend Alegio, Robin and Claudio Corallo cocoa. -
Review from Lucia C.
2/7/2012
Chocolate and I have always had a strange relationship. I've enjoyed its taste, sight, and smell, and found myself fascinated by kind from foreign lands, but I knew nothing about its history. Like most relationships, history should matter. This is where Alegio came to the rescue and saved me from my ignorance.
Without knowing what we got ourselves into, my bf and I did a chocolate tasting with Panos and another couple. Oh the things we learned- by taste and by sound! I'm going to leave some of it a mystery, but after this experience, both of us will treat the chocolate from Alegio like fine wine. It is expensive because it's not made with any vanillin and comes from the mind of Claudio Corallo, who owns an island of cocoa trees near Africa. The stuff they have here pretty much comes straight off the island and bypasses the food engineers (and artificial cohesive elements) that other chocolate companies go through.
After tasting about 10 kinds of chocolate, I have decided that I liked the ginger balls and the 75% dark with cocao beans the most. This is interesting because Panos noted that Steve Jobs used to have someone deliver him his ginger balls, and that Michael Pollan's favorite is the 75% dark. I must have good taste :) -
Review from Candice B.
San Leandro, CA
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here with bf for some chocolate tasting. I warn you, it is not like going to meet up Charlie at the Chocolate Factory. It's dark chocolate w/a very deep, not as sweet taste. Very unique and informative experience.
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Review from Aaron M.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best. Chocolate. In. The. World.
Seriously.
Makes Scharfenberger taste like Hershey's Syrup.
Come in for a tasting and learn more than you ever knew there was to know about chocolate, all while nibbling on little bites of heaven.
Panos' passion for chocolate is evident. He delights in sharing the tasting experience with chocoholics like us. As each subtle flavor is detected by your senses, his face lights up, just as yours will.
Tasting chocolate here is like wine tasting in Chateau Neuf du Pape: it's some of the best in the world, it'll cost a pretty penny to take it home with you, but it's world class.
Life is too short to waste time with mediocre chocolate. -
Review from Cammy C.
1/19/2012
Came here with a friend for a chocolate tasting this week and Panos (the guy who runs the store) put us on quite a journey! The chocolate tastings usually only last about 30-40 mins. But we were so intrigued by the wealth of knowledge, and interesting conversation, that this guy had to offer that we stayed well into closing time...there's so much you can learn about the world and about chocolate in 1.5 hours! He gave us about 10-12 different kinds of chocolate to try, from different percentages to different flavors like ginger, orange, cranberry, and coffee. It felt endless! The 75% was definitely my favorite.
I would recommend for anyone, whether you're a chocolate lover or not, to come in for a chocolate tasting. Just come to educate yourself! I used to think that eating chocolate gave me headaches, or made me break out the next day, but I now know that I just need to stay away from all those other kinds of sugary and fattening chocolates. Alegio doesn't dilute their chocolate with other junk like milk, and vanilla, and butter...they don't need to. So if you want the highest quality, and complexity, of chocolate you can find, come get a bar ($12) or a box (about $30) that'll actually last you awhile! Bc it's so rich and concentrated, you won't need to eat much of it at once.
Here's a tip fellas: Stop by and grab some for a date, along with a nice bottle of wine, and you can't go wrong! Better yet, take your date here for a chocolate tasting...it's super interesting and a fun time! -
Review from Pete J.
1/28/2012
Panos is one incredible chocolatier. He truly loves what he does (deals in some of the finest chocolate anywhere). He is generous with his time and his samples. This is not cheap, either in quality or price, but is superb and well worth the price.
See the review of 12/4/11 by Jimmy Z for details of the individual chocolates. try lots, bring water to "clear your palate" between samples and prepare to be "wowed". -
Review from Chris L.
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
If you're really into chocolate, you should do the chocolate tasting (it's like wine tasting). They had a deal on Living Social - $15 for two people and a bunch of us (about 18) reserved two tastings (half of us went at 11:30a and the other half at 12:30a). I think both tastings went overtime, but that was a good thing. The 73% chocolates, muscato and the ginger balls were really good. Our tour guide was very passionate about her work and was excited to educate people about chocolate.
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Review from Kim T.
Daly City, CA
2/6/2012
Wow. Just wow.
I came here with a friend a couple weeks ago for the chocolate tasting and I feel like everything I thought I knew about chocolate has been blown away. Alegio Chocolates occupies quite a small space (enough for two couples for the tasting) but it is well-appointed and vibrant. It's the perfect setting for a fun date, whether it's a new love or a well-worn one =) (Bonus, Cheeseboard is across the street and there's also a delicious Sicilian restaurant, Lo Coco's, a short walk away.)
Panos is so passionate and his love of chocolate is so apparent, I was swept away for an afternoon. The chocolate tasting (I think it's $30/couple) is supposed to be 45 mins but we ended staying for 2 hrs before the "tour" was done. I was a bit antsy at first because Panos gives a 15 min introduction before any chocolates are pulled out - by that time, I was crawling out of my skin with anticipation. But it was well worth the wait! I won't go into details about which chocolates he gives for the tasting (part of the fun was guessing!), but they were all amazing and he was very generous with the samples.
I never knew that I could love chocolate, real chocolate, as much as I do. The flavors of these chocolates are so complex and aromatic... I can't even begin to describe it - it just has to be experienced. I will be going back often and that's saying a lot since I'm on the peninsula! I would totally recommend without hesitation =D -
Review from Michael O.
Emeryville, CA
2/16/2012
Reviewer's full disclosure; I am not a chocoholic, I typically don't gravitate towards anything that is predominantly chocolate nor do I usually consume it. I'd like to think that before my chocolate tasting experience at Alegio, I could at least appreciate and enjoy chocolate, however going forward, that may be a bit more complicated.
Having prefaced my introduction to Alegio, I had set zero expectations for the experience. Then again, I had no idea of what we were doing until we sat down for the tasting (my wife surprised me).
The history and the science behind chocolate was fascinating and I'm grateful that the time was taken to set a backdrop for what we were about to taste. Above all else, the virtues of passion and integrity were a constant theme when discussing the story behind Claudio Corallo's chocolate. Additionally, it was refreshing not being bombarded with cramming a bunch of chocolate into our faces and then being rushed along with a price list as I've encountered with some other types of tastings.
Having read a lot of the other reviews on here, I'll refrain from getting into too much detail since many of them are spot-on with the experience we had.
The bottom line is this; it became blatantly evident that I had never tasted chocolate made with this level of passion, perfection and purity before. I was genuinely impressed. Never did I expect to experience such complex taste and subtle intricacies from the different types of chocolate, of all things.
The moment of truth came when we tasted another highly-touted chocolate immediately following one of the Claudio Corallo chocolates. The differences were unmistakable in that there was a overwhelming addition of vanilla, emulsifiers and other additions which were not bad, however they masked much of the chocolate's complexity and true taste.
As a result of my newly-acquired knowledge, appreciation and discerning palate for chocolate, I may never be able to taste or buy chocolate in the same way again.
Be it good or bad, I will likely go back and would certainly recommend the tasting experience. The people who work there are incredibly friendly, polite and truly passionate about what they do and it definitely shows. -
Review from Marck N.
12/19/2011
I'm a sucker for chocolate and when its nice and pretty...I cave in. Visiting the store as it was replenishing with new products, I met the owner, Panos. He was very knowledgeable about all the products that he carried in the the store. He showed me several long time favorites as well as the new products that were certain to sell out.
They are the only distributor of Enric Rovira, the famous chocolatier who created the Chocolate Egg. The chocolate that he creates are master pieces of art. I was enthralled by almost all the pieces, as they have a nice tie to Barcelona. But it was the solar system chocolates that won me over. Chocolate truffles designed as the planets and a larger one as the Sun. A nice gift for my friend. Magnífico!
Note: the chocolates here are not cheap. The quality of the chocolates is worth it. Savor each taste, as its that's delicious or too beautiful to eat.Listed in: Fatty Favorites
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Review from Jimmy Z.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/4/2011
Got the Livingsocial deal and HIGHLY recommend doing the chocolate tasting here. After coming here, I now see and appreciate chocolate in a new light! I was not a big fan of dark chocolate, always was a Hershey kind of guy with the occasional purchases of Godiva. But after the tasting, I am sold on dark chocolate!
Quick note on parking: Park in the Andronicos Parking lot (currently going out of sale) as Alegios is inside this building next to Chez Pannisse. This totally surprised me as I was picturing a big chocolate factory tour but instead found this tiny yet homey little shop!
My chocolate tasting was led by Robin who broke the testing into two parts.
Part 1: is a quick history of cacao beans as well as where the chocolate is made. This little history lesson is accompanied by maps and YouTube clips of a Food Channel interview of Claudio Corallo!
Part 2: is where you finally get to taste the chocolate! The first thing we did was we actually tasted a cacao bean! Having never tasted one before, the experience was unique and tasted very nutty but bland.
After that we had the:
100% Pure Cacao - Very bitter, we had to taste it in two steps. Wasn't my type of chocolate but some people liked it.
80% Cacao - This was slightly better as it came with crystallized sugar. Both the 100% and 80% had this earthy taste of chocolate but I found it more enjoyable and bearable with this one.
75% Cacao - This one didn't have the crystallized sugar, it was instead mixed in and tasted quite refreshing!
73% w/ Orange - One of my favorites! The chocolate was sweet and the dried orange added a surprising yet refreshing taste to it.
73% w/ Ginger - Very interesting flavor. Was a bit spicy swallowing down my throat, I still liked it though just because I'm a ginger fan!
75% Salt and Pepper - This had a smoky flavor to it. Think white pepper and then once you finish you taste the salt. Didn't really like it that much, but the GF did.
73% Muscato - For the wine lovers! You can actually smell the muscato and taste bits and pieces of the grapes as you chew on the chocolate! The grape did taste a bit like raisin.
Ginger Ball - This was a chocolate ball with ginger inside and 100% cacao on the outside. The ginger added the sweetness to the chocolate while the cacao took away the spicy aftertaste you usually get with ginger. PERFECT for ginger lovers and it was so good that I bought some for my mom!
Coffee Bar - The coffee bar was delicious and another one of my favorites. It's the perfect combination of chocolate and coffee!
Cacao Beans w/ Coffee - Robin had us try these cacao beans that had this coffee flavor in them. Each box came with three different packages of beans that had different blends. It was similar to the coffee bar but provided a richer yet unique taste. I ended up buying a box of these just because they were so delicious and highly recommend them!
One of the highlights of the tasting was at the end he gave us a piece of high end chocolate from Germany that really highlighted differences between big chocolate manufacturers and high quality chocolate! I could literally taste the vanilla and the soy emulsifiers from this chocolate leaving a very sour aftertaste after eating high quality chocolate for the past hour!
One of the owners, Robin, also makes her own truffles and allowed us to sample one as well. There was Scotch, Habanero, Espresso, The Caribbean, The Orange, Venezuela, Ginger and Orange, The Raspberry, Santa Domingo, The Cinnamon, Ecuador, Honey, and Grapefruit. I tried the Scotch and loved the silky yet smoky taste of single malt scotch mixed in with chocolate.
Overall the tasting took about an hour. I highly recommend this shop as the chocolate is very very good. In addition, to the Claudio Corallo chocolates that they carry, there is also another aesthetic line that is created by a designer. We didn't hear the full story but still urge people to check it out since one of them are made in the form of these tiles found in Barcelona!
Final note: Chocolate here is expensive. A bar is about $12.50. A box of cacao beans is about $24.50. And the box of ginger balls are ~$30.
This is not CHEAP chocolate, but for the price you definitely get your moneys worth! -
Review from Tricia G.
Las Vegas, NV
12/25/2011
The chocolate tasting here is truly an eye opening experience!
I have a new found love for REAL dark chocolate. The owner will educate you on the fine art of chocolate making and its origins. The quality and taste of thier product is well worth every cent people!. Although all thier stuff is great, the 75% bar and the salt and pepper bar were the highlight for me.
Not available online- stop by if you can, anything here would make a fabulously unique gift!. **wink** all the clueless men out there -
Review from Carmen W.
San Mateo, CA
1/7/2012
Did a chocolate tasting at Alegio today and the quality of their chocolate was surprisingly and insanely good. Did not have any expectation prior the tasting but definitely left Alegio with a bundle of knowledge and a bag full of yumminess.
Alegio chocolate is pure, delicate and composed with unbelievable flavor; at times the layer of tastes can be complicated and complexed. Usually we use these terms to describe food but with chocolate? This is truly my first.
Alegio... you rock! -
Review from Florence D.
Oakland, CA
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have never had a chocolate tasting, and now I am afraid I have been converted into a chocolate snob (actually, I am SO okay with that.)
If you have ever gone to the Hangar One distillery in Alameda, think of the chocolate tasting experience at Alegio just like Hangar One (swap the vodka for chocolate, of course.)
Robin led our tasting in this very small chocolatier shop. My fiance and I clearly have different palets (duhhh...we are always arguing over foodstuff.) I cannot stop thinking about the 100% cacao bar I tried (yeeee bought it too!) and my chocolate-tasting-partner could not have enough of the uva dark chocolate bar (muscato grapes with alcohol in a dark chocolate bar.) ooooo and the roasted caco beans- how many of you can say you've had THAT???
I am so happy to support Alegio's products. Their items come directly from the suppliers, all of whom are clearly NOT exploiting third-world countries for their resources. ($13-$25 for a chocolate bar is steep, but SO worth it.)
GO AND TRY IT!! -
Review from Victor G.
1/14/2012
located in the epicurious garden, Alegio has many types of chocolates, sourced worldwide. many of the chocolates are in it's original container, untranslated and un- repackaged, keeping costs low(er). guessing alegio isn't a manufacturer but a redistributor of fine chocolate.
eats: chocolate with ginger (bar), 70% cocoa butter, 1.76 oz ($15?)
-long chocolate bar kind of thin, difficult to distinguish, hint of ginger.
-sourced from brazll, listing in portuguese, english.
-rating 3 stars
choc. chips:
-rating 3.5 stars for variety, no chance to try all.
-choc. flavors/texture too subtle for average palates (like mine) to appreciate.Listed in: Berkeley, chocolates
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Review from Elle K.
Danville, CA
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm a chocoholic and this chocolate is the best I have ever had. Had a tasting experience. The owner was very informative and the experience was great. Great product
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Review from Byron L.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
For the price I paid, I had expected to have an orgasm. It is good chocolate, but too expensive. Nevertheless, I'd recommend this place for people to do some chocolate tasting.
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Review from Rose A.
Thank you, Living Social for introducing me to Alegio. The shop itself is a ltitle hard to find (it's inside towards the back of a small market area). The shop is also small but is very open & decorated/stocked in a way that grabs your attention.
My husband and I took advantage of the chocolate tasting for 2 and Robin was just wonderful. She was very friendly and really knowledgeable about the different types of chocolates. We really learned some interesting things from her - one being that there are cacao beans grown in Davao, Philippines.
Robin didn't pressure us at all after the tasting to buy any chocolates, but she really didn't even have to. My huband and I absolutely loved the Sea Salt truffle.
Alegio is a great place to learn about chocolate, buy a gift or even a treat for yourself. -
Review from Robin A.
Oakland, CA
2/23/2012
#1: Their chocolate IS different. It's crazy different. Robbin explained why and in detail.
#2: Robbin is awesome. She cares so much and teaches you *how* to taste.
#3: I consider myself a foodie in that I know food pretty well, I have training and lots of experience working with food and flavor, but the things I learned at the tasting blew my mind.
#4: Don't be fooled by their location (a stand/store in a upscale food court of sorts next to Chez Panisse), this place is incredible.
#5: I am ruined/a fan for life. I don't think I'll be able to eat chocolate from anywhere else and really, truly love it. I'll be tasting all of the weird additives, like vanilla and soy lecithin. -
Review from nick o.
Emeryville, CA
1/15/2012
Panos is the Man!
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Review from Erin G.
Berkeley, CA
9/29/2011
Reason for visit: Chocolate tasting tour
Visit date: August 31, 2011
First time? Yes.
So many chocolates, so little time.
Robbin (Alegio co-owner) put on a very informative and delicious chocolate tasting. The shop is small -- perfect for an intimate 2-3 person tour/tasting. We sampled around a dozen different types of chocolate, everything from 100% cacao to chocolate covered pink peppercorns.
Alegio carries top notch chocolates. Their prices are a little up there, so I recommend the tour to get a sense of what chocolates you really like before purchasing a variety.
My favorites: 73.5% chocolate bar, nibs covered in dark chocolate -
Review from Joyce B.
12/3/2011
Highly recommend doing the chocolate tasting here. Definitely worth every single penny you pay and you will never see chocolate the same way after you come here. I think this is definitely one of the true hidden gems around Berkeley because you will find no other place this offers such authentic and good chocolate.
Just a quick note, I was personally not a fan of chocolate before coming here. But after having the chocolate tasting tour, I had my mind completely blown away by the intricacies of their chocolate and the history, art, and making of it and also what we can truly call chocolate.
Chocolate tasting:
Part 1: history/background of their chocolate
So I was expecting kind of like a factory tour of how they make the chocolate that they sell and was a little startled when I stumbled upon a tiny little shop hidden at the very back of epicurius garden, I was a bit doubtful of what to expect. After the owner seated us down, he brought out a map of Africa and started telling us about the discovery of cacao beans and the history of cacao plantations and the guy who discovered their chocolate. it was a very interesting story and the owner definitely made it entertaining while he was explaining the story. To be honest, I really felt like I was traversing through the jungles and trees, etc. Well, the owner gives pictures, videos, books as illustrations so it was almost like taking a class on chocolates. Anyway, so he kept saying how they have the "best" chocolate people have ever tasted and I was a little surprised by his bold comment. I mean you would see this line on the wrappers of chocolate but for someone to personally say that, it's pretty bold and I was doubtful whether or not it would really taste that good.
Part 2: actual chocolate
- cacao bean - he started with the actual cacao bean and personally since I've never tasted one before, it tasted like a nut but it was quite good, not bitter at all.
- 100% - pure cacao powder. i think the flavor is very interest and he told us to let the chocolate melt a little before attacking it.
- 80% - this one has crystalized sugar and it was interesting and good bc the sweetness is so subtle but it compliments the chocolate well, and it has a bit of crunchiness
- 75% - this one is a little richer bc it has a little bit of cacao butter and they used granulated sugar so it's extremely smooth. i liked this one.
- 75% ginger - not rlly my fav but it's still quite interesting
- 75% orange - orange flavor was so subtle it would be like 5-10% orange 90% chocolate taste.
- 75% salt & pepper - this one was so interesting bc the owner made us guess the flavors and i could not tell that it was as simple as just salt & pepper. i could taste the spice and thought it was maybe cumin or chili pepper or something but the salt i couldn't detect at all. anyway, it's definitely very interesting chocolate.
- 73.5% w/ nibs
- " " w/ grapes - not a huge fan of it bc the grape tasted a little like raisin or dried fruit and kills the taste of chocolate a bit
- chocolate ball w/ ginger - chocolate is 100% cacao. it's a good healthy treat
- ball w/ espresso bean - the 2 compliments each other pretty well. i think pop one of those in, and you are good to go for the day :)
I think that's most of it and he went in this order.
Oh and the most surprising part of this tasting is that he made up compare their chocolate to another high quality brand of 70% chocolate and I could totally tell the difference from the other chocolate of the vanilla flavor that they added.
Lastly, I also really appreciate the fact that the owner care about aesthetics. Each box are designed by famous designs and really represent the quality that these chocolates serve.
Also, he gives you complimentary cacao beans to go.
This is definitely one of the most unique places at Berkeley and it's hard to find but I definitely recommend coming here and trying their chocolate. But don't just gobble down the entire bar. Actually savor their flavors.Listed in: Berkeley Dessert Places
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Review from Pamela R.
12/26/2011
Loved the chocolate tasting! Completely informative and the owners are quite nice. They have chocolate for everyone, but man are they pricey --
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Review from SAMAY A.
Fremont, CA
8/3/2011
The best place to buy chocolate in USA. Best service but be aware it's addicting. This is the best chocolate I have ever had. Keep up the supply
Cheers you guys deserve all 5 diamond stars -
Review from Jeff P.
Berkeley, CA
12/11/2011
Extremely, extremely good chocolate. You'll leave with a new appreciation for the chocolate.
FYI its not expensive chocolate. It's artisan chocolate. You pay for the quality and get a great deal for that. Honestly.
The tasting is well worth the time/money. The owners are pros. -
Review from Catherine S.
Oakland, CA
9/12/2011
My husband & I had an awesome time at this tasting! We learned so much about the chocolate process, what makes a good chocolate, what our tastes are, and that my husband is better at guessing flavors than I am! Maybe he can start cooking dinner... Anyhoo, this is a must-do if you love chocolate or just want a super Berkeley gourmet experience, or even a romantic experience. What better way to get to know your date than a tasting experience? The guy who delivers the tasting lecture is really fun & knowledgeable.
The only down side is that it is tucked away - I would never have known it was there if it weren't for the living social deal. Plus, since it's part of a food galleria of sorts, the place happened to be overwhelmed with garlic smell when we went. I obviously can't blame Alegio for that, but it did kind of put me off at first. -
Review from Julie S.
Oakland, CA
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was a little hard to find. I thought it was going to be an actual store but it is a cute little shop inside of a small plaza area that is actually quite hidden if you aren't looking for it.
My Bf and i came here to redeem our livingsocial coupon for the chocolate tasting tour. We had never experienced a chocolate tasting tour so we weren't sure what to expect. We thought it was going to be a 15-30 minute chocolate tasting but it actually turned out to be almost 2 hours long and it was definitely one of the best tours we have ever been
on. It was interesting, informative, and delicious!
The gentleman who led the chocolate tasting was very passionate about what he was presenting and he made it really fun for us, especially when he made us guess the ingredients within the chocolates. He was very fun and carefree and you could tell that he wasn't giving the tours to gain profit or money, but he really wanted to educate people about chocolate.
Great customer service and delicious chocolate, what more could anyone ask for?
But i wouldn't recommend anyone to go here...i would rather keep this a little secret place that only select few special people know about including myself =p
You're the best Panos! And i hope people from all over the world comes to visit your chocolate shop! (if they can find it haha) -
Review from C P.
Concord, CA
7/24/2011
I brought my friend here for a chocolate tasting as a birthday surprise (after a dinner at Liaison Bistro, down the street, very kindly recommended by Robbin at Alegio when I made my reservation, and definitely an excellent choice!) and could not have been happier. As the other reviews here have said, it's clear the owners have passion for this product, which has been recognized as one of the top three chocolates in the world. After our tasting session, all I can say is, wow. If there's actually better chocolate in existence than what we had at Alegio, (and frankly I'm skeptical, having tasted Alegio's) I now have a new ambition, to try some for myself.
Beyond that, both Panos and Robbin were just wonderful - we got there early, and had opportunity to watch Panos presenting a tasting session, to a man and two adorable little girls, who were just as enthralled as their Dad. Meanwhile Robbin, while waiting on other customers, chatted with us - she was so personable, and the displays about the chocolate maker were so interesting, that we didn't mind a bit waiting our turn.
And the session itself just melted away,, leaving me and my friend feeling very satisfied on all levels and me very smug with my choice of gift to her.
And a note - the chocolate may be pricey compared to what you are used to spending for chocolate, but not for what this is - seriously, what did I buy at the end? I bought a bar of the 100% cacao chocolate because IT was DELICIOUS, no bitterness at all. And I'm someone who never cared for anything above 72% before because of the bitterness.
If you go to Alegio, I bet you'll be a convert, too. -
Review from Karen S.
4/28/2011
I never knew chocolate could exist in such exquisite forms. I have had the fortune of trying a handful of the products & they are all delectable. A personal recommendation for all you dark chocolate lovers out there: try the 85% cocoa chocolate. I am not sure if it is still available but if you like dark chocolate, give it a try. I like that it has the rich cocoa flavor without the bitterness. If you get it, don't chew it. Instead, let it melt in your mouth & you will feel the grains of cocoa bean inside.
On top of great chocolate, I LOVE the service. Every time I have been here I have spent at least 15 minutes trying samples & listening to the background of the products. The guy there is soft spoken, warm, and just plain nice.
Buying chocolate is good already. Buying chocolate from a nice person is even better. I won't pretend like I know all the things that are available @ the store; you are going to have to explore them on your own. But what I do know is that if you love chocolate, you will definitely love Alegio.Listed in: Tell Everyone & Their Mothers
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Review from D H.
Berkeley, CA
12/31/2011
Alegio chocolates is a cute chocolate store with helpful customer service.
Alegio is named after the two sons of the owners: Alexander and Georgio. You can tell by the story behind the name that this chocolate shop is a caring family-owned business.
I was there to buy chocolates to ship to clients, and the owners were more than helpful. They recommended a chocolate assortment for me, and helped me wrap it up and even went out of their way to help me package it in a mailing box.
While I was waiting for the chocolates, the owners did an impromptu tasting and I was able to try the Ecuador and the salt and pepper. Both melted in my mouth and I could taste the quality of the chocolate. I'm considering buying a tasting for a friend's birthday, and I'll definitely be back again! -
Review from April M.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amazing selection of high end chocolate with excellent service and sampling.
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Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2009
Alegio is an exercise in generosity. As the first bite of these sweet morsels melted in my mouth, I had tunnel vision only for the second. Then the guilt kicked in because I felt like everyone should taste their amazing creations. So I leave half. If it doesn't get snatched up to be savored, I nibble it down to quarter.
We sit in the Epicurious garden and play a game I call "eco eco" (bite, in Mandarin) where we alternate carefully paring each portion as it gets smaller and smaller, miniscule, seeing who gives into the temptation to gobble the remainder. It takes every iota of restraint for me to pass it up. And I claim I love him? Apparently chocolate trumps all. Especially these.
Oh the gorgeous truffles, adorned with cute little scenes and patterns. The habanero seized me and I will forever have cravings. Such dark chocolate is the thing of dreams. Whisper to me in percentages, 77%, 85%. Samples from Enric Rovira of Barcelona proves he's the Gaudi of the cocoa world. They call these products HIGH-end because they give you a glorious buzz.
Tiny but brimming with enticing displays and enthusiastic proprietors, they say the best things come in small packages. Case in point. Encased in a chocolate shell.Listed in: Shattuck Joints, Gourmet Ghetto
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Review from Danny L.
1/26/2010 4 photos
$2.00 for a piece of chocolate the size of my finger tip sounds pretty funny... But the sugar craving chocoholic inside of me was screaming for a sample and I caved in. Dang, I wish I wasn't such an impulse buyer!
Big Mistake! This tiny chocolate morsel is amazing! And they're decorated so elegantly. I had to admire this tiny little thing before consuming it. Then, I had to go back and buy a box... They have an assortment of flavors which you really have to try. -
Review from Angela P.
Burlingame, CA
7/26/2011
Sentimental reasons why I love this place. The claudio Corallo line.....to die for. Even so, the love story of Claudio Corallo .... in itself with roots and setting on a island off of Nigeria...will make me come back to touch and taste these chocolates. It's the owner's passion ...a love story with chocolate...an affair with chocolate that lures me back to this small shop every time I set foot into Berkeley. Claudio Corallo is a purist. He defies the chocolate industry, but in his purist ways of extracting his magic concoction...he finds the perfection that draws me back in every time. TRY IT. You will not be sorry. YUM
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Review from Daniel W.
CA
10/16/2008
If chocolate was a man, he would be very, very much like Panos, the proprietor of this little gem of a shop.
Charming, earthy, generous, passionate, delicious? (I wonder if anybody has ever just licked him to see).
The combination of the shop, the man, and the chocolate are a study in exactly what shopping should be--and a revelation to even the most jaded chocolate lover.
The shop is tiny, next door to Chez Panisse (in the back, next to the tea and gelato stores).
It's beautiful--small colorful square boxes from Spanish chocolatier Enric Rovira, perfectly placed along glass shelves--like modern art. Fantastic packaging and display.
And there will probably be a few little shards of chocolate, on a plate, calling out to you like tiny cocoa sirens. And as you unconsciously head towards them, you will look up and see a small bearded man, smiling, and making you feel like he actually wants you to have a free sample.
Stand there for more than the time it takes to pick up a sample and he will reel you in like the chocolate fish you are. He will ask what you like, tell you stories about his different chocolates, and insist you try them.
It would, of course, be rude to refuse, right?
Now he's got you where he wants you--slightly high from some of the best chocolate you will ever taste, soon reveling in the flavors ranging from fruity to smoky (and yes, you can actually taste all those flavors in this chocolate because it's so "complex").
He is happy to give you samples of anything you want to try, because, honestly, you can't judge a chocolate by its package (no matter how beautiful).
And with chocolate this *special* you have to taste it to truly understand why it's worth its weight in gold (it's not quite *that* expensive).
I first sampled a bar of all Mexican chocolate with coco nibs. It was dark and rich and tasted like oak and cherry. I kid you not, that's what I tasted. Perhaps I was hypnotized, I don't know, but I'm telling you I tasted them!
Sensing my weakness, he moved in for the kill and introduced me to the "hard stuff, very rare chocolate from Claudio Corallo from Sao Tome and Principe, tiny islands off the coast of Africa.
Chocolate plantations were created there in 1819 by the Portuguese, then abandoned. They survived in the perfect volcanic sol, untouched by human hands Fortunately monkey hands spread them (humans aren't the only animals who love chocolate).
So while cocoa trees in the rest of the world are cross-bred and hybridized, these trees were pure, old-fashioned--think "heirloom chocolate."
He chopped off a piece of this already magical-sounding chocolate and I put it in my mouth. I'd never tasted anything like it. It was amazing chocolate--kind of like the Wizardizard of Oz in color" vs. the Wizardizard of Oz in black and white part." Even in black and white the Wizard of Oz is wonderful but in color it's spectacular.
This chocolate has so many flavors, a very pure coco, something smoky, fruity--earthy. One kind was 70% but sweeter than any other 70% I've ever had, because it was made with raisins.
Another had cocoa nibs--toasted--and while it was dissolving in my mouth (because you don't actually chew chocolate, unless perhaps you're a monkey), it was like hearing a new kind of music.
And this is what they do here--they introduce you to a new kind of chocolate. You thought you knew chocolate. But you don't know chocolate until you've tasted this chocolate.
So, first advice--do not go anywhere near this store unless you are open to buying chocolate, because once you taste it, you will buy it.
Next--go directly to this store, taste some chocolate, and buy it. Life's short.
Taste this new kind of music. -
Review from Philip G.
Oakland, CA
3/29/2008
exceptional chocolates and incredibly great service. Pannos and Robin will feed you samples till you are on a delirious chocolate high and have no choice but to pull out the credit card so you can continue on the cacao high when you get home :)
Truly fine, beautifully designed, very small shop inside the epicurious garden.
