Alléno & Rivoire: Chocolate Without Refined Sugar

The last stop on the tour, where sweet chocolate awaits, is Alléno & Rivoire, an innovative chocolate boutique in Paris. It was founded in 2021 by three-Michelin-star chef Yannick Alléno and his longtime partner, pastry chef Aurélien Rivoire, and has two shops in Paris.

What really sets it apart is that it uses no refined sugar, butter or cream. Instead, birch sap and fresh fruit provide a healthier kind of sweetness, and you'll see branches displayed all around the shop. You can try one chocolate for free, so be sure to ask for a taste.

The pralines made with fine nuts and birch sap are well known, as are the stick-shaped chocolates and the ones flecked with vanilla bean. What's new here is chocolate designed to pair with French spirits. The line is called Plaquettes Terroirs de France, chocolate bars that capture the terroirs of France. Accord Champagne is designed so that its delicate acidity, elegant texture and flavor balance the bright bubbles of champagne, while Accord Cognac is made with cognac in mind, emphasizing deeper, richer notes with caramelized and spiced flavors. Just like wine, each region's distinct soil and aromas are expressed both visually and on the palate, with the cross-section of the soil rendered in layers of chocolate. This is chocolate to enjoy as part of a gastronomic experience rather than just a sweet, which makes it a perfect way to taste France's high food culture.

Just as a meal often ends with dessert, we ended the tour with sweet chocolate. In fact, though, the French don't really finish a meal with dessert; they finish with cheese and coffee or tea, plus a light cookie. And like their never-ending meals, there is one more place that's hard to leave once you step inside, but well worth a visit: La Grande Épicerie, about a 10-minute walk from here. If you still have energy, head straight there, or set aside time for it separately.